PREFACE. IT was not without regret that we found the dissentions between this country and its colonies at length ripened into a civil war. The person to whose lot it falls to describe the transactions of domestic hostility, and the steps which lead to it, has a painful, and generally unthankful office. People can scarcely judge with temper of such an history in a century after the events. It is a perilous situation when we are to be tried by present passions. Interested as we are in this contest in common with all Englishmen, and affected as we must be in common with all men of humanity, we have never been tempted to depart from the steady course of impartiality, which we have always observed, and in which the public has hitherto supported. us. It indeed little becomes us to be dogmatical and decided in our opinions in this matter matter, when the public, even on this side of the water, is so much divided; and when the first names of the country have differed so greatly in their sentiments. It is no longer our task to describe devastation in Poland, or slaughter on the Danube. The evil is at home. We are as truly sensible of the importance as of the delicacy of the subject. The sense of that importance, which is something more than was generally apprehended even when the transactions in parliament were passing, has obliged us to a much greater length than usual. We have given every thing as fully as we were enabled to do from any materials we could obtain. However we may have failed in the attempt, neither application nor labour were wanting on our side, nor expence considered on that of the publisher, in endeavouring to render the work worthy of the acceptance of the public. THE Death of the Grand Signor, Mustapha III. His character. Acceffion of his brober. Preparations for carrying on the war. Infurrections excited by the Porte among the Tartars in the Ruffian Empire. Armament for the Crimea. State of the Armies on the Danube. Marfbal Romanzow craffes that river. Turks defeated in various engagements. Disorder, mutiny, and defertion in the Turkisb armies. Grand Vizir abandoned, and invested at Schumla. Propofes a fufpenfion of arms; obliged to fign a peace, upon the terms prescribed by the conquerors. Confternation at the Porte; peace confirmed. Principal articles of the peace. Grand Vizir dies fuddenly on the road to Adrianople. Rejoicings at Petersburgh. The articles fulfilled with good faith, and ambassadors appointed on both fides. Minifter appointed by the Porte, to Kerim Kan, one of the defpots of Perfia. B Y the termination of the bloody war which has fo long defolated the borders of Europe and Afia, it is to be hoped, that tranquillity will be fully reftorVOL. XVII. ed, as well to the wide dominions of the great belligerent powers, as to thofe of their leffer neighbours, who without any fhare in the advantages, generally experience all [4] the the miseries of fuch a conteft. As nothing could be more glorious to Ruffia than the progrefs of this war, fo nothing can be more happy than its conclufion. A long feries of victories are crowned by a peace, which reflects as much honour upon the firmnefs and wildom of her councils, as the former did luftre upon her arms. The loffes in lives, and fovereignty, are not the greateft which the Ottoman empire has experienced. She has fatally expofed a weakness which was before unknown; the lofs of character and eftimation, is not lefs ruinous to ftates than to individuals. This mighty empire is indeed confiderably fallen, and has bowed lefs to the prowess of a brave enemy, than under the weight of her own internal diforders. The late Grand Vizir, after every exertion which abilities and courage are capable of to reclaim a degenerate foldiery, being overborne by their caprice, and licentiousness, fell a victim to the indignation and grief which they excited; having been firft obliged, for the immediate prefervation of his troops, to fign a peace, which was very unequal to the power and glory of the Ottoman arms. He deferved a better fate, and to govern better men. It will probably hereafter be a matter of furprize, that in fuch a fituation of affairs, Ruffia granted a peace upon any moderate terms to its proftrate enemy. We have, however, formerly thewn many caufes which rendered a peace very defirable to Ruffia: nor had thefe caufes been removed or leifened by any late events. The rebellion of Pagatfcheif had been long carried on, and ftill continued to defolate the fouthern and eastern provinces of the empire; doubts were also poffibly entertained of the temper and difpofition which prevailed nearer home. Thefe and other caufes feemed to render it prudent, if not neceffary, to draw thofe conquering armies nearer the center, who were attached by their fucceffes to government, and from their long abfence, were ftrangers to domeftic parties and cabals. It fhould alio be obferved, that there did not feem to be any great cordiality be tween the dividers of Poland; two of whom could not refrain from looking feparately with an evil eye at the thares obtained by others, and feemed eager to enter into any new cheme of partition, by which they might benefit individually, It feems therefore to have behoved Ruflia to difengage herself from a weak enemy, who could only be dangerous by keeping her entangled, and to concenter her force in fuch a manner, as to be prepared at all events against new neighbours, whofe power was dangerous and ambition boundless. The fatal change which fo immediately took place in the Turkish grand army, after the fpecimens it had given of fubmiflion to order and difcipline, and the vigour and ability thewn by its commanders in the preceding campaign, must naturally excite our curiofity. In this refpect, however, it cannot at prefent be gratified. No details are to be expected from a Turkish cabinet or army; and the Ruflians, fatisfied with their fuccefs, have no occafion to enter into a recital of any particulars which might leffen the glory or difficulty of their atchicvements. Such information can only. |