at Moscow, Warsaw, or Odessa. But although Alexander thus wasted his strength and passed his life in traversing his dominions, his heart was elsewhere. The great events of Paris had got possession of his imagination; the Holy Alliance, the suggestions of Madame Krudener, occupied his thoughts; and he dreamt more of his supposed mission as the apostle of peace, the arbiter of Christendom, than of his duties as the Czar of Russia, the supreme disposer of the lives and liberties of sixty millions of men.

districts. The finances of the empire engaged his special and anxious attention. By a ukase, dated 16th April 1817, he devoted to the payment of the debts contracted during 1812 and 1813, which were still in floating assignats, 30, 000, 000 rubles annually out of the imperial treasury, and a like sum out of the hereditary revenue of the Crown. At the same time he advanced 30,000,000 rubles to establish a bank specially destined for the support of commerce; and decreed the "Council of Public Credit," which,

shadow of representative institutions. Such was the effect of these measures, that when the emperor opened a subscription for a large loan, to enable him to retire a proportion of the floating, and reduce considerably the immense mass of paper assignats in circulation, at an advance of 85 rubles paid for 100, inscribed as 6 per cent stock, 30,000,000 was subscribed the first day, and before the end of the year 33,000,000 more—in all, 63,000,000— which enabled the Government to retire a similar amount of assignats.*

61. The heart of the emperor, how-by its constitution, presented the first ever, was too warm, his disposition too benevolent, for him not to feel keenly the sufferings of his subjects, and engage in any measures that appeared practicable for their relief. Various beneficent acts signalised the pacific years of his reign; but they were such as went to relieve local distress, or induce local advantage, rather than to stimulate the springs of industry over his whole empire, or remove the causes which obstructed civilisation over its vast extent. In August 1816 he visited Moscow, then beginning to rise from its ashes; and in a touching manifesto, which evidently came from the heart, testified his profound sympathy for the sufferings induced by its immortal sacrifice. At the same time, he set on foot or aided in the establishment of many valuable undertakings in different parts of the empire. He rebuilt, at a cost of 160,000 rubles, the bridge over the Neva; he took the most efficacious measures for restoring the naval forces of the empire, which had been unavoidably neglected during the pressure of the war-several ships of the line were begun both at Cronstadt and Odessa; no less than 1,500,000 rubles was advanced from the treasury to set on foot several new buildings in the two capitals; the completion of the splendid façade of the Admiralty; the building of a normal school for the training of teachers; an imperial ly. ceum, in which the imperial founder ever took a warm interest; and several important regulations adopted for the encouragement of agriculture and the establishment of colonies in desert-Ann. Historique, i. 277.

62. Alexander was sincerely and deeply interested in the prosperity of Poland, to which he was attached, not only by the brilliant additions which it made to the splendour and influence of the empire, but by the more tender feelings excited by the Polish lady to whom he had been so long and deeply attached. The sufferings of the country had been unparalleled, from the events of the war, and the enormous exactions of the French troops: the population of the grand-duchy of Warsaw, which, before it commenced, had been 3,300,000, had been reduced at its close to 2,600,000 souls. The country, however, had prospered in the most extraordinary degree during the three

*The public debt of Russia, on 1st January 1818, stood thus:Foreign (Dutch loan), Bank assignations, In silver,

In gold,

Paid off in 1817-Capital,

99,600,000 florins. 214,201,184 rubles. 3,344,000 do. 18,520 do.

Rubles.

13,863,000

Interest,

16,171,000

years of peace that it had since enjoy- | hope in the Diet, and its sittings were ed: new colonists had been invited and closed, after a short session of thirty settled from the neighbouring states days, without a dissenting voice on of Germany; and industry had flour- any question of general interest having ished to such an extent that the State been heard in the assembly. - was now able to maintain, without dif- 64. From Warsaw, which he left on ficulty or contracting debt, a splendid the 30th April, the emperor proceeded army of forty thousand men, which, to Odessa, after traversing, with the clothed in the Polish uniform, com- utmost rapidity, the fertile plains and manded by Polish officers, and follow-verdant turf of the Ukraine, where, as ing the Polish standards, was almost worshipped by the people as the germ of their reviving nationality. The emperor arrived at Warsaw on the 13th March, and immediately the Polish standard was hoisted on the palace amidst the thunder of artillery and cheers from every human being in the city.

