the first person, expresses intention, expecta-|soon, we will make a poor crop"-" We will tion, or desire: as, I shall go to market to- always be happy to see you at our house.” morrow". "We shall all be dead in a few In all of which instances, your Petitioner years"-"We shall meet again, I hope."- humbly submits, he was clearly entitled to WILL, in the first person promises or threat- the places most unjustly occupied by WILL. ens: as "I will pay you next week"- I'll But your Petitioner's feelings were never knock you down, if you do so."--In the sec- so often agonized by manifold wrongs, as duond or third person, on the contrary, SHALL ring the session of the Reform Convention, promises, threatens, or commands: as "Be a in Richmond, one or two years ago. In that good child, and you shall have some cake"- luminous body, a gentleman from the West "Whoever violates the law, shall be punish- hardly ever had occasion for the first person ed"-" You shall do this work." But WILL, (singular or plural) of the future tense, but in the second and third persons, only pre- he used my aforesaid brother, in my place. dicts: as, "It will rain to-night" I'm You might constantly hear such sayings as, afraid he will die"-"They will be married "If we do not get on faster, we will be here next month"-"The debate will end to-mor-'six months longer"-" When will I be alrow." lowed to speak?"-"I will probably vote for Yet, although the proper places and offices the proposition"-" Power which I will never of your Petitioner and his said brother have be willing to confer"-"The provision still thus been defined for ages, so as to be known remains in the report, and we will still have and respected by all faithful speakers of the to act upon it." There is a corresponding misuse of Would for Should, which calls alike for redress. But your Petitioner trusts that if his wrongs be done away, those of his kinsman Should will English tongue, there has of late widely, This bad usage has now crept down from prevailed in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the mountains to Eastern Virginia, whose diif not in other Southern States, a practice of alect was once, more correct. Even the Exemploying WILL where it is your Petitioner's aminer newspaper, commonly remarkable for time-hallowed and exclusive right to be em-the purity of its English, lately had an ediployed. There is reason to believe that this torial upon the decease of an eminent comeencroachment on your Petitioner's rights orig- dian, in which the sentence, "But neither as inated in Scotland, or in the north-east of prince or peasant-quack or flunkey-man, Ireland; since the Scottish people, (even god, or devil-will we laugh at him any writers of note among them,) and the north- more.” When your Petitioner saw that, Caern Irish, have been observed thus to mis-, sar's exclamation "Et tu Brute!"--would employ WILL for SHALL. The great Doctor have burst from his lips, had the power of Chalmers has more than once been guilty of speech been given him. this outrage upon grammatical justice. In one of his eloquent Astronomical Discourses, he says, "I will not regret it, if I have familiarized the minds," &c. And in one of his sermons on The Depravity of Human Nature, he soon be ended. says, "I will not be able to convince you,"! The whole English world has laughed at &c. In Western Virginia, where that shrewd the Frenchman, who on falling out of a boat and thrifty race called Scotch-Irish" are exclaimed, in great terror, "Oh, I vil get mostly settled,-even about Lexington, the drowned! Nobody sall help me out!" But Cohee Athens-your Petitioner is well nigh those of whom your Petitioner has been comdiscarded altogether, for his will-ing, if not plaining, and who probably have laughed as ambitious brother. It is quite common there loudly as any at the Frenchman, are as much to hear ladies, lawyers, preachers, and pro- in the wrong as he was in the first half of his fessors, when they by no means intend to outcry-bating his v for w. bind themselves-when they do not mean to To you, sir, as Literary Censor of Virginia promise or threaten, but merely to signify a and the South, your Petitioner hopefully appresent expectation or intention-say "Per-peals for protection against any further repehaps I will see you at church to-morrow". tition of the wrongs herein set forth. He "I'm afraid I'll be sick"-"If it don't rain proposes that you require of all offenders in in like manner for another month, the prose paraphrase thereof which follows the verses. And your Petitioner will ever pray, &c. SHALL. SAPPHO'S ODE TO VENUS. A LITERAL RENDERING. Daughter of Love! the foam-born-the immortal- Nor sorrows rend my breast. But hither come as erst: my low-breathed yearning DESTINY OF RUSSIA. the premises to get by heart and repeat every morning at breakfast, for one month, the four lines of homely verse above quoted: and if any of them afterwards violate the rule thereIt is proposed, in the following