1800. | 
event ; and in war the means are always 
fanguinary ; he wifhes not that war fhould 
be attended with cruelty and inhumanity 5 
and if-it is, the caufe of the melancholy 
confequences is to be looked for in the na- 
ture of man, or perhaps in the character 
of the femi-barbarians, the common fol- 
diers, or the inferior and fuperior officers, 
who either can not or will not underftand 
{uch aman as Suwarrow... The former are 
men of weak capacity, the latter villains ; 
and of both there are a great number in 
every army. | 
Suwarrow has been, during his whole 
life, only a warrior: and an excellent {chool 
he had to learn his art in; for he was al- 
moft conftantly engaged in military enter- 
prifes. In the feven years-war, as Thave 
been affured, he commanded a fmall firee- 
corps ; and then already he fhewed mucli 
of that charaéter which has fince been fo 
fully developed and difplayed. In the 
war before laft, between Rotlia and the 
Turks, he firft began to a&t a con{picuous 
part; having executed in his manner 
many daring and decifive enterprizes, the 
principal of which was the capture of 
Tfmail> It was of the utmoft importance 
for the fuccefs of the whole war, that 
this place fhould be taken ; and accord- 
ingly it was relolved to take it, colt what 
it would. Suwarrow was juftly confidered 
to be the man beft qualified to put the 
‘plan in execution. He went, and the 
fortrels was taken. For five days’ he 
manceuvred blindly about the place, with- 
cut making any ferious attack, and, 
having thus lulled the Turks into fecurity, 
fuddenly fell upon them fword-in-hand. 
You know how’ great a reproachOczakow, 
limail and Praga have become to the 
Rufhans: but I wifh they had never com- 
mitted any enormities but thofe laid to 
their charge at thefe places ; for here their 
condu& admits of fome excufe, To the 
difgrace of my country, I am obliged to 
own, that the German officers in the Ruffian 
“fervice, though fomewhat more enlightened 
and better informed, did not on the whole 
prove themfelves the moft humane. Suwar- 
rew’s chief achievement in Poland was the 
taking of Praga; 1n two hours he over- 
turned the kingdom of Poland, and*annihi- 
lated the political exiftence of the nation. 
TF have in another place given an account 
of this affair, having been an eye.witnefs 
of the feene of woe. The energy of 
Suwarrow; however, was requifite thus to. 
put a-conclufion to the war. Had Kofzi- 
ufco been there, it probably would not fo 
have happened. The reproaches made to 
the Ruffians; ces acecunt of the cruelties 
MONTHLY MAG, NO, 60. 
Anecdote of Suwarrow 
moi, et Varfovie tremble. ° 
557 
‘committed by them at Praga, are indeed 
not without foundation ; but certainly the 
tale of horror has been told with a great 
deal of exaggeration. That acity fhould 
_be taken by fform without the commiffion | 
of diforders, is-impeffible. Hiltory has 
fhewn, and ftill daily fhews, that the great- 
er the number of citizens there are engaged 
in fuch, contefis, the more fuch diforders 
and cruelties are committed, though from 
citizens more humanity might be expected 
than from warriors by profefiion. 
Suwarrow declines as much as poffible all 
miniiterial labours, that might come with- 
in his {phere, referring them with laconic 
modefty to thefe generals who’ are more 
renowned for their fill with the pen than 
with the {word.. ‘‘ You muft go to him; 
I underftand nothing of it!’? and the far- 
cafm is ufually felt. His official letters 
exprefs a great deal in a few words, and are 
always full of charatteriftic energy. He 
certainly is ‘a yery good poet, and muft be 
completely mafter ot the Ruffian language. 
fe colonel fhewed me an order in verfe, 
which he had received from the general 
after the capture of Praga: and I found 
it no lefs diftinguithed by a {pirit of poetry, 
than by the excellence of the regulations | 
for the eftablifhment of a military: police, 
and the maintenance of difcipline. When 
he had taken Ifmail, his difpatch to the 
\ 
“commander in chief was : 
Siawa bogu, flawa'wam 3 
Krepoft viati, i ya tam. 
Honour to God, and honour to you 5 
The fort is taken, aud I am in it. 
His Hurra! Praga! Suwarrow 2 
after the vi€tory at Praga you are like- 
wife acquainted with; and in the fame ' 
minute he wrote to the late king of Proffia 
only the following words: Praga ef} @ 
Tt is hardly 
poffible to fay any thing more ftrikingly 
depictive of Suwarrow and of Praga on 
that dreadful day. _ When he afterwards 
made his public entry into Warlaw;, he 
embraced and kified’ whomfoever he met 
‘that had afriendly phyfiognomy, efpecially 
aged people belonging to the lower clafles. 
And one of his cuftomary cordial expref- 
fions of civility to his officers is: Pods 
bratez, poxeluy menya : “* Come, brother, 
kifs me!’’nor does this phrafe found ftrange 
to a Ruffian ear,.onto a perfon accuftomed 
to Ruffian manners. | With the officers 
more nearly attached to his perfon he con- 
verfes ina courteous and friendly manner; 
but does not promote them fo rapidly as 
many other Ruffian generals are wont to 
do, to the prejudice of more delerying 
MENs © 
a © 
