From the intelligence received by the last steamer it would appear that the
Russian Bear, so far from letting go what he has of
Poland, is desirous to take another slice.
His nobility, are very much enraged by the emancipation of the serfs, very much incensed with
Austria, and very much disposed to kick up a fuss generally.
To gratify this enlightened desire on the part of his loving subjects, and probably to turn off as much of the aristocratic wrath as he can, the Czar has hinted that the acquisition of Galicia would not be a very bad thing, and they are said to have taken him at his word.
Should he succeed — and if
Austria should become entangled in a war with
France and
Italy we see not why he should not — he will have all
Poland under his dominion, the portion stolen by
Russia alone excepted.
He will be getting nearer the gates of
Vienna with a vengeance.
Nothing but the
Carpathian mountain will be left between him and
Hungary, and these he can overleap with very little trouble, whenever it may suit his convenience.
The
Sclavonians of
Hungary,
Transylvania, and the other dominions of
Austria, may prefer the rule of Sclavonians to that of Germans, if there be no hope of independence.
We have not the least doubt that
Alexander looks up-on Galicia with a wistful eye, and longs for the day when the pear shall be ripe.
There is, however, a lion in his path.
Nothing can be done in
Europe without the consent of the Emperor Napoleon, and it is not to be presumed that he will look unmoved upon such an advance to the gates of his capital, by such a power as
Russia.
The general impression is that
Maria Theresa, or her
minister Kaunitz, first conceived the iniquitous design of blotting out
Poland from the Nations.
It has been attributed, also, to Frederick The Great; but it has been strenuously denied of late by the admirers of that great
Prince.
It is said, on the contrary, that he clearly foresaw the danger to which such a step would expose
Europe, by bringing
Russia into its very heart.
Previously to his time, she had been more of an Asiatic than a European power.
He had experienced in the seven years war the formidable means which she possessed, of making herself felt wherever she appeared.
She had inflicted upon him a defeat which had brought his kingdom to the verge of ruin, and himself to the brink of suicide.--He was vehemently opposed to giving her more interest than she already possessed in the affairs of
Europe.
Strange as it may appear, it has been said, also, that even Catharine herself was opposed, at first, to the partition.
It may be that she wished to take all herself at some future day, and objected to the scheme because it implied a division of the spoils.
So it is that oppose it she did, until she found that it would be done without her, and then she came in for the bear's share, which, in this case, was quite as large as the lion'
s. Austria, at any rate, set the first example, by seizing a town on the borders of
Hungary, on the pretext that it was Hungarian and had been mortgaged merely to
Poland.
Whether she paid the money, we do not recollect; but she took the town.
It is but retributive justice that she who suggested that infamous robbery, should, in turn, be plundered of her share by one of her confederates.