pages, briefly in laid down, oblige him to learn and repeat to set forth what seems the probable destiny of the Russian empire, as it may be gathered from the experience of the past and the march of present events. If to many, the conclusions at which we shall arrive seem startling and improbable, to the eye of the philosophic peruser of history and the critical observer of the present, they will appear but too evident. The annals of mankind, from the flood to the establishment of empire in the wilds of the New World, have never presented such a spectacle of gigantic, yet symmetrical greatness as that now exhibited by Russia. No other nation which has yet played a part on the great stage of time, has possessed proportions so colossal, a foundation so deep, so solid and so lasting, or a spirit of conquest so unsatiated and untiring in its march. Rome, in the palmiest hours of the old republic, when every day was heralded in by some new addition to its wide, extended dominion, never moved in the path of acquisition with a more steady and unswerving pace than has Russia for the last two hundred years. It is the duty of the statesman and the historian, reasoning from the past and present, to trace out the destiny of nations: we do not arrogate to ourselves such titles as these, or claim that a larger portion of the prophet's ken has been given to us than to others; but even the humblest individual may read when the scroll is laid before him-may obtain a glimpse of the future when its portals are so widely opened. Since the beginning, the condition of the world has never presented such a field for speculation, nor has the veil of the future been so lifted up to the view of mortals, as now. Coming events cast their shadows before," and the mighty destiny of the Russian empire is foreshadowed in the miserable blindness and lifeless energy which weigh like a mildew upon the heart of Western Europe. The prophecy of Napoleon is about to be fulfilled: from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Northern Ocean, Europe must soon fall under the Sclavonian sway, and that, too, possibly, before the sod covers the remains of men now living. It is remarked by Lieutenant Lynch, that the spirit of the present Sul Thy chariot thou didst yoke, and on quick pinions And thou, oh, blesséd one! with smiling gladness And what I craved to soothe my mind's distraction,- 'For if he flies, my speed shall overreach him, Come thus again!-and let corroding passion And be my constant stay. M. J. 66 VOL. XIX-6 tan is saddened by gloomy forebodings of his and is destined, in all human probability, to own and his country's fate; and well may destroy, or gather to itself, all the governthis be so; the embrace of the Northern ments of the Old World. Nor does it require Bear is already closing round him, and the Mos- any gift of prescience, or any supernatural lem rule and the Moslem faith will soon per- wisdom, to discover this, the foreshadowed ish altogether beneath the Muscovite sword. destiny of Russia in the coming future. The When the Roman empire in the West, en- scroll is spread out, and "he who runs may ervated by luxury and prosperity, was finally read;" and the infatuated blindness which crushed towards the close of the fifth century, veils the eyes of European statesmen is by the vast hordes of barbarians who poured wholly unaccountable, unless it be, indeed, down in countless masses from their North- that Providence has so ordered it for the more ern hives, the world seemed enveloped in a speedy accomplishment of its own decree. weight of barbarism from which it would While the Muscovites have been laying the never be able to emerge. But the barbari- foundations of their empire, and pursuing a ans, separating into various nations, embraced gradual but steady path to greatness, the the manners, customs and laws of the con- other nations of Europe, embracing at its fall quered, and civilization once more began to the manners and luxuries of Rome, have raise its head from the ruins of the Roman risen far more rapidly; have run, some of world. What are now the nations of Europe them, splendid careers; have reached the were then formed; and the course of civili- weakness and the tottering of old age; and zation from that time forward has been one are now standing on the brink of revolution of steady advance. At the time when the and of ruin. earth was shaking under the crash of the fall- One great, and perhaps the chief cause of ing empire, there existed, deeply immersed the greatness which has been reached by in the Northern and Eastern wilds of Eu- the Russian empire, of its substantiality, and rope, a savage and hardy tribe of barbarians of its still continued increase, is the long ages who had never crossed the confines of Rome; which were occupied in firmly establishing and whose very existence was unknown, and consolidating the foundation upon which until they were accidentally encountered by its colossal fabric has been reared. No