The Sun.
London, England, 1836-09-10 00:00:00

11.1-I,+

LONDON,
SATURDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 10, 1836

Never was the real policy of Russia placed in so
clear a light before England, as it is by the publication
of a document contained in the last Number of the
Portfolio, entitled " Instructions from Count NES-
SELRODE to M. DE SEVERIN, Envoy of Russia to
the Swiss Confederation." This extraordinary com-
munication is dated January 14th, 1827—a remote
period in the history of the Constitutional Governments
of Western Europe ; but merely a by-gone moment in
the unchanging, unvarying, political To-day of Russia.
With her a change of men involves no change of
measures ; her present Cabinet entertains and acts upon
the views which were entertained and acted upon by
its predecessor ; and these views arc but modifications
of those of Russian Statesmen ever since the Czars
assumed the imperial purple. We do not call them
principles, for in 'reality Russia has no principles. She
has but one object, from which she never for an in-
stant allows her attention to be diverted—namely, the,
cxte'asion of her territory, and, as a consequence, the
.ncrcase of her power and influence. The Editors'
of the Portfolio precede Count NESSELRODE'S
" Instructions " with an observation which may
surprise those of our readers who are but imper-
fectly acquainted with the details of Russia's political
system. "We conceive it to be a great mistake,"
say they, " although very generally entertained, to
suppose that Russian policy is Conservative. The
war of opinion in Europe is necessary to Russia. By
this she is enabled to play off one party against the
other. The cessation of that struggle will considerably
diminish her power, and would afford the Governments
of Europe leisure to see the crisis she is preparing
for them, and to unite for the purpose of averting it."
This is as well as it is truly expressed. But by far
the ablest exposition of the policy of Russia ever yet
published is to be found in a single sentence in
the copy of " N*ESSELitonE's Instructions" now before
us. " THE POLICY OF RUSSIA," wrote the veteran
1 '2,inloniatist to M. DE SEVERIN," is to be POUND
'
ENTIRE IN HER TREATIES, and in a Juste Milieu
between EXTREME OPINIONS !" Here then we have
the great secret by means of which Russia has con-
trived to puzzle, overreach, and confound almost every
Cabinet in Europe. Statesmen looked aghast when
they saw her secret agents at work in every kingdom in
Europe and Asia—here stirring up and blowing into
a flame the embers of a desolating revolutionary demo-
cracy—there opposing the unloosing of every link,
civil and religious, in the galling chain of unrestricted
despotism. They puzzled their brains to reconcile her
ccoiti:lteiu, catnd bysome standard set up and regulated by prin-
ciple,
oppose thether. c"s'-:
'pence was that they ever re-
mained blindto her real designs till it was too late to
the triumph 'So far has Russia been from regarding
ph of despotic principles in the west with
' complacency, that we might safely undertake to affirm
that since 1820, not a revolutionary society has arisen
in the bosom of any v
countenance, as far as s
that
tate
could
dch
beha given
vennot
by
yameans
r
of her secret agents. The knowledge of this fact is of
the greatest importance to the Government and people
of England. Russia desires nothing better than to
see other nations weakening, and impoverishing them-
selves by internal dissensions. When busied with 1
their own affairs, they afford her an excellent oppor-
tunity
of realising one or other of those schemes of I