their poets say, the "sky is ever blue, the air clear, and storms and hurri canes are unknown." In Odessa he beheld, with astonishment, the rapid progress and rising importance of a city which, under the fostering care of government, and the wise direction of the Duke de Richelieu, had sprung up, as if by enchantment, on the edge of 63. The Diet opened on the 27th of the wilderness, become the emporium March, and the speech of the emperor, of the south, and realised all that the which was listened to with the deepest genius of Virgil had fancied of the faattention, was not only prophetic of bled rise of Carthage under the sceptre peace and happiness to Poland, but of Dido. He there assisted at the memorable as containing evidence of launching of a seventy-four, laid down the views he at that period entertained a 110-gun ship, and evinced at once for the regeneration and freedom of his sympathy with the sufferings of mankind. After having expatiated on humanity, by erecting a monument to the advantage of a constitutional re- the celebrated Howard, who had died, gime, he added, "With the assistance in 1790, in the neighbourhood of that of God, I hope to extend its salutary city, and his admiration of its virtues, influence to ALL the countries intrusted by subscribing to the erection of one to my care; prove to the contemporary kings that liberal institutions, which they pretend to confound with the disastrous doctrines which in these days threaten the social system with a frightful catastrophe, are not a dangerous illusion, but that, reduced in good faith to practice, and directed in a pure spirit towards conservative ends and the good of humanity, they are perfectly allied to order, and the best security for the happiness of nations." Such were the sentiments and intentions of the Czar, while yet influenced by the illusions of 1814, and before the brilliant and benevolent dream had been dissipated by the military treason and social revolutions of southern Europe in 1820. When such words came from such lips, and everything around bespoke order and peace, and the reviving nationality of Poland, it need not be said that all was unanimity and

VOL. II.

in Paris to Malesherbes, the gener ous and intrepid defender of Louis XVI. He there appointed also a government commission, specially intrusted with the duty of watching over and aiding the settlement of colonists in Bessarabia and the southern provinces of the empire, of whom vast numbers had already begun to flock from the neighbouring states; and, passing by Moscow to the north, he there met the King of Prussia, with whom he returned to St Petersburg, where magnificent rejoicings attended the union of the two sovereigns. Hardly were they concluded when he set out for Aix-la-Chapelle, where his generous interposition, in conjunction with the Duke of Wellington, in favour of France, already mentioned, was attended with such happy results; and from thence returned to St Petersburg, and concluded an almost incessant

C

journey of two thousand leagues, de- | year. The sinking fund had withdrawn

voted, without a day's intermission, to the interests of humanity.

from circulation 80,000,000 paper rubles (£4,000,000) in the preceding year; and specie, to the number of 26,000,000 silver rubles (£4,600,000), had issued from the mint in the same time-a quantity greater than had been coined during the ten preceding years. The deposits and discounts at the bank recently established exhibited a large and rapid increase. The Lancasterian system of instruction was extended by the emperor even to Siberia, and normal schools established at St Petersburg to train teachers for the principal towns, from which alone the light of knowledge could radiate to the country. In the autumn of this year the emperor visited Archangel, which had not been honoured by the presence of the sovereign for a hundred and seventeen years; and from thence he issued a decree, authorising the levy of two men in every five hundred, which produced a hundred and eighty thousand

65. Although Alexander's mind was not of the most penetrating character, and his practical knowledge of mankind was small, his intentions were all of the most generous, his feelings of the most philanthropic kind. He had already, by several ukases, completed the enfranchisement of the peasants on the Crown domains; and at Mittau, on his way to Aix-la-Chapelle, he had assisted at a very interesting ceremony -that which completed, by a solemn act, the entire liberation of the serfs of Courland, Esthonia, and Livonia, the provinces of the empire next to Germany, by the voluntary act of the nobles, who, in this instance, had anticipated the wishes of the emperor. He ħad also, in the same year, published a ukase, which accorded several important immunities to the peasants of Merick, whose miserable condition had forcibly arrested his attention in pass-soldiers-the first levy which had taking through that province on his way from Warsaw to Odessa. He opened the year 1819 by a still more important step, because it was one of general application, and of vast influence on the social training of the nation. This was a ukase which extended to serfs in every part of the empire, and to whomsoever pertaining, the right, hitherto confined to the nobles and merchants, of establishing themselves as manufacturers in any part of the empire, and relieving them from the capitation tax during four years. At the same time he took a step, and a very material one, in favour of public instruction, by completing the organisation of universities at Moscow, Wilna, Alo, St Petersburg, Karkow, and Kazan; and of religious freedom, by taking the Lutheran and Calvinist clergy and flocks under the imperial protection, and establishing in the capital an Episcopal chair for the clergy of those persuasions.

