1829. ] England, Russia, and Turkey. 571 
is the supreme Law of God among empires, and the three creators of the 
French revolution. Dearly and deservedly they all paid for their crime. 
Before the lapse of a few years, they were all broken to the ground by 
the trampling of hostile armies; the French soldiers rioted in their 
palaces ; their military name was degraded, and Vienna, Berlin, and 
Moscow, were in the possession of the most insolent and merciless of vic- 
tors. But the wisdom of Adversity has, with the suffering, passed away, 
and Europe is again threatened with universal hostilities by the passion 
of the Czar to be master of Constantinople. 
The nominal cause of the war with Turkey is the removal of the 
hospodars of Wallachia and Moldavia by the Porte. A treaty in 1804 
had established that those governors of the provinces should be removed 
only at the end of every seven years ; a period fixed by the customary 
cunning of the Russian cabinet, as one in which the hospodars, thus 
rendered secure from the bow-string, might connect themselves more 
effectually with Russia. The hospodars were Greeks, and their national 
prejudices allied them to their new protectors; they were like all the 
Greeks of the Fanar—ambitious, corrupt, and crafty ; and the gold of 
Russia was the virtual sceptre of the hospodariates. 
In the French war, Sebastiani was sent to the Porte with proofs that 
those Greeks were in actual correspondence with St. Petersburg ; and they 
were dismissed. The Russian minister declaimed against this dismissal, 
as a breach of treaty. The Turks gave way, replaced the hospodars, 
and the first intelligence that followed their submission, was of the march 
of a Russian army over the border! But a more powerful influence, 
that was seldom employed to prevent the shedding of blood, forbade the 
impending devastation of the provinces. Napoleon commanded the 
invaders to retire, and the treaty of Tilsit tied the hands of Alexander. 
But Napoleon himself was only a murderer on a larger scale ; and Spain 
“was given over to his love of carnage. There retribution awaited him, 
like a vulture on the wing above the corpse: the mountain and the desart, 
the barren sand, and the scorching sun, warred against the man of ambi- 
lion ; “ the stars in their courses fought against Sisera,” and there was 
hesfirst blow given to a diadem loaded with the double guilt of revolu- 
many and imperial ambition. The tiger was entangled in the net, and 
he jackal went forth to prey ; a Russian army instantly spread itself 
e Danube. The Turks were taken by surprise ; and a succes- 
vns on the Bulgarian bank rapidly surrendered. But winter 
be defied in those climates ; and the invaders, repulsed by the 
swellings of the Danube and the severity of the storms, were driven 
into winter quarters. In the next year the invasion was renewed ; but 
he Turks defended themselves with their national intrepidity. The 
uccess was alternate and ruinous; and, at the close of a campaign of 
erpetual fighting, the invaders had not advanced beyond the Danube. 
n the memorable year of 1812 Napoleon again interposed, but no 
longer as the master of the Russian councils. He was now overwhelm- 
ing the empire with that mighty chivalry which had crushed the power 
of the continent, and saw before it but one magnificent and secure 
victory over the barbarian levies and helpless irresolution of the Czar. 
un this crisis of imperial fate, the whole strength of Russia was essential 
er resistance, and the army acting against Turkey was recalled. 
treaty was made with the Porte; the conquests of Kaminsky and 
usoff were abandoned, and, by the mediation of England, Alexander 
elf at once relieved ae ,. unprosperous war, and strength. 
D 
