THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO 347 



gentleman and a nobleman in the truest and best sense of 

 those words." 



At the end of this letter I make some remarks on the 

 Crimean War, then almost concluded, and though I after- 

 wards saw reason to change my opinion as regards this 

 particular war, my views then as to the menace of Russian 

 power to civilization are not altogether inapplicable at the 

 present day. I say — " The warlike stores found in Sebasto- 

 pol are alone a sufficient justification of the war. For what 

 purpose were four thousand cannon and other stores in pro- 

 portion accumulated there for if not to take Constantinople, 

 get a footing in the Mediterranean, and ultimately to subju- 

 gate Europe? And why do such tremendous fortresses exist 

 in every part of the frontiers of Russia, if not to render her- 

 self invulnerable from the attacks which she has determined 

 by her ambitious designs to bring upon her? Russia is per- 

 petually increasing her means both of defence and of aggres- 

 sion; if she had continued unmolested for a few years longer, 

 it would have cost still greater sacrifices to subdue her. The 

 war, therefore, is absolutely necessary as the only means of 

 teaching Russia that Europe will not submit to the indefinite 

 increase of her territory and power, and the constant menace 

 of her thousands of cannons and millions of men. It is the 

 only means of saving Europe from a despotism as much worse 

 than that of Napoleon as the Russian people are behind the 

 French in civilization." 



There is a certain amount of truth in this, but to avoid 

 misconception I wish to state that I think the danger does 

 not arise from the Russian Government being any worse 

 than our own, or than the Governments of Germany or France. 

 All have the same insatiable craving for extending their ter- 

 ritories and ruling subject peoples for the benefit of their own 

 upper classes. Russia is only the most dangerous because 

 she is already so vast, and each fresh extension of her territory 

 adds to her already too large population, from which to create 

 enormous armies, which she can and will use for further 

 aggrandizement. It is a disgrace to Europe that they have 

 allowed Russia to begin the dismemberment of China, and 



