The Sun.
London, England, 1828-08-23 00:00:00

do not look at, we shall escape its influence. If
Constantinople and the Dardanelles belong to
Russia, the Mediterranean is hers. Can we see
that with indifference ? But for a uation whose
commerce is every where, there is no distant
danger : every change of relative power between
nations in all quarters of the world is at her door.
I's she therefore bound to take up arms every
where ? No ; but to be no where off her guard.
Expel the barbarians from Europe,—well and
good : but establish on their ruins, by the con-
sent and with the aid of Christendom, another
empire,—a Greek empire, if you will,—not un-
der ale dominion of the great Czar of Muscovy.
This subject requires much future consideration.

A volume, entitled " On the Designs of
Russia, by Lieutenant-Colonel De Lacy Evans,"
which has just made its appearance, deserves,
and will no doubt obtain, attention at the present
moment, when the public mind is so anxiously
directed towards the East. Colonel Evans is
evidently a strong-minded man, who has taken
much pains to obtain an acquaintance with his
subject. We are far from sharing many of his
opinions, and conceive that he has greatly over-
estimated the danger to the world from the oc-
cupation of Turkey, even if Russia should be
allowed to sit down quietly in Constantinople.
His ideas as to the changes which would be
effected in commerce by Rassian conquest are
peculiarly unsatisfactory. Neither do we share
his aporehensions for the safety of our Empire
in the bast. Indeed his own volume furnishes
to a careful reader the best antidote to the ap-
prehensions which he seeks to excite. The
situation of Constantinople is well known to be
one of the finest in the world. In the language of
the Journaldes Debats, it is eminently Offensive
and defensive. " The ardent desire of the Rus-
sians (says Colonel Evans) to possess a fleet, has
long, eapensively, and even prematurely been dis-
played. And thus it is, that though incapable
hitherto of adequately employing them, they have
usually, nevertheless,incurred the burden of main-
taining about fifty sail of the line ; a large propor-
tion of which are necessarily frozen up during
.line mouths of the year, the remainder being at
all times without any egress to the ocean. A
new era must under these circumstances be anti-
cipated in naval affairs. Russia having at length
accomplished the establishing herself on the Me-
diterranean, will descend into the arena as a ma-
ritime power. The port of Constantinople can-
not now fail, from its resources and locality, to
become in a very short time the most formidable
arsenal in the world. But very few and unimport-
ant marine stores will any longer be necessary to
be sent from the north, by the Borysthenes. The
forests of Asia Minor (the timber of which is
considered superior to the English oak), the iron
of Caucasus, the copper of Calcedon, the hemp of
Synope and Trebisond, celebrated for its long
staple and strength, all will flow to the provision-
ing of the depots of the Bosphorus. A more
extended application of steam will also probably
be essayed. The extraordinary cheapness of
ship-building in the Marmora has been al-
ready alluded to. No great number of years
s likely to elapse- before the Czar will have
a hundred sail of the line in eonstructien„
or exercising in the Marmora and Etixine,
manned by the expert Greek and docile Russian,
and possibly under the severe and skilful direc-
tion of North American officers. If Napoleon
had had such unassailable lakes on which to
make sailors, the invasion of this country might
not have been impracticable—the war might per-
haps have taken another turn." Military men
spring rapidly to conclusions. There is, no
doubt, a great capability of production in the re-
gions alluded to ; but capability and develop-
inent
are not exactly the same. The Russians
will have to struggle with the prejudices and vi-
cious habits of the barbarous population inn ae
biting their conquests, who cannot all at once be
converted by Cossacks into Birmingham and
Manchester manufacturers, or even into patient
German agriculturists. Look at the wretched
state of Hungary even at this day, in spite of the
exertions of Joseph—look at Poland—look at
our own Ireland, which, with a fine soil end
climate, and a number of admirable ports, has
not more shipping than a single town in Scot-
land ; and then say whether Russian civilization
is likely to cover the Euxine and Sea of Mar-
mora with fleets of merchantmen, to convey from
port to port the produce ofher varied industry. The
fact is, that for a long period to come, Constan-
tinople will be a source of heavy expence to the
Russians, wleo, so far from deriving revenue from
the country, will be at a considerable expence in
keeping down the barbarous and discontented
inhabitants. The chief advantage for some time,
probably, will be the security to the commerce
between the old Russian provinces, on the Black
Sea, and the Mediterranean and West of Europe.
it hundred sail of the line can only be kept up
at a great expence, and suppose the pre-existence
of a considerable commercial navy. The author,
however, supposes Russia advancing smoothly
and rapidly to a degree of power which will
prompt her to attempt, and enable liar, if
unchecked, to obtain, universal dominion.—
Tie points out the course which she is
li
likely to pursue In 111rthertnce of her plan for
effecting the destruction of this couutre. A
more valuable part of the volume is his eugges_
titan of an intervention, for the purpose of settling
Turkey in such a way es should afford security
to Russian commerce, without the evil of Russian
occupation. We, see great difficulties, however,
in the wey of all his modes of disposing of furkey.
We were best pleased with the chapter in which he
points out where the Russian empire is most
tangible of attack. In this chapter, however,
by showing how much more Russia has lately
b3en beholden to the blunders of her adversariee
than to her own power, he has furnished the
antidote to what he had before advanced with a
view to excite our apprehension. According to
him, though Russia was effectually supported by
us, who completely covered her flanks by shield-
ing her maritime frontiers, and by obtaining for
her the alliance with Sweden, and peace with
Turkey and Persia, ehe was every where beaten
by Buonaparte, who failed not from tinder esti-
mating
the Russian power, but from the defec-
tive nature of his plan of operations. Buona-
parte succeeded in the military object he pro-
posed to himself in commencing hostilities,
beating the Russians on every point ; but he
"
lost his army, n ever th eless, by neglecting the
grand principle of the basis which
can alone
secure operations and consolidate conquests."
We think Colonel Evans has at all events shown
that the invulnerability of Russia remains yet to
be proved. If ever it should become necessary
for the West of Europe to put themselves to the
expense of a war against. Russia, we have no
doubt that she could, without anygreat difficulty,
be stript of most of the conquests she has made
,©f late years.—Morning Chronicle.
With the exception of cases of murder, the
tisinese at the different Assizes, this summer,