en place since the war. At the same time, measures were taken for colonising the army cantoned in Bessarabia, above a hundred thousand strong; and steps adopted for establishing the army on the Polish frontier in like manner. The design of the emperor, which was a very magnificent one, was to encircle the empire with a zone of military colonies, stretching from the Black Sea to the Baltic, where the soldiers might acquire dwellings, and pursue the labours of agriculture, like the Roman legions, while still guarding the frontiers, and connect them with similar establishments of a pastoral kind on the frontiers of Persia and Tartary, where the vigilance of the Cossacks guarded from insult the vast steppes which run up to the foot of the Caucasus.

67. The year 1820 commenced with a very important step-the entire expulsion of the Jesuits from Russia. 66. The finances of the empire, in They had already, in consequence of the following year, exhibited the elas- their intrigues, been banished in 1815 ticity which might have been expected from St Petersburg and Moscow, but from the continuance of peace, and the their efforts to win over proselytes to wise measures for the reduction of the their persuasion had since that time floating debt adopted in the preceding|been so incessant and harassing, that

they were now finally expelled from | of Poland and the Danube, and nobles the whole empire. Provision was of the highest rank and consideration made for their maintenance in the in St Petersburg. The object of the mean time, and every precaution taken conspirators was stated to be to deto render the measure as gentle in its throne and murder the emperor, imoperation as possible. Certainly, as prison the other members of the imthe Roman Catholics, like most other perial family, and establish a constisects, regard theirs as the only true tutional monarchy on the footing of faith, and all others as heresies, it can those of western Europe. For long be no matter of surprise, still less of the emperor gave no credit to these condemnation, that they everywhere warnings; he could not believe that make such strenuous efforts to gain an army which, under himself, had proselytes and reclaim souls, as they done such great things, and had given deem it, on the eve of perdition, to the him personally such proofs of entire bosom of the Church. But as other devotion, could have so soon become persuasions are equally convinced that implicated in a traitorous project for their own is the true form of worship, his destruction. But the military rethey cannot be surprised, and have no volution in Spain, Portugal, and Naright to complain, if their everywhere ples, in the early part of the year 1820, aggressive attitude is met by a corre-opened his eyes to the volcano on which sponding defensive one; and if these states, without seeking to convert them to their faith, seek only to adopt measures that may secure their

own.

possibly his empire might be resting; and the events in Poland ere long left no doubt that the danger was rapidly approaching his own dominions.

69. The Polish Diet opened in Sep68. The time, however, had now ar- tember, and the emperor, who assisted rived when the views of the emperor, at it in person, in the Polish uniform, heretofore so liberal and indulgent, and surrounded with Polish officers, were to undergo an entire change, was received with enthusiasm: the when the illusions of 1814 were to be city was illuminated on his arrival, dispelled, and Russia, instead of be- and at several reviews the troops of ing, as it had been for many years, at the national army evinced the most the head of the movement party in loyal feelings. The exposition of the Europe, was to become its most de- minister exhibited the most flattering cided opponent. Already the emperor appearance; the population had inhad been warned by anonymous let- creased to 3,468,000, being no less ters and various mysterious communi- than a million since the termination cations, as well as by reports from the of the war; agriculture, manufactures, secret police, of the existence of a vast the finances, were in the most flourishconspiracy, which embraced several of ing state. But what is material prosthe leading officers in the armies both perity, beneficent government, to a "Les Jésuites quoique suffisamment country infested with the fever of reavertis par l'animadversion qu'ils avaient en-volution? It soon appeared, when the courue, ne changèrent pas néanmoins de con- Diet proceeded to real business, with duite. Il fut bientôt constaté par les rapports what species of spirit they were anides autorités civiles qu'ils continuaient à attirer dans leur communion les élèves du rit or- mated. On a proposition to amend thodoxe, placés au collège de Moholow à Sara- the criminal law, brought forward by tof et dans la Sibérie. Le Moniteur des Cultes the ministers, a violent opposition ne manqua point de signaler ces transgressions au Père Général de l'ordre, dès l'annee broke forth in the chamber, on the 1815. Ces administrations furent inutiles. ground that the proposed mode of trial Loin de s'abstenir, à l'instance de l'église was not by jury; and it was rejected dominante, de tout moyen de séduction et de conversion, les Jésuites continuèrent à semer by 120 votes to 3. Another proposal le trouble dans les colonies du rit Protestant, of government, for certain changes in et se poussèrent jusqu'à la violence pour sou- the Senate, was also rejected by a large straire les enfants Juifs à leurs parents."majority. It was evident that the Diet was animated with the wild spirit of

*

Ukase, 25 Mars 1820. Annuaire Historique,

iii. 296, 297.

