-which she has since done. The end of this Second Loan was, that Russia bound over the National Domains and Revenue of Greece to herself, in Security for her proportion of the Debt, and has now not only an influence over that country, which makes it a mere Russian Province, but holds a lien over her Body, which she can never, under the ruinous state of affairs consequent on Russian demoralization, overcome, and therefore presents to Russia an enduring opportunity for interfering in the prosecution of her claims when the time is arrived.

For the first loan of £2,800,000, in 1824 and 1825, the National Domains were held in security, but this was rejected, and the destruction of the Security was ratified by the contract, by a British Minister, for the second Loan guaranteed by the Three Powers, for which the National Lands and Revenue were given in mortgage, and by which all other claims on Greece were superseded!

The commercial Rights of England in Greece have been violated by the Tariff imposed on the imports of merchandise, whereas formerly commerce was free-her money sacrificed by millions, as we have seen, with scarcely a pretence-the independence of that country annihilated on pretence of its being established-the whole power over Greece transferred by England to Russia, in opposition to the inhabitants, in opposition to, and by deception practised on, the people of England, and on pretext of British opposition to Russia! Greece made, in fact, into what she is-A RUSSIAN PROVINCE, and England, wearied, perplexed and disgusted with the failure of all her exertions, accuses the Greeks of being incorrigible! What has Lord Palmerston done for Russia in Greece?* What has he done

* The last and not the least fearful consequence, to England, of the ascendancy of Russia in Greece, will burst upon her unconscious and ignorant people when the moment arrives for the 100 or 150 Russian sail-of-the-line to emerge from the Baltic and Black Seas into the Mediterranean, and change their Boors and Conscript-sailors for GREEK CREWS-mariners not surpassed by any in the world, not even those of Albion herself! If the fleet of England be not then paralysed or destroyed by a prolonged struggle with France and the United States, she will come to understand the "complications of the East," when she

for England? What would a Russian Minister have desired that he should do? Let the friend of his country determine.

wishes to "negotiate" for the evacuation of Constantinople by Russia, in the presence of the baby-fleet grown to manhood ?-A fleet filled with Russo-Greek sailors, thirsting for the plunder of Turkey, and burning to see the Cross once more planted on the Church of St. Sophia.

H

CHAPTER VII.

CIRCASSIA.-TREATY OF ADRIANOPLE.

"The contracting Powers will not seek in these arrangements any augmentation of Territory, nor any exclusive influence or advantage for their Subjects, which shall not be equally attained by all other Nations."-Treaty, 6th July, 1827.

"The first and most essential of all, is, that which prohibits to the Powers who signed the Treaty of London, conquests and exclusive advantages. His Majesty has already announced that, in any supposable case, he will never deviate from it. He charges me to repeat in this place the expression of that firm resolution.”-Count Nesselrode to Prince Lieven, 6th January, 1828.

In the preceding chapters I have pointed out the objects of Russia in destroying the internal prosperity and the independence of Poland, Cracow, and Greece; and, by an examination as impartial as it has been in my power to give, of the process by which these operations have been brought to a successful issue, it appears that by some singular fatality the acts of Lord Palmerston have tended, with undeviating consistency, to further the policy of Russia, and not only tended to do so, but even that had the Foreign Secretary pursued any other line whatever than the one he did, the success of that policy would have been impossible. We also see that his lordship constantly based his policy on opposition to Russia -even when he ejected from the Regency of Greece, the two Members who were opposed to Her, to place the entire Government in the hands of Armansperg, who was the mere agent of Russia.

In respect to the policy which has been pursued by his Lordship in other parts of the world, it is not my intention at present to enter into the details, for, brief as are the particulars which I have given of the three questions alluded to, if I were to enter into the others at the same proportionate length, many volumes would not suffice to contain one half of the

exposition. I shall give but the results of several of them, with a few words of explanation on each.

The motto to this chapter will show, that, when Lord Palmerston came into office, he found Russia bound, by the faith of a solemn Treaty as by the public promises of her Government, not to pursue conquests or to desire advantages of any sort in the East, except what should be common to France and England. The course, then, of the British Minister was clear and simple-he had nothing to do but to prevent any departure from this Treaty and promise, if indeed it can be supposed that Russia would dare to attempt a violation of them, in the face of such a Power as Great Britain, which, with her thousand Vessels of war, and her intimate alliance with every Nation both of the East and West, was surely strong enough to protect her commerce or interests. A violation of this Treaty could not be permitted by a British Minister, without his being placed in the position of a man who had committed a crime against his country. Has any violation taken place? This is a grave question, and cannot be evaded by any of the vague "generalities" which the Russian Ministers are instructed to use in England when any question of the East is to be discussed! There is the question of CIRCASSIA: let it not be dismissed with our usual phraseology of "barbarism," "liberalism," and "conservative policy," or deluged with cries of "Russia again!"&c. &c. Our business is with THE INTERESTS OF Our country. This is a distinct and positive question, which cannot be answered by abstract speculations, or annihilated by theories. The case is as simple as the simplest matter of every-day life.

1st.-HAVE WE INTERESTS IN CIRCASSIA, OR HAVE WE

NOT?

2nd.-IF SO, HAVE THESE INTERESTS BEEN VIOLATED BY RUSSIA, OR HAVE THEY NOT?

The position of Circassia is too familiar for a description of it to be necessary. Every one laying claim to "Enlightenment" knows, that the Chain of Mountains inhabited by the Circassians is most stupendous, and has formed the Barrier between the Regions of the South, and the plundering