Mr. Bell on the growing power of Russia. 419 
Asia. Hence every son of a sovereign thinks himself as much en- 
titled to the throne as another, and the people are of the same opi- 
nion. Hence the crown is never obtained but by him whose sword 
is longest ; and where there is no fixed order of succession in the 
family, either the successful heir puts all his rivals to death, or 
mutilates them, or a candidate of another family or tribe starts up, 
and extirpates the reigning family. This is the invariable case. 
Hence the numerous short-lived dynasties and civil wars of Asia. 
The present dynasty is hated by all the natives but its own tribe, 
and in Gheetan and Koordistan the inhabitants and chiefs are 
sighing for a change of masters, and the latter told Fraser, that if 
one thousand Europeans from any quarter, no matter where, should 
appear in Khorassan, they would be joined by 20,000 Koords. It 
is quite needless to enlarge on the subject. ‘The fact of the weak- 
ness, misrule, oppression, and poverty of Persia, is so well esta- 
blished, that it needs no argument to prove the utter inability of 
that country to cope with Russia ; and there cannot be the small- 
est doubt but a political convulsion will ensue on the death of the 
present sovereign, and that Russia will take advantage of the 
struggle to seize another portion of territory. Each future strug- 
gle, either for a contested throne or with Russia, will progressive- 
ly weaken her, till Russia seize the whole, and incorporate it with 
her own dominions. It is matter of wonder to me, that any who 
are at all acquainted with the deplorable state to which Mohame- 
dan misrule has reduced Asia, and the total want of any real 
power in any Mohamedan state to oppose a European invasion, 
should think it an impossibility for Russia to conquer Turkey or 
Persia. I believe her perfectly able to overturn all the Mohame- 
dan states in Asia. The only difficulties are merely physical, as 
the length of the read, the nature of the country, dithculty of com- 
munication, and of obtaining provisions in a wasted, and, in many 
respects, an unproductive country. Another difiiculty is the want 
of money to carry on a war of conquest in distant countries. But 
as long as there are Israelites in Europe, Russia will not want 
money, and Russia is cautious in her advances towards the object 
of her ambition. She never conquers one part till she has strength- 
ened and improved her former conquest ; and I can easily conceive 
that in this way she may continue her slow but sure path of con- 
quest, till she reach the Indus, and that she will reach it in time 
I have no doubt. That she will meet with many obstacles in the 
line of conquest thus far is undeniable ; but they are not insuper- 
able, and as she has taken care to fortify her rear by forts, posts, 
and settlements of soldiers, artisans, and mechanics, they will fin- 
ally be overcome. Respecting her conquests in Independent Tar- 
tary, we see from Klaproth that in his opinion, and it is probably 
that of all the intelligent men in Europe, she will finally conquer 
all the Tartar tribes south of the Oural and north of the Oxus. 
That a considerable portion of time will elapse before this be ac- 
complished is certain, but it is equally so that Russia intends it ; 
