The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-03 00:00:00

THE SLAVONIC NATIONS.

The first of a series of lectures on the political and
intellectual development and present condition of the
Savonic nations, was delivered on Saturday, at Willis's
Rooms, by Count Valerian Krasinski.
The Slavonic nations (he said) constitute the most
numerous race of Europe, and they occupy not only the
largest portion of its territory, but the whole of Asia
,s,e3tward to the 52d degree of latitude. Although still
intermingled with other nations, which are, however,
radually absorbed by the Slavonic elements, the
Slavonic tongue extends from the banks of the Oder, the
upper parts of the Elbe, the borders of the Tyrol, and
Italy (it is spoken in the vicinity of Udine), and the
shores of the Adriatic eastward to the Black and Caspian
S as, and even the Pacific Ocean ; from the frozen
regions of the Northern Ocean to the Caucasian moun-
tains, and almost to the shores of the Mediterranean.
The population of the Slavonic race amounts now to
about 80 millions, and the lands which it occupies pre-
s- nts facilities for an indefinite increase of these num-
bers, whilst western Europe is comparatively over-
peopled, so that a very large increase of its inhabitants
must be attended by all the disadvantages of over-
population. It is, therefore, evident that the Slavonic
nal ions must exercise a decisive influence on the destinies
i,f' Europe. This influence will entirely depend upon
the nature of the political and intellectual development
Of these nations, consequently it is only a knowledge of
the history and of the present condition of the Slavonic
nations which may enable a person to form a correct
estimate of what Europe may hope or fear from them.
T here is now an extraordinary intellectual movement
anlmating all the nations belonging to the Slavonic race.
Every branch of human knowledge is cultivated with
more or less success, according to the degree of civilisa-
tion to which those nations have respectively arrived, but
the subject which particularly engages the attention of
Slavonic writers is the improvement of their national
idioms, and the study of their national history and anti-
quities. Everything which relates to the past of those
nations, historical documents, national songs, proverbs,
&c., are carefully collected and published, and all these
remnants of the olden times are the objects of an enthu-
siastic veneration. This reanimation of the national
intellect amongst the Slavonians is accompanied by a
1 peculiar circumstance, a circumstance which may be
productive of the most serious consequences to Europe—
this is, a tendency which is now rapidly growing amongst
all the Slavonic nations to unite into one whole. This
tendency is generally known under the name of
l'unslavism, a name which already creates much appre-
hension in Germany, and begins to produce a sensation
in France, although it is, as yet, but little known in this
country. The object of Panslavism is a mutual recon-
ciliation and approximation of all the Slavonic nations,
in order finally to unite them ,into one ,political body.
This gigantic scheme is ardently promoted by the lead-
ing writers of the different Slavonic nations, although
they greatly differ about the form in which it is to be
accomplished. One party wishes for the establishment
of a confederation, composed of all the Slavonic nations,
each of them retaining its national independent organisa-
tion; the other party, and the most active of them,
rejects the idea of a confederation as being impracticable,
and advocates the establishment of one great Slavonic
empire, or at least an aggregate of Slavonic states, under
the protection of the most powerful of them. This last
combination is, undoubtedly, the most feasible of the
two, because it is much more easy to rally the sca:tered
parts of the Slavonic race around the only now existing
Slavonic state (Russia), and which already compre3ends
two-thirds of the whole Slavonic race, than to firm a
confederation of Slavonic nations which must previously
acquire an independent political existence which taPy do
not possess at present.
The realisation of the idea of Panslavism, which ra-
pidly gains ground amongst all the Slavonians, ilight be
traught with the greatest dangers to the rest of Europe,
but particularly to Germany. A collision betweer the
Slavonians and the Germans would become unavcidable,
because a Slavonic empire composed of different branches
belonging to that race would not be consolidated. ex-
cept by estranging as much as possible the Slavonians
from other nations, which may be done in the most
effectual manner by continually appealing to their na-
tional antipathies towards the German race, from which
it has suffered innumerable wrongs, wrongs which Jaye
been admitted by all the German historians, &c.
The Count gave afterwards a sketch of the Slavonic
history previously to their conversion to the Chritian
religion, of their national idolatry, customs, and nan-

ners, &c.
Amongst the persons present at the lecture we nc-
ticed the Russian Ambassador, Sir Stratford Canning,
die Bishop of St. David's, General Briggs, &c

