These phrases are very common in the mouths of Englishmen, who talk of the "moderate" Policy of that Prince, and give it as a Guarantee of Russian "good Faith!" Of course they do not recollect the proceedings of the Russian Cabinet during the Reign of that Prince. How did Alexander show his good Faith? After the Treaty of Tilsit, he marched into Austria, on pretext of assisting the Emperor Francis against Napoleon, and directly afterwards joined in assaulting Austria-receiving as an Equivalent," Austrian Gallicia! He went into the North of Germany to assist the prostrated Prussian King-he was immediately overthrown and bribed into receiving the "Equivalent" of a goodly share of his Prussian Majesty's Dominions! After this, he proposed to his Relative the King of Sweden, that he should follow the example of Russian treachery, and declare War against England-in Violation of his Engagements. The Swede refused to break Faith and what did the magnanimous Alexander?- Pursue a "conservative Policy?" Yes by fomenting a Rebellion in Sweden, and exciting the People to throw off their Allegiance to their Sovereign! He bribed the Soldiery-invaded Sweden-joined with an infamous Faction of Rebels and Traitors against their Sovereign-procured the deposition of Gustavus-and ended by-what? by completing the Scheme of Robbery cut out by Peter in the North, viz., by taking possession of those Bulwarks of the Baltic, the remaining part of Finland, of Bothnia, and the Isle of Aland!

This, and the Affairs of Poland, Cracow, Turkey, and Persia, give us, indeed, as satisfactory guarantees of the change in Russian Policy, as of the preservation of the PEACE of Europe!

The Scene is now shifted from the North to the Eastfor Riga, Livonia, Ingria, Finland, read Constantinople, Greece, Turkey, Persia, India; for Sweden read England; -and depend upon the "good Faith" of a Russo-French Alliance, while the organ of the Minister we have forced upon the French Nation replies to the urgent suggestions of

Russo-French partisans calling for " Equivalents" at the expense of England-" Ce sont-là des Questions de l'Avenir !*

* The Court organ, Journal des Débats, under the inspiration of M. Guizot, thus replies to the famous speech of M. Mauguin, in which he calls on France to ally herself with Russia against England, and to deliver up Constantinople to Russia for the purpose of inflicting Vengeance on England:

"Le moment n'est pas venu d'apprécier les conclusions de M. Mauguin. Il a proposé un changement d'Alliance; ce sont-là des questions de l'avenir. Mais nous reconnaissons avec plaisir que d'un bout à l'autre ce brillant crateur a été habile, savant, logique dans l'argumentation, et parfaitement convenable dans la forme." Décembre, 1840.

APPENDIX.

NOTE I.

PLAN OF EXTERNAL POLICY LAID DOWN BY PETER THE GREAT.

THE Plan of Peter for the subjugation of the World is given at length in a Work published in Paris in 1812, entitled "Des progrès de la puissance Russe." It is contained in a Work of Sir William Eton, long a resident in Turkey and Russia, called the Picture of the Turkish Empire," and I give an extract from it in the following fourteen Articles. I copy this extra from the admirable work of M. Fourcade entitled Notice sur la question d'Orient," which cannot be too strongly urged on the attention of every man who would understand the relation of Europe to the Eastern Nations and to Russia. I consider this publication of M. Fourcade one of the most remarkable of the time.

1.-Peter counselled that no means should be neglected for giving to the Russian Nation the Forms and Usages of Europeans, and for obtaining in furtherance of this end the assistance of all the Courts, and especially of the Literary and Scientific men of Europe, whether on considerations of Interest, through the philanthropic principles of Modern Philosophy, or by any other means which might be considered more efficacious.

2. To extend ourselves by every possible means, in the North, towards the Baltic; and in the South, towards Persia, the Black Sea and Constantinople.

3.-To pursue a system of Perpetual War, in order to habituate the Nation to Arms.

4. To maintain the jealousy of England against Sweden and Denmark, in order to subjugate the one by means of the other.

5.-To flatter and caress Austria for the purpose of engaging her

to drive the Turks out of Europe, and, under pretext of assisting her, to advance by the Black Sea to Constantinople.

6. To excite and sustain Anarchy in Poland-to raise up Factions and maintain discord in that country—to cause the election of Kings most suitable for the furtherance of the Policy of Russia, and, by these means, to weaken, partition and subjugate that Nation.

7.-To favor England in her Commerce, to the end that we may obtain her support in securing Dominion of the Baltic and Black Seas-measures indispensable for success.

8. Intimately convinced of this truth, that the Commerce of India assures by its Riches the Empire of the World, he (Peter) counsels unceasing War with Persia for the purpose of penetrating to the Persian Gulph-the centre of this commerce so much coveted.

9.—To mix ourselves up, at any price and by every possible means, force or stratagem, in all the complications of Europe.

10. To flatter Austria unceasingly, and to realise against her, by stealth, enemies who shall gradually deprive her of her strength. 11.-To choose Wives from among the Princely Families of Germany, to secure Allies there.

12.—To make use of the influence of Religion on the schismatic Greeks dispersed through Turkey, in Poland and Austria; to attach them to us by all possible means; to declare ourselves their Protector, for the purpose of assuring to ourselves, by this title, supremacy over all these Religious Sects, as the most efficacious means of subduing Poland, Turkey, and Austria.

13.-Then will be the time to strike the grand blow; propose secretly to France and to Austria the partition of the World, from which a deadly War between these two Powers will arise.

14.-It is during the fury of this War that Russia, marching slowly her regular Army towards the Rhine where she will have so many Allies, will throw, by the Baltic and the Bosphorus, clouds of undisciplined Barbarians into Italy, France, and Spain, to lay waste these Countries, &c."

With what slight modification Russia has pursued the Maxims here laid down?

NOTF II.

PRIVILEGES OF THE BASQUES.

Extracts from a Speech of Lord Palmerston on the Affairs of Spain, in the Debate of House of Commons, 19th April, 1837.

But that War, what was its Origin ? Why did the Insurgents, as the honourable and learned Gentleman terms them, take up Arms? Was it because their Privileges were invaded? No such thing. They took Arms for Carlos and Despotism, against Isabella and Constitutional Government. * * * * Those Privileges were great and valuable so long as the rest of Spain was subject to arbitrary Government and a despotic King. So long as neither Justice nor Law were to be had in Spain, then the exemptions of the Basques were an approach to constitutional freedom. But when the whole of Spain is governed, as I trust it will be, by a free constitution, with independent and impartial Tribunals, by equal Laws properly administered, and by a responsible Executive; then the Basques will find it far more to their advantage to be incorporated with the rest of the Spanish Nation, than to be shut out in a corner of the Land, from those benefits which their countrymen enjoy. (!)

"But what were those privileges of the Basques? No man will pretend that exemption from Custom-houses on the Coast, was a real advantage to them; because they themselves have frequently petitioned to be relieved from that privilege, and to be allowed to be placed, in that respect, on the same footing with the rest of their countrymen. (!) The great privilege which they enjoyed, was the possession of local self-government, through those municipalities by which they managed their own affairs. And what are we to think of the consistency of those gentlemen, who, while on the one hand they are endeavouring to deprive their own countrymen of those corporations to which they are so firmly attached, on the other hand stand up and entreat us not to interfere with the municipal corporations of the poor Basques-that invaluable legacy bequeathed to them from their remotest ancestry! I beg, sir, that we may hear no