Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-05-03
DAILY EVENING STAR.
THE WILL OF PETER THE GREAT

THE WILL OF PETER THE GREAT.
Mention has been lately made of the
will Of Peter the Great; but we believe
that no copy of it is TO be found in any
book of general access. The following
translation has been made from a tter,uap
work, entitled GeSchieic Peters des Grosscs
yon Eduard Pelz Leipsic. 1t is thcrt
stated to have been transmitted by Cheva.
lier d'Eon, French ambassador at tb,
Court Of st. Petersburg, TO the Frencl
King in the year 1857, and to have beer
made public shortly afterward.
Various opinons have been expressed a.
toits authenticity and genuineness. which
at this period of time, it is difficult +,
clear up. Independently, however, of it,
authenticity, there is much intrinsic in
terest In the document, as embodym.
principles of action which have been no
toriously followed by Russia during tn,
last one hundred years, with such modi
heatonS as time and circumstances ant
the variations of European equilibrium
have rendered necessary. The thirteenth
rule is especially worthy of attention al
the present moment.
THE WILL OF PETER THE GREAT.
''ln the name of the holy and indivisi.
BILE Trinity, we, Peter, Emperor and
Autocrat of All the Russias, &C., to all
our successors on the throne and in the
Government of the Russian nation:
''forasmuch as the great God, who is
the Author and Giver of our life and
crown, hath constantly illumined us with
His light. and upheld as with his sup
port, &C."
Here Peter set out in detail that, accord.
ing to his view, which he takes to be alsc
that of Providence, he regards the Rus.
sian nation as destined hereafter to exer-
else supreme dominion over Europe. HI
bases his opinion on the fact that the
European nations have for the NEST part
fallen into condition of decrepitude moi
far removed from collapse, whence he
considers that they may easily be subiu-
gated by new and youthful race, a.
soon as the latter shall have attained its
full vigor.
The Russian monarch looks upon the
coming influx of the northerns into the
east and west as periodical movement.
which forms part of the scheme of Provi
dence, which, in like manner, by the
invasions of the barbarians, effected the
regeneration of the Roman world. He
compares these mi gratiOns of the polar
nations to the inundations of the Nile,
which at certain seasons fertilize the arid
soil of Egypt. He adds that Russia.
which he found brook, and should leave
a river, must, under his successors, grow
to mighty sea, destined to fertilize worn.
out Europe, and that its waves would
advance over all obStaclesif if hissuccessor>
were only capable of guiding the stream
On this account he leaves behind him fol
their use the following rules, which ht
recommends to their attention and con-
slant study, even as Moses consigned his
tables of the law to the Jewish people:
RULES.
l. The Russian nation must be con.
stantly on war footing to keep the sol.
diers warlike and in good condition. Ne
restmust be allowed except for the purpose
of relieving the State finances, recruiting
the army, or biding the favorable moment
of attack. By these means peace is made
subservient to war, and war to peace, in
thGinterest of the agerandizement and in.
creasing prosperity of Russia.
>. Every possible means must be used
to invite from the most guilty ated Euro
pean States commanders in war and
philosophers i'll peace, to enable the Rus.
sian nation to participate in the advanta
yes Of other countries without losing am
of its own.
3. No opportunity must be lost {
taking part in the affairs and disputes @
Europe, especially in those Of Germany
winch, from its vicinity, is of the mos
direct interest to us.
4. Poland must be divided by keeping
up constant .jealouSies and confusion;
there. The authorities must be gained
over with money, and the Assemblies cor
rupted SO as to influence the election Of
the Kings. We must get up party of
our own there, send Russian troops into
the country, and let them sojourn there
so long that they may ultimately find
some preteXt fer remaining there forever.
Should the neighboring States make
difficulties, We must appease them for the
moment by allowing them share of the
territory until we can safely resume what
we have thus given away.
5. We must take away as much terri
tory as possible from Sweden, and con-
trive that they shall attack us first, so as
to give us pretext for their subjugation.
With this object in view We must keep
Sweden in opposition to Denmark, and
Denmark to Sweden, and sedulously fos-
ter their mutual jcf ousieS.
6. The consortS of the Russian princes
must always be chosen from among the
German princesses, in order to multiply
our family alliances with the Germans,
and so unite our interests with theirs;
and thus, by consolidating our influence
in Germany, to cause it to attach itself
spontaneously to our policy.
I. We must be careful to keep up our
commercial alliance with England, for
she is the power which has most need of
our products for her navy, and at the
same time may be of the greatest service
to..us in the Developments of our own. We
must export woo and other articles in
exchange for her gold, and establish per-.
manent connections between her mer-
chants and sc: ne.i and our own.
s. We must keep steadily extending