The Sun.
London, England, 1804-08-21 00:00:00

k"OALIGN .11v*7'ELLIGENOE:

CONSTANTINOPLE, JUNE 29..--In the course of
this year four Russian Expeditions have passed the
Dardanelles, and proceeded to Corfu. The first,
which set out in the month of February,. consisted
of two Frigates, threeßrigs, and a Corvette, carry. '
ing 600 Troops. The second, composed of one
Ship of so guns, and a Corvette, entered the Medi.
terranean two months ago, and had on board 700
TroOps.- The third anchored here on the 27th of
May ; it consisted of two Ships of 74 guns, armed
en flute, and three Transports, carrying 1200 men.'
The day before yesterday a. fourth Expedition ap.
peared ; the two Ships of which it consisted, had ,
on board loon Troops. The number of men, there-
fore, who have hitherto come from the Black Sea,
amounts to three or four thousand, which, added to
!Soo in garrison, makes the Russian Troops in the
Seven Islands amount to 5 or 6000 men. The
Porte is really alarmed, but it conceals its fear.
These Expeditions furnish abundant matter for spe.
culation to the idle Politicians of Pera. They ask,
what is the objet in colleting these Troops ?
Some say that they are destined against Austria ;
but they soon perceive that Russia. and Austria,
which have common Frontiers in Germany, will not
seek for them in Italy, as they might find them in
Poland, were they desirous of coming to blows.—
Others attempt to discover whether there may not
be some secret relation between this augmentation
of the Russian Forces at Corfu, and the interest
which England has to carry the War to the Conti-
nent. . But they say Russia is sufficiently powerful
to raise strong armies, and would not confine itself
to warlike preparations in the South : it would al-
ready have sent succour to Hanover. However, be.
fore it would risk its Troops in a Country which,
as one mAy say, is to it another world, it would
have formed and assembled its armies in Poland. It
is besides knowo, that no War of consequence can
he undertaken on the Continent without the, con-
currence_of Austria and Pruss a, and these Powers
are not ignorant that War is often begun with Al.
lies who often abandon the cause before it is con.
eluded; that the subsidies they receive. scarcely de.
fray the fourth part of the expences; and that be.
tween neighbouring Powers who know each other,
War is atteraied with terrible consequences, to
which neither Party will expose themselves, without`
good, powerful, aiid indispensible reasons.

But Russia itself is at peace with France, and
'has as few motives for making war, as it has advan-
tages to expea from it. MAtticon: and his adhe-
rents, indeed, have found means to cause Russia to
transmit to Ratishon a Note, unseasonable to the Ger.
manic Body. By the .help of subterfuges, frivolous
pretences, and intrigues of every. kind, they have
'produced some coolness between tbs. PLUO. Pausers, the
good undei-stauding betrtvren whom, equally advan.
tageous to both
abrilliant part.
had enabled Russia to ad a new and
'Russia can do nothing against
France, but, nvith it, might do ever] thing great
and good. Will it a second time send 20,000 men .
to make a new disembarkation in Holland ? Will is
land 60,000 men on the Weser, to attack the French
Army in Hanover ? The result to it would be the
loss of many men and inevitable debilitation. It
would be advantageous only to, the Powers limi."
crop!) with Rtosia, who would not be sorry to see
it struggling against France, weakening its Armies,
and, in its turn, exposed to all the misfortunes which
Austria experienced so long alone., Will it send 30
or 40,000 men to Ireland, to defend that Country
against the French ? But what would it gain by thus
becoming in the eyes of the world a subaltern auxi.
liary ? Besides, is it the interest of Russia to en--
crease the power of. Great Britain ? Can it be ig-
norant, that great part of its boundaries are washed
by the sea, and that England, which rules the
Ocean,' may appear before Cronstadt to dictate to is
laws ? Russia, on the other hand, has nothing r6.fear
hum France. Nature hat destined these two Powers
to be friends, and whatever may be the bad direction
given by passion to the arms, they would never
engage in their enterrizes with a" great degree of
interest.

Men void of experience may le deceived and not
be sensible of these incontestible truths. But Mi-
nisters, grown hoary amidst ptibtic business, as is
theme with several in Russia ; a Prince, direaed
by liberal opinions, by enlightened love of his sub.
~ktts, by a sense of his own greatness, will not
long remain under an illusion. Passion and misun.
derstandings, artfully fomenteal by malicious 1)6.-
sons, may induce both parties to pursue imprudent
and improper steps ; to suspend all intercourse, and
even us make war ; but the misunderstanding can
neither be serious nor durable bet wee* nations, who,
by a sense of their respeffive forces, and of their
mutual and perfect independence, must necessarily be
brought to dispositions of moderation,,public'decen.
cy, and peace. When a flower whose Capital is in the

North,iit.d whose Armies, placed on the frontiers of
Persia' and Tartary, are fighting against the Tartar's
and Persians, intermeddles on its own account, and at.
its own risque, in the .affairs of the South of Europe,
it quits its propel position. However. powerful
Monarchs may be, and however brave their Soldiers,
they are Men—:-they can do nothing beyond the limits
marked out by nature fot_ human affairs. When
Russia,taking a part in the affairs of the South of
Enrope, .supporti any step of either of the' great
Powers, Austria, 'France, or Prussia, it• pursues a
measure consistent with its position, and whieh
renders it truly tespeaable ; on 'the tither hand,
if it takes the lead in the affairs of Europe, it
requires s the support 'of Austria, France, or
Prussia ; it quits its • position, it is wanting to
its own greatness; it is no longer . itseki, It
ought so know' that to raise its power above,
that of all othet: 'States, does not require Pro.
vinces, but men: one year of War destroys more
than can be produeed by several years of Peace. A
durable Peace is therefore to Russia the surest means

of gratifying its amAtion, and the propagation of
the human specis the most urgent of its wants. We
cannot, therefore, be induced to believe that the
Russians will land in Italy ; still less can we believe
that they would land there with six or. ten thousand
men, Were they to land there will ten times the
number, they would meet with tiestruetinn. idle Poli-
ticians, by thus forming and abaticloning their conjec•
tures, come to reasoning which has no better fOuodiii.'.