MEMOIRS or LADY SCNDON AND THE COUNT
°
trebset i nt
tits
eh his-
torical toFr
LrusE.t highly—bAeennepwubanlidshed,
under t
" Memoirs of Viscountess Sundon," Mistress of the Bobs to
interesting
e
uxxN
Queen Caroline, Consort of George ll.—one of the most cele-
brated work CAhrs
brated Ladies of the Court of England in the last century,
whose influence for many years was so powerful that the
most distinguished of her contemporaries were eager to wail
themselves of it to advance their interests or projects. The
.work affords an extraordinary exposition of Court doings,
equally curious and entertaining ; and, as an illustration of
English history, it deserves to be considered one of the most
valuable that has issued from the press for a long f.me.
Among Lady Sundon's principal correspondents are the
Duchesses of Kendal, Buckingham, and Marlborough—Lord
and Lady Hervey—the Countess of Pomfret—Lord Carteret
—Earl and Countess Cowper—Earl and Countess of Sand.
with—Baron Wainwright—Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury
—Bishop Hoadly—Talbot, Bishop of Oxford—Robert,
Steele—Dean
—the Sons of Bishop Burnet—Sir Richard
interesting
Clayton, Bishop of Killala—Drs Samuel and Alured Clarke.
Swift, &c. &c. The Memoirs contain many very
George IL, and, indeed,
particulars respecting the family
of almost every person of
Bandon.
female complexion has, per-
with Lady
ASCOT RACEs.—The
with its celebrityofconre:Po.
drive, the ride, the promenade, or
d dust. On the
of heat an .
:handiatpheelling summer,
the cloudvflt losf langour and
ladies should ever be provided with
Rowland's Salydor, which will be found gratefully refresl-
ing to the complexion, . . .
relaxation, allaying all irritability and heat, and immediately
affording the pleasing sensation attendant on restored elas-
,tl:lactnuoatfileercexecrufor foe than
which will
elas-
ticity and healthful state of the skin. As a protector and
preserver of the hair, Rowland's Macassor Oil will be found
alike efficacious, guarding it from the injurious operation of
the sun and dust. It is necessary to see that the word
,‘ Rowland's" precedes the name of the article on the
wrapper of each, as spurious imitations of the most dele-
terious character are abroad.
" BELL'S Lire—There was sold of "Bell's Life
in London," during the past month of May—five publica-
tions only—namely, May 2,9, 16, 23, 30-141,561 copies,
making an average weekly sale of 28,312. On Sunday next
" Bell's Life" will contain faithful details of Ascot Races,
and their brilliant accompaniments, with engravings of the
Emperor's Vase, Queen's Vase, and Hunt Cup, with the usual
Sporting varieties. Price of " Bell's Life," 6d. Office 170,
Strand.
A letter from Rome says :—"
belonging to the state of Modena., These
nected together by a bridge, are in the Po
two islands, con-
es as a defence to the f
sretsilwere raised at great cost
two little islands, situated not far from There teforts of Brestello,
for-
tifications just named. h
important strategic
a recen.. they form a very
point. At present we learn from a sure
t dispatch of the Duke de Modena to the
source that by
under the reign of D
military forces, the tWO islands are to be
keTFreanocis IV., and
commander of the
p to the Austrian authorities, who are to take
cut them at the end of the present month. The
delivered,fe leaves the forts of Brestello uncovered, and at the
possess
secret
THE GLORIOUS " FIRST OF JUNE."—William
Burk, late boatswain of Devonport Dockyard, who, in the
heat of the action, when the Royal George, in consequence
mercy of the Austrians."
of her spars being shot away, was fighting without a flag,
climbed, with nails in his mouth and hammer between his
I teeth, to the shivered stump and nailed the colours to the
i mast, still lives in the west of England, respected by all
who know him.