1805.J 



State of Pullic Affairs in Attguft, ,1805. 



175 



peror of the French exerts ereat influence in 

 Itulv, tlie Emperor of Ruffia exerts a much 

 greater influence on the Ottoman Porte and 

 in Perfia. The former has a limited influ- 

 ence, which does not extend beyond the dif- 

 cuflians on the fubje6t of her boundaries, 

 and does not much incrcafe her power : the 

 latter, on the other hand, exerts her influ- 

 ence over two Powers of the iirft rank, 

 which have long flood in the fame poUtical 

 rank with France and RulTia, and wliich rule 

 over Arabia, the Cafpian and the Black 

 Seas. If the Ruffian Cabinet thinks it has a 

 right to fix the juft boundaries by which 

 France is to be limited on all lides, then that 

 Cabiuel will undoubtedly' allow the Emperor 

 of the French to fix the boundary by which 

 it is to be limited in its turn. When it views 

 with Herfchel's telefcope from the terrace of 

 the palace of the Tuuride, what happens be- 

 tween the Emperor of the French and fome 

 tribes in the Apennines, it ought not to de- 

 mand tliat the Emperor of the French Ihould 

 not fee what becomes of the ancient and il- 

 luftrious Empire of Solyraan and of Perfiu ; 

 that he ftiould not fee that for ten years paft 

 the whole Caucafus had been united with 

 Ruf&a, at the folitary requell of a few fami- 

 lies of that country ; that Wallachia and 

 Moldavia are entirely dependent on lluffia ; 

 that (he has fubjefted to heifelf the mouths 

 of the Phafis, and conftructed forts there ; 

 that thereby obliging the Porte to fuller her 

 con'pieftsj the has procured great advantages 

 to herfelf for purfuing her conquefl:s into the 

 centre of Perlia. 



"Is, then, the Emperor of the French low- 

 ered to that degree of wcaknefs, that he 

 muft coolly liften to a Ruffian Commiflar^', 

 calling him to an account for what he does 

 in countries unknown to Ruffia, and with 

 which ffie has no relation ? that he muft clofe 

 Lis eyes from feeing, and reftrain from an- 

 fwering, when Sultan Selim has lefs to fay in 

 Conftantinople than afimple Envoy from St. 

 Peterlburg ; when the Bofphorus is violated, 

 and the cocfequences of the occupation of 

 the Crimea, and of the mouths of the Pha- 

 fis, are felt in full force ; when the cries of 

 the Seraglio, although fettered by fear, 

 awaken all Europe ; and, laftly, when there 

 U not a Pacha in the Morea, i\ot a MulTul- 

 inan in Conftantinople, but expef^ts every 

 morning to fee a fleet from the Black Sea 

 cafting anchor at the foot of the Seraglio, 

 and a Herald reading the Declaration of 

 War ; and to hear the report of muflcets in 

 the gardens of the Grand Signior ? 



'■ But if a Ruffian Comnnffary, coming 

 to Paris to fay, that a diminution of influ- 

 , cnce in Italy was demanded, (hould fay, at 

 •the fame tnne, that a guarantee Ihall be 

 given for PerCa and the Porte ; that the 

 Bofplioru!) fliall no more be viohitcd, but re- 

 rnam (liut, according to the practice of all 

 tnuc«, agalnft the (hips of all Powers ; that 

 tile Treaty gf 1798 (liall not be renewed ; 



that the fubjefts of the Porte ffiall no longer 

 navigate under Ruffian colours ; that the re- 

 giments inlifted for the Ruffian fervice in Al- 

 bania, at a great expence, (hall be difbaud- 

 ed ; that the ffiips in the Black Sea Ihrtil ne- 

 ver be fo numerous as to endanger the Porte 

 of being menaced in her own capital, before 

 the Powers of Europe can be informed of 

 her danger ; that the Phafis (hall be evacu- 

 ated, and the Caucafus reftored to the Shah 

 of Perlia, and that tranquillity (hall again 

 be given to that vaft Empire, after fo many 

 years of internal wars and calamities ; then 

 it would be ealy to conceive what would b« 

 the efl'ecl of fuch language ; and although 

 we are not in the fecret of the (^labinet of 

 the Thuilleries, we dare fay the Emperor of 

 the French would he ready to meet (o noble 

 an agreement ; lie would liften, not to me- 

 naces, but to a delire to conlolidate the in- 

 dependence of nations and the happinefs of 

 mankind- Whatever facrifices he ihouid 

 make for the independence of the Porte and 

 of Perfia, he would ftill be a gainer ; pofte- 

 rity, for which he labours, would acknow- 

 ledge him its deliverer, and admire the 

 acutenefs of that reafon, which made him 

 difcover beforehand that the Ruffians would 

 be the opprefl'ors of the whole world, even 

 as they now opprefs the North, and the cflra- 

 blilhment of that univerfal monarchy with 

 which Europe has been fo much frightened, 

 and which has I>een fo long held up to its 

 view as the aim of the French Nation, which 

 comprifes every thing in itl'elf, and can never 

 be dangerous to the independence of other 

 countries. 



" If the Ruffian Plenipotentiary cam* 

 with a Meffage from England, who is there 

 but fees the difficulties,, the unnvoidabla 

 trouble, which new inftruftions, new preten- 

 tions of Ruffia would introduce ? Of what- 

 ever nature the objetts may be which divide 

 England and France, thofe nations would 

 then be obliged to expeft rhe decifion of their 

 diftert-nces from a tar diflant country, ta 

 which the inlereft of both is fo little knowu. 



" When the Cabinet of London applauded 

 the IMiffion of M. Novofiltzotf, it did fo, be- 

 caufe it hoped not only to bring over Kuffia, 

 but alfo to draw in Auftria and Pruffia along 

 with her ; for it knows full well, that the 

 concurrence of Ruffia alone will not allunr 

 it to think of the infane plans o( partitioa 

 which it has formed againft France, and of 

 which, in its nmdnefs, ^t never ceafes to 

 dream. If the Englifli Government is deli- 

 rous of peace, it will recollect, that it cau 

 only reply to a French Note by an Englifh 

 Note. Thcfe tv.i0 langua^^es are ealily tranf- 

 lated, and the inlcrvenlion of another would 

 only render the negotiation more intricate. 



'■ Could M. Novolilizoir hiinfcif be accu- 

 rately acquainted with I'lich knotty affair.-t ? 

 Did he know, that at the lime of the I'rcaty 

 of Aiiueiis, the l-iupire of My fore was not 

 wholly united lo tiic EugliOi iJuU'eliioas ? 



'i'Jiat 



