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inconsiderate ardour of the younger generals, who were determined on risking another engagement. In consequence of the departure of Kamenskoy, the command of the Russian army was divided between Benningsen and Buxhoevden, the former at Pultusk, and the latter at Golomyn. Both were attacked by the French on the 26th, and both made an obstinate resistance. They were both, however, driven from their positions, and forced to retreat with precipitation, leaving behind them great part of their baggage and artillery. Soult had been sent forward by another road to cut off their retreat; but the horrible sloughs, the consequences of rain and thaw, retarded his march, and saved them from total destruction. According to the French accounts, the Russians lost in these actions 80 pieces of cannon, all their ammunition waggons, 1200 baggage carts, and 12,000 men, killed, wounded, and prisoners. Their own loss they admit to have been 800 killed and 2000 wounded; among the latter were six general officers, and one general of dragoons was killed. After the action of the 26th, the French army went into cantonments on the banks of the river Orzyk, and the emperor Napoleon returned to Warsaw.

An account of the battle of Pultusk, claiming the victory for the Russians, and making no mention of the preceding engagements, or of the battle of Golomyn, was ad

dressed by general Benningsen to the emperor of Russia, and published in the Petersburg gazette. Similar intelligence was transmitted to Vienna and other parts, and eagerly disseminated over Germany and the north, where implicit credit was given to it by all who had suffered from the oppression of the French, or who trembled at the pro. gress of their arms. It was added, that besides this disaster in the field, dysentry and other camp diseases were making dreadful havoc in their armies, and had already greatly reduced their effective strength. The confidence with which these accounts were circulated, and the minute detail of circumstances with which they were accompanied, imposed for a time on the most sceptical and desponding. Some of those, who in former wars had most despaired of success against France upon the continent, from any league or combination of its princes, began now to indulge in chimerical expectations, and to hope from Russia and Poland what Austria and Prussia had contended for in vain. But this delusion was of short duration. The grossness of Benningsen's misrepresentations was soon detected, and certain intelligence was obtained, that though the French soldiers were far from enjoying such exemption from sickness as the official bulletins announced, the diseases prevalent in their army were neither so general nor so fatal as reported and believed by their enemies.

CHAP. XI.

Rupture between Russia and Turkey. -Causes that led to it.-Invasion ́of Moldavia and Wallachia by the Russians.-State of the Turkish Empire. — Continuance of War between the Russians and Persians.-Intercourse between France and Persia.-Austria displeased with the Russians for invading Turkey.-Internal Affairs of Austria.-Courts of Inquiry.Military Reforms.-Conduct of the King of Sweden.-Annexation of Holstein to Denmark.-Holland erected into a Kingdom in favour of Lewis Bonaparte.-Internal Affairs of Holland.-Speech of his Batavian Majesty at the opening of the Dutch Legislature-Domestic Affairs of France.-Strains of Flattery addressed to Bonaparte-at Munich-at Paris.-Meeting of the French Legislature.—Opening Speech of the Emperor.-Report of the State of the Empire by Champagny-Imperial Decrees.-Venice annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.-Naples given to Joseph Bonaparte.-Berg and Cleves to Murat.-Guastalla to Prince Borghese.-Neufchatel to Berthier.-Revival of Feudal Benefices in Italy. -Benevento assigned to Talleyrand-and Ponte Corvo to Bernadotte.-Order of the Iron Crown.-Message to the French Senate, communicating the Berlin Decree.-Report on the French Finances.-Revival of the Tax on Salt.-Convocation of the Jewish Sanhedrim at Paris.-Co-esta blishment of the Jewish with the Catholic, Lutheran, and reformed Religions. -Ideas of Religious Toleration entertained in France.-Prohibition of Commerce in English Goods throughout Switzerland.-Proclamation of the Papal Government against harbouring Malcontents in the States of the Church.-Warlike Preparations in Spain-suddenly Countermanded.Danger of Portugal during the Negotiation between France and England. Threats of invading that Kingdom by the French.-Earl St. Vincent sent with a Fleet to the Tagus with offers of Assistance to the Portugueze Government.-Army assembled at Plymouth.-General Simcoe and Earl of Rosslyn sent to Portugal.—Instructions of the English Commissioners.— Result of the Expedition equally useful and honourable to England.