Polish equality, not merely from their | it was held. The Emperor of Austria, measures, but from the extreme vio- whose terror at the alarming situation lence of the language which they used, of Italy was extreme, arrived there on and that they would be as difficult to the 18th October; the Emperor of manage as the old comitia, where any Russia joined him there on the 20th. member, by the exercise of his liberum Indisposition prevented the King of veto, might paralyse the whole pro- Prussia from coming till the 7th Noceedings. Alexander was profoundly vember, but he was represented by affected; he saw at once the depth of the hereditary prince, his son. Prince the abyss which yawned beneath his Metternich and M. Gentz on the part feet, if these ideas, as in Spain and of Austria; Count Nesselrode and Capo Naples, should gain possession of the d'Istria on that of Russia; Prince Hararmy, the main prop of the throne in denberg and Count Bernstorff on that his despotic realms; and he closed the of Prussia; Count Caraman, the French Diet with a speech, in which his ap-ambassador at Vienna, and Sir Charles prehensions and indignation exhaled Stewart, the English ambassador there, in the most striking manner. represented the several powers. The events in Italy and Spain had excited the greatest alarm among all the parties assembled, and the most vigorous measures were resolved on; and although the English government did not take an active part in their deliberations, it did not formally oppose the measures resolved on.

*

70. This incident exercised an important influence on the affairs of Eu rope in general, for the emperor at this period was on his way to the Congress of TROPPAU, where the recent revolution in the Spanish and Italian peninsulas, and the alarming state of affairs in France, were to be taken into consideration. As this congress was called chiefly in consequence of the suggestions of the Emperor Alexander, and was the first practical application of the principles of the Holy Alliance of which he was the author, it belongs more properly to the annals of Russia than Germany, within whose bounds

71. So great was the importance of the topics discussed at the Congress of Troppau, and so various the interests of the powers there assembled, that in former days it would in all probability have led to a general war. But the remembrance of past strife was too recent, the terror of present revolutions too great, to permit of any serious divergence of opinion or measures taking place. From the very outset the Em

"Parvenus au terme où s'arrêtent aujourd'hui les travaux qui doivent vous conduire par degrés vers ce but important de développer et d'affermir vos institutions na-peror Alexander, whose apprehensions tionales, vous pouvez facilement apprendre de combien vous en êtes rapprochés. Interrogez votre conscience, et vous saurez si dans le cours de vos discussions, vous avez rendu a la Pologne tous les services qu'elle attendait de votre sagesse, ou si, au contraire, entraînés par des séductions trop communes de vos jours, et immolant un espoir qu'aurait realisé une prévoyante confiance, vous n'avez pas retardé dans son progrès l'aurore de la restauration de votre Patrie. Cette grave responsabilité pèsera sur vous. sûreté nécessaire de l'indépendance de vos Elle est la suffrages. Ils sont libres, mais une intention pure doit toujours les déterminer. La mienne yous est connue. Vous avez reçu le bien pour le mal, et la Pologne est remontée au rang des etats. Je persévérerai dans mes desseins à son égard, qu'elle que soit l'opinion qu'on puisse se former sur la manière dont vous venez d'excuser vos prorogations."-Discours de l'Empereur Alexandre à Varsovie, 1/13 Octobre 1820, à la clôture de la Diète Polonaise. Annuaire Historique, iii. 616.

were now fully awakened, declared that he was prepared to second with all his forces any measures which the Emperor of Austria might deem necessary for the settlement and pacification of Italy. At the same time the march of the Austrian troops towards the south of Italy continued without intermission, and a holograph letter was despatched from the assembled sovereigns to the King of Naples, inviting him to join them in person at a new congress, to be held at Laybach in Styria. A minister sent from Naples on the part of the revolutionary government was refused admission; and the views of the assembled monarchs on the late revolutions were announced in several semi-official articles, pub