nathe Huns in their great migration from Asia to tion can exist long, unless it has a solid and the banks of the Danube. These barbarians cemented foundation. It is an eternal law were the Russians. This encountering of of nature that all things which continue for them by the Huns is the only notice we have any great length of time, must be slow and of them through history for many ages, save gradual in their growth. If we but look now and then a casual mention of the name, around us, every object which meets our unconnected with events. For centuries they gaze adds but another proof that nature has continued in comparative barbarism; grow no law more fixed and unalterable than this: ing up unnoticed, scarcely ever heard of, and if we look at the vegetable kingdom, we find taking no part in the great events which were that the giant oak of the forest often grows ever agitating the nations of Western Europe; for ages, and continues centuries before deuntil near the close of the seventeenth cen- cay has finally sapped its roots; while the tury, when, at length, the great genius of mushroom, which springs up in a single night, Peter broke like a rising sun over the night is quickly destroyed in the heat of the mornof semi-barbarism, and taught the world the ing sun and so it is with nations. existence of an infant, but mighty empire. survey the history of the world, it will be Piercing at a glance the destiny which fate seen that the existence of every nation has had marked out for his country, he gathered been in exact proportion to the time and toil up its huge proportions, and hurled at once taken in laying the basis of its fabric—that its vast bulk into the scale of civilization. those which have advanced with slow and Since then the course of Russia has been one steady steps, have enjoyed the longest exof rapid and almost unparalleled progress; istence and exerted the most controlling inand, at the present moment, it is the most fluence over the affairs of men; whilst on powerful nation on the surface of the globe, the other hand, those which have sprung up, If we as it were, like the mushroom, how great | fleeting career, then perished as they came. soever their momentary power might be, Alexander, within the short space of his own have had but a fleeting and ephemeral ex- life, conquered and matured a mighty emistence, and have gone down as suddenly as pire, but ten years after his death that emthey rose. Whether we survey the ancient pire was a heap of ruins. Immense empires or the modern world, the same invariable were reared by both Timour and Attila; yet workings of this law are exhibited. The their growth had been too sudden, and at Assyrian empire, so far as we are able to the death of each, the whole evanescent fabglean from the mists and obscurity of such ric melted away. Descending from ancient high antiquity, rose gradually from the del- to modern times,* we find the same proporuge, and occupied ages in reaching the final tionate period of existence. The long periacme of its glory under the reign of Semi- od that France has been a kingdom is the ramis; and it enjoyed an existence in pro- consequence of the time which was consumportion to the moderation of its growth, even ed in its foundation while Gaul remained a despite of all the fiery and mercurial pas- province of Rome: and the French Govern sions which, proverbially, have ever swayed ment may continue until hid under the loomthe inhabitants of the oriental world. Egypt ing shadow of Russian greatness. All know and Rome furnish striking examples. Rome how gradual, yet steady and ceaseless has owed the long period of its history, from its been the progress of the British empire. first appearance as a little village on the banks Nineteen centuries have rolled away since of the Tiber, to the burial of its last relic in Julius Cæsar first landed upon its shores, yet the final seige of Constantinople-to the time, it did not attain the climax of its power until labor and perseverance which was taken to it became involved in the stormy scenes establish, perfect and unite its government which closed the last and ushered in the before it aspired to the dominion of nations: present century; and although from a mulfor it will be remembered, that not until the titude of concurrent causes, the last hour of First Punic War, several centuries after its British dominion is rapidly approaching, as foundation, did Rome emerge from the the- yet it is still great and powerful. But it has atre of Italy. The Chinese empire is per- been reserved for the present century, to haps the longest lived, of which history gives show forth to the world the most terrible exus any record; and it is true we have no ac- ample-the most convincing proof of the incurate means of knowing the time it did oc- stability of all power, howsoever great, if not cupy in acquiring its present stature, but if built upon a deep and time-cemented founwe may judge from the character of its peo- dation. Not a half century has yet passed ple, its growth must have been slow and by since the superhuman intellect of Napogradual in the extreme; and as a conse- leon erected on the ruins and carnage of the quence, the Chinese historians trace a regu- Revolution, one of the most magnificent and lar record of their existence, as a nation, so gigantic empires that has stamped the page far back, as to raise in the skeptical mind a of history. In the year 1804, Napoleon was doubt of the Mosaic history of the creation.