Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-09-04

the Continental Congress and its Sages In their home de-
alterations and acts out of his sphere. He presup
poses them to known They are as collateral events
TO him. though the moving causes to the great Revolu
tonary drama he is unfolding under its abroad.
He looks solely to our foreign Minister'S their objects
duties and performances He exhibits their great abii-
ty, vigilance dignity, frmness, patriotism and crcum-
spection He marks the difficulties they had
ter follows up their steps in surmounting Them and sets
before their final triumphs All this is made to stand
out by itself in rich portraiture deneaed with of
the finest moral tints to make proud gaze
upon it, Of the intellectual achievements during that
menous Of the Franklins the Adamses the JEFF
Persons the jays the Lees the Laurenses Names these
were to mark age-names that exat diplomatic fame
by the magnitude of the national results they SO in
srumenta in urging forward through abyrnhs and per-
plexities to a glorious consummation.
What their high labors were, performed so often on
their responsibility, amidst changing events for which
the instructions of Congress could not and did not pro-
vide only be adequately known through the volumes
Of diplomatic correspondence already published in our
country. They embalmed also in national ar
chives and srewed those of other nations; only
portion of the latter having yet before the world
In the inaccessible nature to most persons Of our own
voluminous though interesting publications well as Of
archives Mr. Trescot holds up mirror rejecting and
condensing the whole story the painter brings vast
landscape within the bounds of his canvass making the
whole distinct and impressive however reduced the scale
This to have been done without powers of seec
ton and arrangement of no order But possess
ing these and well-trained pen, he has produced
work which, for its plan and scope does honor to d
plomatc and political literature. The young win read
it the old may profit by it for he steals knowledge into
the mind with the accompaniment Of well-matured
thoughts
His summary to the of France; of her hest
taons and refusas first take hold of our cause
her anxiety to England then her dreaded always
her formidable rival pulled down, yet keeping this feel
ing, intense it was, under check through what she
owed to her European sympahes and duties and to her
own interests lucdy and gracefully set forth in the
counses of Vergennes and Turgot Louis XVI: of her
wary, creeping steps, until we captured Burgoyne of
the prodgious effect upon her conduct of that event,
which so amply attested rising fortunes and indie
pendent strength Of her openly Drawing England thence
forward, not only by acknowledging independence,
but determining to 60 with in arms and almost forth
with entering into her treaties of and alliance
with us, her negotiator Mr. Gerard not pretending to
Ministers that these great plunged
into wholly for sakes it manesty the interest
of France as he canddy told Them England strip
ped of her possessions all these things Mr. Trescot has
happily recalled depicting them in vivid lights and
mentng upon them in spirit of rational craftsmanship
Whilst calculating the Importance Of these treaties with
France he does pass the fact that she never Of
fered did ask, during the whole negotiations
any sympathy for republican institutions Equally well
does he give the account though it is brief one
of transactions with Spain Shy, distant and cold
Spain was towards and freedom Immoveable
she was under appeals for recognition though back
ed by the mastery reasoning of Mr. jay yet to war also
she went with England after France took the lead The
steps of Holland toothese have their right place in the
picture; his explanations of all that bears upon our
treaty with that power 1.-THE aquatic Power George III
once called her its great value to the first which
the United STATES negotiated roofing coequal
nationality the effect Of this upon position before
Europe the Dutch loan which followed it. the share it
had in blowing into flame the between England and
Hoand-just what wanted-a this is very perspicu-
ousy and happily presented And what group does the
whole form Of national movements characteristics and
catastrophe flowing from the surrender of Burgoynes
army TO American valor
Russia and the armed neutrality of 1880 receive pro-
portonate share of attention from him. He speaks of
this league as never at any time than diplomatic
bypay of temporary interest" 1t passed its short life
he says, without activity, and died of exhaustion He
eshens up the anecdoe of the Empress Catherine hav
Court that it should be called rather nuie armee than
nutrals armee. "sangune adroit, and bold" he adds
of this Am bassador that he hoped TOO soon moved 100
FAST and Uented TOO much" Dangerous propensies are
these in charged with high affairs unless discretion
holds the reins Let how it ended in this instance
Why, in his ordships anxiety to circumvent us he
himself circumvented. Russian history is like romance
In GATHERINGS time and earlier il almost ran romance
upon all tours. 1t is related that once when this extra
ordinary female sovereign visited the canal which
meets the Caspian with the Baltic she had of her
party in addition to Prince Potemn and her train of
courters, the English French and Imperial Ambassa-
dors the first Fitzherbert the second Count Segur;
the third Count Cobentze Segur, talking with Potem-
kin, CHANGED to find him out Of humer with England
seizing upon the opening he represented the Prince
the benefits that would flow to Russia from commerce
direct with France instead of England Potemkin re-
quested him to commit his ideas paper promising to
speak to the Empress the subject Segu Fastening to
his barge and finding Fzherbert and Cobentze at back
CANNON quietly borrows the nkstand Of the former and
with the Englisbmans pen draws up the plan Of COM
mercia treaty between France and Russia 1t is on the
authority we learn (Tooke that when Lord Mains
bury then Sir James Harrs) doing his utmost to
defeat the project Of the armed neutrality he drew up
long memorial against it, which Potemkn was to hand to
the Empress The partisans of neutrality getting wind
Of this, gained to their side certain Demoiselle
Gubad then about the Russian Court and imagined to
be kindly terms with Potemkn. This lady conrived
to get by stealth the memorial Of the Princes pocket
Taking 1t to her employees, they added marginal notes
answering the objections Of the English Ambassador on
which she adroitlv