The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-29 00:00:00

RUSSIA.

(From the London Weekly Review.)
A FEW WORDS ON OUR RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA; IN-

CLUJ)JNG SOME REMAKES ON A PUBLICATION BY COLONEL

EVANS, ENTITLED " DESIGNS OF RUSSIA." BY A NON-
ALARMIST. LONDON, 1828. BALDWIN AND CRADOCK.
The writer of the pamphlet before us dwells,
with a seemingly congenial fondness, on the na-
ture and extent of our trading intercourse with
the Russian ports ; and evinces a strenuous de-
sire to magnify the opinion of its relative and
general advantages. He is familiar with the
Custom-house returns, and the various items of
imports thence into this country, during a suc-
cession of years ; and, in short, leaves us at no
loss to conjecture the class of individuals to
which he belongs. Now it appears to us, that
if there be any one description of person more
unfitted than another to enter on the discussion
of this vast topic, it is an Anglo-Russian mer-
chant. Even though the character of his mind
and the nature of his pursuits were calculated to
qualify him for the task, his. integrity of judg-
ment and his interests must be too much at
variance.

Accordingly, it is the contingent interruption,
however, temporary, of the British trade with
the Baltic, which exclusively disturbs the quiet
of the soi-disant Non-alarmist. The insecurity
of the other nineteen-twentieths of our export
commerce, he can regard with an unruffled se-
renity. For these, time and quiescence, under
every imaginable contingency, are pointed out
as the best possible safeguard. Peace with
Russia, and a carte blanche for her cabinet to
execute what conquests it may, are the •political
mottos of our author.—Were the legions of the
north on the Rhine, the Seine, or the opposite
shores of the channel, and all the intermediate
countries subdued, still would the argument of
our Non-alarmist lead to peace, for aiese excel-

lent and sufficient reasons--that extension of
empire is weakness—and that .the germ of disso-
lution is inherent in great states.
" The essential principles of dissolution," he
says, (p. 26,) " in such a heterogeneous whole,
are the irreconcilable diversity of interests in the
parts, and the inevitable alternation of weakness
and tyranny in a distant and ill-informed admi-
nistration."—" The elements of my reasoning,"
he adds, " on the consistency of the Russian
empire, are drawn from the constant ivorking of
human nature, in the direction of modern civi-

lization. In omitting to anticipate these, Colo-
nel Evans has shown that he hid not appre-
hended the whole force of the position which he
had set himself to attack."—" These causes may
be slow, but they are of certain operation ; and
they are at work among all the conquered nations
which surround Russia proper."
This has the appearance of being very pro-
found, and is not ill-calculated to impose on the
uninformed ; but we apprehend our clever Non-
alarmist is not the dupe of his own ingent;ities•
ttiThhn slowho thought
sgaenhn otdd
operation.i
sane
ovas
various
r evroee
uanpßnstodsuicni
But
unbiassed
beie
history
at r
times
lyeemt
d,h
provesee
simt
statesman
oi sfa sdt
trehuale:en generallyoupi teaover
ever
nabr
ytnee se toe,
n
against the aggressive policy of a great military
state. Many ages have generally, in fact, elapsed
before 'the liberation of the vanquished nations.
This every school-boy knows ; but it suits the
,
purpose of our author to wave tne question of
time.

The Duke of Wellington's cabinet, Mr. Can-
ning's cabinet, Lord Godcrich's cabiPet, and
the present French cabinet, are or were all wrong,
—because there is reason to suspect their policy
has proceeded (says the Non-alarmist) from a
" groundless jealousy of Russian aggrandize-
ment.” And while he censures them con-
temptuously, and without exception, he at the
same time expresses his own conviction, and
brings forward arguments in support of it, that
the Autocrat's professions of moderation and
good faith are utterly hollow and insincere ; that
his Imperial Majesty's real and undoubted ob-
ject is the conquest of all European, and part
of Asiatic Turkey ; and that he will, in all pro-
bability, succeed in those great designs, unless
the British Government shall unwisely resolve to
prevent him,—fully admitting all the while—nay,
taking pains to prove, that it is completely within
the option of this country, utterly to defeat this
ambitious policy ! An option, however, which
it is contended it should by no means avail
itself of: That a person attempting to press
such preposterous and unpatriotic propositions
on the attention of an English public should be
anonymous, is not surprising.

The publication, entitled the " Designs of
Russia," which the Non-alarmist sets himself to
attack, proceeds, it appears, on the supposition,
that an approximate " balance of power" is es-
sential to the maintenance of national indepen-
dence, to the pro.notion generally of civilization,
and to the well being of all nations. Our au-
thor, on the other hand, in the very first line of
his pamphlet, designates this idea of a " balance
of power," as a mere "old idol in politics;" and
continually reverts throughout his pages, to the
trade with St. Petersburg!), as the great and im-
portant point to be considered. All other
matters are secondary in his estimate. But we
have, not space or inclination to follow him
through the series of fallacies and paradoxes
brought together in his brochure,—several of
which are urged with no inconsiderable plausibi-
lity. Our object has been to mark with the re-
probation it merits, an attempt to put the selfish
interests of a small number of the commercial
community before those of the nation at large—
to sacrifice the public to private ends.

Early in the morning of yesterday se'nnight
a wretched looking object was found on the dunghill of the
Black Boy Inn, in this town, where he had apparently
lain during the night. It proved to be a man who had
gone into the house on the previous day. covered with filth
and vermin, and, after calling for half a pint of beer,
asked for leave to toast a herring at the fire. He was con-
veyed to the workhouse in nearly a senseless state, but
soon recovered sufficiently to be seat away. He had td.
in his pocket when found in this miserable situation in a
keen, frosty night.—Bury Post.
ALNWICK MOOR.—Measures are now in
progress, having for their object the improvement of Aln-
wick Moor, containing upwards of 2,600 acres of uninclosed
land, now lying in a desolate and unproductive state. The
meetings of such of the companies or freemen as have been
held, have unanimously resolved to promote, by every
means in their power, so desirable a measure.

Lord Barrington going in a hurry to the

forgot some estimates which he was to lay before
,0),- and hastily sent back his servant for the papers.—
theisarive,n4,nistook the parcel, and brought a collection
of private letters,r,which were tied up in the same bureau.
These being given to the clerk to read, lie began—" My
dear Lord, the fatigues of laSt night were so great, that I
am afraid you'll be incapable of business to-day." Upon
which a certain wit said, " Her Ladyship's prediction was
amply fulfilled."

CHARACTERISTIC ANECDOTE.—When Dr.
Ehrenberg (the Prussian traveller) was in Egypt he said
to a peasant, "I suppose you are quiet and happy now,
the country looks like a garden, and every village has its
minaret." " God is great !" replied the peasant; "our
master gives with one hand, and takes with two."