GENERAL HISTORY. 



[183 



were at Giurgewo. These warlike 

 demonstrations, however, had no 

 consequences. The exhaustion of 

 one empire, and the critical state 

 of the other, rendered the necessity 

 of a peace so evident to both 

 parties, that after a considerable 

 time spent in adjusting the terras, 

 a treatj' was finally concluded, the 

 ratification of which was announced 

 at Petersburgh by a Te Deum on 

 August 14ih. By its principal 

 article respecting territory, the 

 river Pruth, from its entrance into 

 Moldavia to its junction with the 

 Danube, and the left bank of the 

 Danube to its mouth at Kilia, are 

 declared the European boundaries 

 of the two empires; the Porte re- 

 linquishing to Russia all the dis- 

 tricts, fortresses, and towns to the 

 left of the Pruth. The Danube 

 may be navigated by the merchant 

 vessels of both powers, but Russian 

 ships of war are not to come 

 higher than the mouth of the 

 Pruth. Full amnesty is granted 

 to the subjects of each power who 

 have taken the opposite part in 

 the war ; and in particular, the 

 Porte grants a pardon to the Ser- 

 vians, and consents to demolish 

 the fortresses lately erected in their 

 country, putting garrisons in the 

 ancient fortified places. The Porte 

 also offers its mediation to restore 

 peace between Russia and Persia, 

 on the frontiers of which, hostilities 

 had for some time subsisted, and 

 with some disadvantage to the 

 Russians. Thus was terminated a 

 destructive and protracted war, 

 with an acquisition to Russia of 

 an unhealthy slip of country to 

 her already unwieldy mass of ter- 

 ritory, at a cost which she doubt- 

 ie8B severely felt in the arduous 



contest almost for existence that 

 awaited her. 



It was the obvious policy of the 

 Russian court, not only to free 

 itself from an enemy, but to ob- 

 tain new friends, in order to 

 strengthen it for the coming en- 

 counter. The Swedish govern- 

 ment,which had given unequivocal 

 proof of a disposition to assert its 

 independence against the requisi- 

 tions of France, was naturally the 

 first object of amicable negociation, 

 and a Russian general arrived at 

 Stockholm on March 21st for the 

 purpose of opening a treaty. Some 

 difficulties probably arose, for the 

 sovereigns of the two countries 

 thought proper to have a personal 

 interview in order to bring matters 

 to a final adjustment. The Em- 

 peror Alexander, and the ci own- 

 prince of Sweden, met at Abo in 

 Finland on August 28th. The 

 emperor, who had been on the 

 spot some days, waited upon the 

 crown-prince immediately after his 

 arrival ; and banishing all cere- 

 mony, they had a conference 

 which lasted four hours, and from 

 which all their attendants were 

 excluded ; but the English minis- 

 ter. Lord Cathcart, was present. 

 The result has not been made pub- 

 lic, but it was the general opinion 

 that Alexander promised the resti- 

 tution of Finland to Sweden within 

 six months, on the condition of a 

 co-operation of the Swedish troops 

 against the French. We shall see, 

 however, that no such co-operation 

 actually took place during the cam- 

 paign of this j'ear. 



No difficulty seems to have oc- 

 curred in settling a treaty between 

 Russia and England, the interests 

 of tl»e two nations so well coin- 

 ciding 



