He has been in the dijmatie s.rico, fording bis way to the highest um dos from the humble station of assistant-surgeon. He then chose to renounce that career when presenting to him every worldy attraction; not that he sought repose, or vas w»*; for toil. But this you ll not do. It was once said by Colletti,-"It would be economical for England to expend three millions in forming a man to understand Russia; but if she had such a man, she would only expend money to destroy him." And the reason is, that your publie men know, or they do not know, that they are unfit to deal with her. This is the spell under which you are bound; its existence is no reason why I should not seek to expose it. But I have another proposal to make, somewhat less unendurable than the former-send away the Russian Ambassador. That would be worth more, even, than a squadron in the Black Sea. Russia as yet, and' especially at present, cannot dispense for an hour with your support. OBJECTS OF THE WORK. THIS volume was in the press in May, but was delayed by a visit to Denmark. I had undertaken it in anticipation of a crisis in Turkey,-by an occupation of the Principalities in the autumn. By this delay the event has occurred before the publication. I had conceived that by bringing together the proceedings of Russia on various fields, and connecting them in point of time, a chance was afforded for dissipating the illusions by which, on each field and at each moment, she is enabled to carry her point. May my fellow-countrymen perceive that in all she is undertaking against others, she is only preparing the means which will be employed against them. I now subjoin the Preface as originally written. When the Progress of Russia in the East,' by Sir J. M'Neill, was planned, I undertook to prepare an account of her progess in the North and West. These materials were, however, used in fragments for immediate publication; I now complete the task, and chiefly out of events which have occurred since that time. Our object in 1836 was to prevent her future progress by exhibiting the past; in 1853, I have to sum up the march of acquisitions then undreamt of. The danger, which in 1836 we had to warn against, was the fall of Turkey: the resuscitation of the energies and power of that Empire have, so to say, caused, on that field, history to pause. The danger now is, war in Europe-a danger arising, not from the dispositions of France, but from the talents of Russia, and into which we shall be plunged, not by any direct aggressions, not by any reciprocal violations of rights, for, fortunately, in both countries such questions must be submitted to legal adjudication, but by becoming mutually involved in false courses in third countries. In this review, I have, however, excluded all direct mention of France, because its internal state results from the reaction of diplomatic proceedings in Spain, Turkey, Denmark, Hungary, &c. I have devoted to Spain considerable space, as there was elaborated the revolutionary ferment. The invasion of Spain, in 1823, brought the curtailment of the Electoral Franchise and of the duration of Parliaments in France, and provoked those endless agitations, ultimately resulting in the events of 1848.. The Revolutions of that year, with the wars of * A great desideratum is a work on the Diplomacy of England, since 1792, showing how Russia has made for us our wars with France. The materials and the proof are to be found in the Memoirs of Lord Malmesbury. Pretended histories of England, France, &c., are more perversions: for the last century, the only history is that of Russia. that which succeeded it, are neither isolated incidents, nor have they sprung from local and distinct causes. At Copenhagen, Presburg, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Bucharest, and Palermo, the germs had been severally cultured, the instruments prepared, and the parts distributed. The warlike operations that ensued were equally directed by the same hand. One of the victims has said, "the events of 1818-9 show, that in every Cabinet Russia has had a spy, and it is not too much to infer-an agent:" she had no less in every conspiracy. If by conspiracies she upset Governments, so by Governments did she prostrate conspiracies.† The result is, that at this moment every Government looks up to her as its protector, and every conspirator as his patron. : England was meanwhile engaged in managing mankind her objects were the Constitution of Sicily, the improvement of the condition of central 'Italy, the independence of Lombardy, and the settlement of Hungary. All were in her hands; but somehow everything has slipped through her fingers, and in a word, the word of the Times, "The continent of Europe is governed to-day by Colonels in Russian uniforms." The entrance into IIungary of a Russian army was the great event of that period. A conquest was there *Kossuth. Seven millions of adult Frenchmen rushed, in terror, to the polling booths to vote against the Red Republic. |