Mr. Bell on the growing power of Russia. 417 
of Constantinople will assuredly accomplish her wish. Possessed 
of this, and the immense forests of Asia Minor, on the coast of the 
Euxine, with all the shores sf Macedonia and Greece in her power, 
and thousands on thousands of Greek sailors at her nod, she will 
be enabled to create a navy which will give her the command of 
the Mediterranean, and the commerce of the Levant, and the in- 
terior seds of the Euxine, the Palus Mezotis, and the Caspian. 
Under her sway Constantinople will rise to greater eminence than 
ever it possessed since the days of its sagacious founder Constan- 
tine, and become the grand depot of all the commodities of Europe, 
Asia, and Africa. This is no imaginary picture: it is just what 
Constantinople is fitted to be under an enlightened. power that has 
sagacity suflicient to appreciate its value, and improve the advan- 
tage of its possession ; and to imagine that Russia will allow its 
possession to step out of her hands, whilst she has the power to take 
it, and as much to retain it, is to suppose her totally destitute of all 
that political intelligence and sagacity which have hitherto mark- 
ed her conduct. ‘The same fate will befall Asiatic Turkey, and 
the miserable inhabitants of that once delighful, rich, and populous 
region, are sighing to be rid of the yoke of the oppressors, and 
would welcome a Russian army, or indeed any army that bore the 
face of European, to achieve their deliverance ; and I cannot see 
_ any other power than Russia which can so conveniently doit. And 
though we may deplore the stride of Russia towards universal mo- 
narchy, and the loss of that political balance which it has been so 
long the labour of statesmen to preserve, yet it cannot be prevent- 
ed, and the barbarity of the despotism which has ruined Western 
Asia, is quite sufficient to stifle all considerations at its overthrow, 
shield the aggressor from the charge of injustice, and throw a plau- 
sible veil over the motives which produced the attack. Aye} and 
until that event be accomplished, not a ray of political, moral, or 
evangelical light will be permitted to dispel the gloom, which, with 
baleful wings, has long brooded over that once enlightened and 
glorious country. Every selfish feeling, whether arising from com- 
mercial or political jealousy should be banished on this point, and 
merged in the general wish for the good of mankind ; and although 
the Russian government is ‘a despotism, a young and vigorous des- 
potism, and although her ewn political agerandizement be the pre- 
valent if not sole motive of her conduct, yet still it is an enlight- 
ened despotism. It is not a despotism inimical to human improve- 
ment in the arts and sciences. It does not persecute or oppose re- 
‘ligious freedom, nor hinder the mechanic or cultivator from reaping 
the fruits of their respective labours. It is still a better, a more 
liberal despotism, than those of Spain and Portugal. It is not 
worse than Austrian, and it is infinitely preferable to an Asiatic 
despotism. She has done more for the good of her subjects, in art 
and science, in moral and religious instruction, than any of the 
- Catholic powers have done, or are willing to do. She has done 
more, in these respects, than what we have donee the Hindoos, 
VOL. I. G 