WI

HILE these events were passing in Poland, hostilities broke out unexpectedly between Russia and the Porte. This termina. tion of the friendship and alliance which had subsisted between these two powers since the invasion of Egypt by Bonaparte, was brought

3

machina

about partly by the
tions of the French ambassador at
Constantinople, and partly by the
inconsiderate ambition and preci-
pitate violence of the court of St.
Petersburg.

It had been settled by a convention between Russia and Turkey in 1806,

1802, that the hospodárs of Mol- ant victory by the French cabinet,

davia and Wallachia, when once appointed by the Porte, should remain in office for seven years, and should on no account be removed from their governments before the expiration of that term, without the concurrence of the Russian minister at Constantinople. That such a stipulation was derogatory from the sovereignty, claimed and exercised by the Ottoman Porte for ages in these provinces, cannot be denied. But the terms of the convention were clear and precise, and, when concluded and ratified, any contravention of its articles by one of the contracting parties, without the consent of the other, could not but be regarded as a breach of treaty, affording to the other party a just ground of complaint, and on refusal of redress a justifiable cause of war. The convention might have been originally improvident on the part of the Turks, as being in compatible with the dignity and inconsistent with the interests of their empire, but when concluded, they were bound to abide by it, and had no right to abrogate or set it aside without the consent of Russia..

Affairs were in this posture, when the Ottoman government, alarmed at the progress of the French power, consented to send a special embassy to Paris, to congratulate Bonaparte on his assumption of the Imperial dignity; and contrary to its former determination, agreed to receive an ambassador from France. This concession was regarded as an import

and to improve the advantage it had gained, general Sebastiani was selected to be its ambassador at the Porte, as a person eminently qualified to promote its views in that quarter, by persuading Turkey to break her alliance with Russia and England, and revert to her antient connection with France. Fully instructed in the part he was to act, no sooner had Sebastiani arrived at Constantinople, than he laid before the divan the treaty between France and Russia, recently signed at Paris by D'Oubril; and contending that an article of that treaty, which guarantied in general terms the integrity and independence of the Turkish empire, amounted to a virtual repeal of the convention concerning the hospodars, which he knew to be disagreeable to the Turks, he succeeded in persuading the Porte to recal the reigning hospodars and appoint others in their place, without consulting the Russian ambassador, or regarding his formal protest against these measures. * Having carried this point against the Russians, while it was still uncertain whether D'Oubril's treaty would or would not be ratified by the court of St. Petersburg, the French negotiator proceeded next, as soon as he understood the ratification of that treaty had been withheld, to present a note to the Ottoman government, † in which he demanded that the passage of the Bosphorus should be shut against all Russian ships of war, as well as against every other vessel

* Sebastiani arrived at Constantinople on the 10th of August. The hospodars were displaced on the 24th, fourteen days after his arrival. D'Oubril's treaty had been sigued on the 20th of July.

† Sept. 16.

of

of that nation, bringing troops, Turks yielded a second time to ammunition, or provisions; though their fears, reversed their late orhe knew, that by treaty between ders, restored the deposed hospoRussia and the Porte, that passage dârs in the manner required by was open to the vessels of the Italinski, and acceded in fact to all former, without exception or limit- his demands.t ation. If these and other demands in his note urged with equal insolence and contempt of good faith and of the obligations of treaties, were instantly complied with, he assured the Turks of the friendship and protection of his master, the great Napoleon; but if not immediately acceded to, he threatened them with instant war, and announced the presence of a formidable French army in Dalmatia, ready to punish or defend them, according to the party they espoused.

