The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-11-08
GeLeft Aliscllonp.
From the Philadelphia Nation
Character of Peter the Great.
BY sAMCEL NJ. sMUCKER. ESQ.


1t has fallen to the lot of but few of the
| human family to mould the characters and
control the dcstinics of millions of their fellow
! beings. This unenviahle pre-omnence has
belonged to such men as Mahomet. Charlie
imagine, Columbus, and Napoleon. Tn de-
gree almost equal to any Of these, it was also
the portion Of the great man, who has justly
been termed the founder and creator of that
| vast, diversified, and powerful empire, over
| which the house of Romarof now sways such
| a despotic sceptre
1t is singular to observe how. in the writ
ten Instructions which Peter left behind for
the guidance Of his SUCCESSORS. there is to be
found designated the exact line of policy
which they have ever since pursued. In these
| instructions he enjoins that the Russian ma
ton must be constantly kept on a war foot
| ing +; that The most able commanders from
other countries must be invited to take service
| in the army Of Russia; that no opportunity
must be lost in interfering in the affairs and
disputes Of the rest Of Europe that Poland
must he d. d,d by internal ftuds, in order
that she may ullimately be conquered that
| imperial family must always marry among
the German princes; and, especially, that
| constant reference must ever be had to the
| ultimate and paramount purpose of subjnga
| ting the dominions Of the Sultan TO the scep-
ire of the Muscpvite kings And The real
intent Of his ambition will be apparent from
the following passage. with which he conrlu-
DIES these remarkable instructions when
| Sweden is ours, Persia vanquish,d Poland
snhjugated, and Turkey conquered, when the
Euxlnc and the Baltic are completely and
exclusively subject to our control. overtures
should be made to the Courts of Versailles
and Vienna to'divide with them the dominion
Of the world. IF either of them accepts, we
must make use Of that one to assist us in
| subjugating the other. We may then. on
some specioGs pretext, quarrel with our only
remaining rival, and subjugate him to our
| power.'
In word the vast genius of Peter had
| nroi' cited the acquisi ion of universal Empire
The same impossible but glorious chimera
which had intlamed the ambitious mind of
| Napoleon, had also attracted the adventurous
and daring genius of Peter; thus proving
| that, between intcl'ects of the highest and
nlghtiest calihre, there are often strange
varieties and condolences, both of passion
and Of weakness.
The character of Peter the Great was
| singular binatlnn of adverse and incon-
| eruous qualities but combination in which
g.
| ted. His mind Possessed extraordinary yiror
and energy. Nothing WAS too minute and
insignificant to escape his scrutiny if it either
promoted his purposes or impcded them.-
Thus, during one of his foreign tours, he sent
hack to Russia tie model ola coffin At
another time he imported an immense num-
Der Of brush makers. Of basket makers. rat
catchtrs. and OF Dutch cats, into his capital
| AT the same time, while he was descending
to these Insignificant details. the grandeur
| and magnitude OF his enterprises were such
as to excite the wonder Of all men. and to RI
val those even of Charlenagnr and Napoleon.
The lnnumelable interests of nearl, the half
Of Two Continents engrossed his attention.
| nor did they seem to he too great for the
grasp Of his comprehensive mind The OBJ.
Ject OF all his reforms and labors evidently
was TO do good, and to benefit his people. -
| That he was wise. Sagacl0uS, perseverlng
prime, cannot lie denied. That, under any
circumstances, or in any position of life, he
would have bee remarkable person, is I'M
question: be- But it Is also true that he was
| deforincd by several great defects. His pas
| Nions were ungovcrnah.e; and nc cal, d u lit
tie for the value and the worth of human life.
1t is true that he could found Il vast empire
that he could iniusc INTO Il sluggish people
active enterprise and life; that he could de-
velope national resources: that he could build
great cities: that he could skifully organize
and administer the machinery Of government;
that he could discipline armies. build navies.
and gain victories. But lure, which had
bestowed upon him in liberal measure all
these high qualities, had withheld from him
that noblcr and more exalted attribute, with
out the possession Of which no man ever
reaches the sublmcst niche in the pantheon
of immortal fame the power to conquer and
civIlize him self. Until the day OF his death,
Peter this great, in this respect, cminently
deserved the title Of Peter the Little. Until
his latest hour, he remained rough hewn
Colossus. in some respects as savage as Attlla.
as hloodthirsty as Tberius. ss implacabe as
Alva Nor was he himself devoid of he dis
ccInment necessary to see. Or of the candour
necessary to confess, the existence of these
great defects He confessed openly once, to
his tri, nds. after one of his terrible oub,lrstS
of passion. that he could civiize others, but
himself he could not civilize But he was
eminenly the man for the people over whom
he ruled and we cannot blame him for not
having done more, or for not having been
greater. just as we cannot censllrc Columbus
for not having discovered the virgin glorics
of this western world, in stately ships pro-
PEELED by steam