The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-11-14 00:00:00

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FRENCH P4PERS•

DIM% ME JOURNAL AZ L'EMPIRI Of WOR
Mogow, Oct. 17.—The following is a copy a
letter ja.fressed by Count Rastapchin to Count
Silted Woronzoff, entirely in the hand-writing of
Cdent Rastapchiu, and found among his pipers. kt,
UMW as a title, " Rough Draft of a Letter to Count
Woronsoff, of June 30, 1801
I have received your letter, and I hare nd oc.
cavidh to tell you how much pleasure it gave me.
Since the moment in which I left England, and till
my death, I slittll regard you as my isenefeeter ;
happy if I shall be able to give you woe proofs of
lay gratitude.
" I ceased to write you; because I believed my
correspondence could not much interest you. The
late Emperor was wrong respecting you, and I sup-
posed you might have thought me deficient in zeal.to
Serve you. Count Panin shewed me a letter, in which
you give him title of dear friend, and from that time,
without importuning you with my letters, I confined
myself to be devoted to you from the bottom of my
soul, and to nourish the sentiment which filled,it
with veneration for you.
" I could not couceive how Count Woronzoff,
that respectable being, could give the flattering title
of hiefriend, to a personage so abject as Count Pauia.
how did he merit his esteem ?—Was it by his ta-
lents?—They hare been consecrated to low intrigue
and personal interest—but to cause the negotiation
of Berlin to fail, because his uncle, the late Prince
R.epnin, was charged with it—to break the negocia-
tion with France, which might have been brought to
a conclusion, and all this because he viewed the
Frenchßevolution like an imbecile French emigrant.
lie once wished to become Vice-Chancellor, form a
new chimerical coalition, the second result of which
could only have been the unproductive loss of thou-
sands of brave men to Russia, the aggrandisement of
the insatiable power of Austria, and the immovable
establishment of the arrogant disposition of England.
I do not speak any more of the Count Panin's con-
duct, since he lost his situation, of Vice-Chancellor,
it has been such, that it merits the scaffold, the con.
tempt of honest men, and the admiration of beggars.
He, and those like him, did me the honour of consi-
dering me the only man who ought to he removed;
they hare succeeded—they made use of the imbecile
Koutaysett and his mistress (1). I had uselessly
submitted to the Emperor the depredations of that fa-
vourite, whom some wretches with the blue ribbon
bad made believe that he was, by his talents, formed
to eclipse Prince Menzikoff. I myself had told Count
Kontaysett that it was time that, in his ridiculous
conduct, the Barber should give place to the. Grand
Egnery (2).
46 /n regard to my political system, I could have
none with a Sovereign, who wished to do every thing
by himself, and who could not bear any delay in
executing his orders, nor any contraction to his.
The greatest management, the most favourable mo.
ments, and a happy disposition on his part, were I
requisite to have his orders revoked, make him change
his opinion, or load him to adopt that which one
considered the best.
44 I know, that to me is attributed all that has
passed with England. I begin my account to you of
the events by assuring you, that I lows.and esteem
the English Natiou and Government as much as I
detest the policy of their Ministry. It was the Em-
peror himself who had the idea of re-establishing the
maritime coalition in favour of neutrals. The first
embargo Was decided, in spite of my representations,
by Prince Gagarin, who only in it considered his
interest. It was me who afterwards caused it to be
raised. The second was the consequence of the con-
duct of the English at the Island of Malta. I believed,
and I still believe, that the moment was very favour-
able for having the most just right, that of free com-
merce, sheltered from the injustice of that power
which gave taw upon the seas, acknowledged. If
the late Emperor had lived four months longer, Eng.
land would have found herself in a grand crisis. She
had to dread France ; she saw herself deprived o

all resources of support; the ports on all the coasts
of Europe were shut against her, with the exception
of the Adriatic. I knew this system would not
lase ended in nothing ; to make it succeed, it was
necessary the Emperor should not be precipitate in his
meesurei; that he should not hold the chimerical
wish of possessing Malta, with the title of Grand
blaster ; an idea that Prince Bizborodko gave
him, without foreseeing the unfortunate conse-
quences which have resulted from it, only to amuse
and induce him to join with Austria and England,
in establishing the Bourbons upon the throne of
France.
" This right of neutrals findi convincing proof
of its utility in the firm conduct which the Courts
of Stockholm and Copenhagen have evinced;
that of Berlin has been much more so than could,
have been expected, notwithstanding those whey,
favoured England had prejudiced the Emperors
against the Icing of Sweden, p during his last ee.;
nes to Petersburgh ; had induced him to send:
back M. de Rosenkranz, the most loyal and brave,
of men; and finally, after my departure, to make
demands upon the King of Prussia, which were fol.
lowed by s declaration of war. I believed that ore
i
could not suibciently distrust the systematic conduct
of a Cabinet as that of St. Jams's, which, for half 114
century, has spared nothing to arrogate the son-.i
reignty of the seas, and which has now arrived at the
epoch in which a war, ruinoturtin elf other times)
and even contiuued against the wish' of the nation,
under a pretext honest in appearatice, serves to en-
rich her by captures and conquests, and make her
,arrive at the completion of her projects, which is the I
ruiu of France. I never believed that Russia was in
a situation tp roar the French Government, of what-
ever form it might be ; the distance, of the country,
the gigantic forces of our empire, Its physical po-
sition, and the shield which it presents to other So-
vereigns, are so many goarantees of our imposing
existence; sty: has nothing to fear from coalitions •
1
the French Revolution is a proof of it; for, when
that monstrous anarchy overthrew thrones and al.
lan, social order poild not endure, for the common
salvation, two powers to act iroenitiously, and only
'ping the monster Which each wished separately to
dp. What then can Russia fear, whose own power
parouteet her, And WM* g bulwaf IR the if girth
end to oil .st&T ipiew
if hire. It MI 01)4.me rti ciPvcrwt
.r 11.312

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