The Porte, instead of resenting these insolent proposals in the manner they deserved, whether governed by the intrigues, or terrified by the threats of Sebastiani, shewed a disposition to comply with his desires, and communicated the note received from him to the English and Russian ambassadors at Constantinople, in order to obtain their advice in this critical juncture of its affairs. Both these ministers, as was to be expected, remonstrated in the strongest terms against the wavering, undecided policy, which had lately directed its councils; but their representations made little impression on its government, till the Russian ambassador, Italinski, threatened to leave Constantinople, and began to make preparations for his departure.* Alarmed at the threats of the Russian minister, as they had been formerly dismayed by the menaces of Sebastiani, the

*

Sept. 29.

+ Oct. 15.

All cause of war between Russia and Turkey seemed now removed, when suddenly a Russian army under general Michelson entered Moldavia, and took possession of Chotzim, Bender, and Jassi. I What were the motives of Russia for this unprovoked aggression, and on what grounds it is to be justified, we confess that we are yet to learn. The march of general Michelson was accompanied by a proclamation, but the grievances which it enumerated, were either frivolous or unfounded, or wrongs already re dressed, or matters of complaint which are not just grounds of war between independent states. The Porte, it is true, had violated its engagements with Russia by deposing the hospodârs; but this error, which was momentary, had been subsequently retracted and atoned for. It had hesitated about refusing a passage through the Bosphorus to Russian armed vessels; but this hesitation, which arose, not from its ill will to Russia, but from its fears of France, had been overcome; and its last declarations to Italinski had been assurances of its determination to maintain inviolate its alliance with the court of St. Petersburg. If the invasion of Moldavia was caused by an appre hension, lest the French should take possession of that province, an apprehension which considering the position of the armies it is

Michelson entered Moldavia on the 23d of November. VOL. XLVIII.

P

difficult

difficult to believe was ever seriously entertained, ought not the Russians to have apprized the Ottoman government of their intentions, before they committed so violent an act, as to enter, in a hostile manner, the territory of an ally, and occupy, without notice, his towns and provinces? But so far was Russia from seeking to conciliate the Porte, or from disguising the ambitious views that influenced her conduct, that Italinski was left a full month at Constantinople after the commencement of hostilities, without instructions to explain her reasons for passing the Ottoman frontier with an army ;* and in the articles of capitulation of Chotzim terms were inserted by her generals, which plainly shewed, that she looked forward to the permanent possession of that fortress. It is indeed but too evident from a re view of these transactions, that Russia availed herself of the recent compliances of the Porte with Sebastiani, as pretexts to cloak her own ambitious projects, and that views of conquest and aggrandize ment, and not of just and reasonable satisfaction for injuries, were her motives for this unscasonable diversion of her forces.

When the news of Michelson's invasion reached Constantinople, that city was filled with indignation and surprise. The cry for war was loud and universal, especially among the janizaries and ulemas, whose religious fanaticism and general hatred of Europeans were inflamed by the perfidy of the faithless Muscovites, the objects alike of their superstitious dread and deep-rooted

aversion. But, so unwilling was the Turkish government to engage in hostilities with Russia, that notwithstanding this ardour on the part of the people, more than thirty days were suffered to elapse, before war was determined upon and declared. A Russian brig, which attempted to pass through the Streights of Constantinople, brought matters at last to a crisis. This vessel was stopped by the Turkish batteries, + and the dispatches which it bore for the Russian minister, and which are said to have been explanatory of Michelson's inva sion, were thrown overboard and lost. This event determined Italinski to leave Constantinople without delay. He accordingly embarked in the Canopus, an English 74, which had been for some time at anchor in sight of the Turkish capital, and contrary to the old but barbarous custom of the Ottomans, he was suffered to depart without molestation. Next day a rescript from the Grand Seignior to the Grand Vizier was published, containing a formal declaration of war against Russia. Great preparations were made by sea and land for carrying on hostilities with vigour. Paswan Oglou, pacha of Widin, formerly pursued as a rebel, but now invested with legitimate authority in the revolted province, which he had successfully maintained against his sovereign, and Mustapha Bayracter, ayan of Ruschuk, had been already com missioned to repel the infidels by force, and to oppose the further progress of their invasion. The pachas of Romelia were now or

Mr. Arburthnot's letter to the dragoman of the Porte, Dec. 13.
Déc. 25.
Dec. 29.

dered

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