THE WILL OF PETER THE GREAT.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 724, 6 February 1877, Page 2

THE WILL OF PETER THE GREAT.

I (From the "Irishman.") j A correspondent writes : — I have just 1 come aoross a document that you will, I think, find somewhat interesting. Fori though it baa been published before, very few of the present generation of Irishmen have seen it. The last time it was published Europe was convulsed in a terrible war (the Crimean), arid "Chambers' Journal" was the only periodical that I know of that gava it insertion. Fo r obvious reasons Englishmen do not like to Bee it largely circulated, partioulrly so as within the last two y>ara Russia has taken the advice of Peter the Great in a j most striking manner, by having daringly and definatly, in the very faoe and in spite of England herself, violated the Black Sea Treaty, and torn it to pieces. 44 The Will of Peter the Great. 14 preliminary consideration. *'In the name of the Most Holy and invisable Trinity, we, Peter the First, Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, &e„, to all the descendants and ; 1 successors to the throne and government of the Russian nation : — I " God, from whome we derive our ex- , istanoe, and to whom we owe our crown, having constantly enlightened hs by His Spirit, and sustained us by His divine help, allowed me to look upon the Russian people as called upon hereafter to HOLD SWAY OVER EUROPE ! My reason for thus thinking is, that the European nations have mostly reached a state of old age, bordering on imbecility, or they are rapidly approaching it : naturally, then, will be easily and INDUBITABLY conquered by a people strong in youth and vigor, especially when this latter shall have attained its full strength and power I look on tbe future invasion of the eastern and western countries by the north as a periodical movement, ordained by Providen-e-J, who in like manner rugenerated the Roman nation by barbarian invasions. These emigrations of men from the North are as the reflux of the Nile, which, at certain periods, com^s to fertilise the impoverished lands Egypt by its deposit. 1 found Russia as a rivulet, 1 leave it a river; my successors will make it a large sea, destined to fertilise the impoverished lands of Europe, and its wafers will oveifl)W, in spite of opposing dams, erected by weak hands, if our descendants only know how to direct its course. This is the reason I leave them the. following instruction*. I give these countries to their watchfulness and care, as Moses Gave the Tables of the Law to the Jewish pee pie. " I Keep the Russian nation in a state of continual war, bo as to have the soldiers always under arms, and ready for action, excepting when the finances of thejState will not alow of it. Keep up the forces ; chose] the best moments for attack. By these means you will be rea'ly 'for war even in the time of peace. Thia for the intetert of the future aggrandisment of Russia. "11. Endeavour, by every possible means, to bring in, from the neighbouring •etvilised countries of Europe, Orle >rs in time of War, and learned men in times of peaoe, thus giving the Russian people the advantages en j »yed by othor count- ies, without allowing them to lose any of their ownlself-reproaoh. " 111. '.0n every occasion take a part in affairs and quarrels of Europe ; above all, in those of Germany, whioh country being the nearest, more immediately concerns us. " IV. Divide Poland, by exoiting civil discord there ; whin over the nobility by bribery ; cobrupt the diets, so as to have influence in the elections of kings ; get partizans into office — protect them ; bring to snjurn there the Muso&vite troops, untii suoh time as they can be permanently establiseed there. If the neighbouring powers start difficulties, appease them, for a time, by parcelling out the country, until you can retake IN DETALE ALL THAT HAS BERN coded. " V. Take as much as you -can fromSwrdbn ; and cause yourselves to be attacked by her. so as to have a spiretext FOR SCBDURING HER. To accom-pli-ih this sever Denmark from Sweden, and Sweden from Denmark, carefully keeping up their rivalries. "VI. Always choose as wives for the Russian princess, German princesses, so as to increase family alliances, to draw mutual interests closer, and by propo GATING OUR PRINCIPLES IN GERMANY, to enlist her in our cause. "VIL Englanl requires us for her j navy, and she being the only power that ' can aid in the development of ours, seek a commercial alliance with her, in preference to any other. Exchange our wood and the productions of our land for her gold, and establish, between ber merchants, her sailors, and others, a continual intercourse -i this will aid in per- j feeling the Russian fleet for navigation ! and commerce. "VIII. Extend your possessions to- . wards the north, along the Baltic; and | TOWARDS THE SOUTH -BY THE BLAOK I Sea. • I " IX. Approach as near as possible ' to Constantinople and its outskirts- , fie who shall reign there will be the true sovereign rf the world. Consequently, : : be continually at war — sometimes with j the Turks, sometimes with Persia. Es- j I tabliah dockyards on the Black sea ; g*t ' j entire possession of it by degrees, also c-f ; \ the Baltic Sea.; this being necessary ; TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PLAN. • ; Hasten tbe deeline of Persia ; penetrate | to the Persian Gulf ; re-establish, if pos* ' aible, the ancient commerce of the Levant, through Syria, and make ttoub way to . the Indies— they are tbe empoiium of ; the world. Once there, you can do with- \ out the gold of England. "X. Seek and carefully keep up an alliance with Austria ; , aequie.vc9, apparently, in her ideas of dominating ; over Germany ; at the same time clandes- [ tinely exciting against her the jealousy of ! the neighboring provinces. Endear or ' that the aid of Russia should be called : for by One or the other, so that by ex< r- \ rising a kind of guardianship over the': country, you prepare a way for governing i hereafter. "XL Give the House of Austria an j interest for joining in banishing the Turks i from Europe ; defraud her of her share of \ the booty, at tbe conquest of Constanti- : nople, either by raising a war for her with \ the ancient States of Europe, or by giving . her a portion which you will take back at , a future period. "XII. Attaoh to yourselves, and assemble around you, all the united Greeks, as also the disunited or schismatics which are scattered either in Hungary, Turkey, or the south of Poland. Make yourself their centre, their chief support, and lay tbe foundation for universal supremacy by establishing a kind of royalty or sacerdotal Government ; the Slavonic Greeks will be so many friends that you will have scattered amongst your enemies. "XIII. Sweden severed, Persia and Turkey conquered, Poland subjected, our • armies re-united, the Blaek and Baltic, Seas guarded by our vessels, you must • make pr >pcsitions separately and dis- ' creetly — first to the Court of Versailles, then to that of Vienna, to share with them the empire of the universe. "If one of them accept— and it cannot

be otherwise, so as to flatter their pride, and ambition— make use of it to crush the other ; then orush, in its turn, the surviving one, by engaging it in a deathstruggle, the issue of which cannot be doubtful, Russia possessing already all the east and a great part of Europe ! "XIV. If— which is rot likely— both refuse the propositions of Russia, you must manage to raise quarrels for them, and make them exhaust one another; then profiting by a decisive moment, Russia will bting down her assembled troops on Germany ; at the same time, two considerable fleets will set out— the one from the Sea of Azov, the oth r r.»m the port iif Archangel— loaded with Asiatic hordes, under the convoy of the armed fleets from the Black and the Baltic. Advancing by the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean, they will invade France on the one side, whilst Geiminy will already have been invaded on the other. These countries conquered, the rest of Europe will easily pass under the yoke, without striking a single blow. "XV. Thus Europe can and ought to be subdued. "Peter 1., 41 Autocrat of all the KuFsias."