Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-11-18

sclapis party, and the other composed principally
of the German nobility of the Baltic provinces, the
81. Petersburyh or the German party. The domi-
nant idea of the first is the development of the
lSelauc element of Russian power; its aggrandizs-
ment within and enlargement by indefinite terrific
rial conquests without. 1t is this party which has
been urging the Cars from the time of Peter the
Great to the subversion of the Turkish empire, and
the conquest of Constantinople and the occupation
of the Dardanees 1t is this party which effected
the partitions of Poland, and which more recently
sent Prince Menschikoff upon his famous mission
to the Sultan, and Immediately afterwards dictated
the occupation of the Prncipalties, which induced
the actual This party will not be satisfied till
will it be then p it has united beneath the sceptre
of the Gar all the peoples of Sclavic origin yet
without the pale of the Russian empire-Poles,
Hungarians Servians, Bulgarians, Croats, and lily
rans, who now form portions of Austrian or Prus-
sian or Turkish subjects. The Muscovite or Old
Russia party believe that this absorption of the
whole Sclavic race by Russia, the extension west
ward of the bounds Of the empire, and the posses
sion Of Constantinople is all their {" manifest des-
tiny" This party comprises the immense majority
of the arisocracy, and includes many of the actual
highest functionaries A son Of the Czar the Grand
Duke Constantine, is its acknowledged chief; the
Princes MensehiKoH, Gortschakor, Wokunski, &c.
are leading members. There is, however, very
small portion of the Pansclavic party which would
fain attain its endthe effective union of the Sclav
onc race-not by military conquest and annexation
to the actual dominons of the Gar, but by the pa
cc execution, with consent of parties, of separate
independent kingdoms, under Romanof princes,
with sort of acknowledged supremacy, concurred
in by all of them, Of the Gar of Russia The party
of Old Russia, in the eastern continent, BEARS we
see, a striking resemblance to the party of Young
america in the western The German or st. Pc
tersburgh party in Russia is conservative and
less belligerent and progressive" It would main
tain the statu quo in Government; foreign conquest
and territorial extension are not its essential prn-
ciples; but it would present Russia to Europe as
the great and potent representative and upholder Of
legitimacy on the thrones of Europe. It sympa-
thizes with the errant Pedros and Carlos and Henri
VS. of Europe; and, if the opportunity offered,
would willingly lend them aid to restore the era of
restorations. Of this party in Russia the sagacious
Count Nesselrode, the actual Chancellor of the en-
pire, is known to be the chief. 1t is believed also
to possess the sympathy of the Grand Duke Alex
ander the heir to the throne. This party is under
stood to be opposed to the actual war; but now that
it is commenced, is unwilling to see peace concluded
upon the humiliating terms which the Allies say it
is their intention to enforce.
Thus we see that if public opinion can be said to
exist at all in Russia, it is with the Gar It was
with him for the declaration of war, and supports
him in its vigorous prosecution and it may be con-
fdently anticipated that the Allies will have to
abate their pretensions, the war, which has al
ready lasted nearly a year, will be prolonged for
many before the full triumph of the Allies will con-
quY their peace.
We have intimated above that though the i'm
mense masses of the Russian population possess no
common political opinions or national sentiments
which may be skilfully appealed to and produce
common, powerful, and heroic action, there is
motive and most powerful one--the religious mo
tiDe-of which they are peculiarly susceptible, and
which, if ably worked, may make them capable of
almost irresistible common action. More than fifty
millions of the subjects of Russia profess the ortho
dox Greek, or, in other words, the Greco Russian
religion. "They are extremely ignorant, supersti-
tious; fanatical, and given to mysticism" Their
submission to the Greek clergy is of the most abso
lutte, unquestoning character. The clergy, on their
part, represented to be the docile, submissive
instruments of the Czar, who, to his political cha
racter Chief Of the State adds the still more sa
cred one of Supreme Head Of the Church He
nominates to all church dgnities, establishes the
rules of discipline, and no act of the Holy Synod
itself is valid till it is clothed with the sanction of
the Gar. This double character of Absolute EN-
peror and of Supreme Pontf invests its object with
a sanctity which makes him in the esteem of his
subjects venerated being, far superior to any other
earthly potentate. The clergy unreservedly obey
him for the accomplishment whether of religious or
political ends, as the masses themselves obey the
clergy. These are represented to be the facts by
historians and other writers. The Emperor is said
to find in the clergy more faithful, submissive, and
efficient agents than in the civil and military func-
tionaries of the nobility 1t may well be question
ed whether the Car will not find in this religious
sentiment of his people, of which he has such COM
pete control, q sustaining and impellng power ca
pable of opposing effectively the vaunted superior
morale and substantive patriotism of the French
and English soldier.