* crowned emperor of the French, and swayed But the proud republics that once chequered a sceptre that held Europe under its influthe whole surface of Greece, where are they? ence: twelve years from that day not a ves◄ Their existence was brief as their rise was tige of that mighty power was left; and he, rapid! They were erected, as it were, in a the master intellect of his race, was a chained single day; and the rising of the morrow's prisoner on a lone, desolate and island rock. sun looked down upon their ashes! Athens The power of Napoleon was monstrous, perswept like a brilliant meteor across the sky, haps exceeding that which has ever been and dazzled the earth with her splendor and wielded by man; but in its formation, time glory; yet but a little more than two centuries will embrace her rise, reign and fall. So it was with all the Grecian States; they sprung at once to maturity, ran a bright, but * Vide Confucius and others. *Timour and Attila can harely be called either modern or aucient, but a link between. We are not alone in this opinion. British historians now acknowledge the approaching downfall of the eu pire. Vide Alison, Hist. Eu, ch. xli, was not given for its roots to spread, and it dence as the instrument to prepare Europe quickly consumed away, leaving scarce a for the Russian dominion. Almost every monument to mark where it once had been. other power sunk mildewed and crushed beIt does not require further illustration to prove fore this chilling curse-this bitterest vial, the unfailing presence of this law of nature. Almighty wrath has ever poured out upon a The history of every nation, great or small, guilty and crime-ridden world. None of since the exodus of Adam and Eve from the those nations have or will recover from the Garden, will but serve to add proof upon terrible blows inflicted upon their very vitals proof to what the most casual glance at the by this tremendous upturning of the human world around will abundantly show-that the passions. This Revolution was the triumph stability of all earthly things is in exact pro- of faction, anarchy and fanaticism, over govportion as their growth has been slow, regu- ernment, law and order: it was the upheavlar and natural. In reviewing the history of ing of the wildest passions of human nature, Russia, we will find, as has already been said, bursting into a thousand fragments the social that no preceding nation has ever so com- compact which had bound Europe for ages: pletely conformed to the requirements of this withering and destructive has been its course; law-that no nation has ever reared the fab- and that course is not yet finished. The ric of its greatness upon a foundation so seeds of restlessness and discord were deeply deep, so solid, and so lasting. Its path to sown in a fertile soil by the Revolutionary dominion has been steady and regular, yet armies in their deadly march over the contiuninterrupted. Beginning its march with nent: those seeds have sprung up with a slow and toilsome steps, its pace has been fearful rapidity, and are now hurrying many gradually accelerating, but never for one mo- a time-honored government to its grave. The ment has paused. The tide of advance at day is not far distant when grim anarchy, first was scarcely perceptible, yet it swept with all its gloomy train of attendant evils, onward, and during the last two hundred will break like a volcanic eruption over Euyears the rapidity of its progress has had few rope, spreading desolation and ruin around, parallels in history. Even its very defects and leaving all that sisterhood of nations, and apparent misfortunes, have been of even more than now, weak, unresisting and greater benefit than victory to others. So- powerless at the feet of the Czar, who waits bieski burned Moscow more than five hun- but that appointed moment to make his last dred years ago; but the Russian confines and eagle swoop. The opinions promulged now embrace almost the whole territory over by M. Kossuth during his late visit to this which Sobieski held sway. Charles XII. de- country, were not altogether so wild and unstroyed Peter's army of eighty thousand men founded as many supposed them. That the on the field of Nerva; but he taught the institutions of most of the countries of Euhalf-civilized Czar the art of war, and poured rope are resting upon a shaking and rotten out a fearful retribution on the plains of Pul- foundation, there can be no doubt: and the towa. Moscow has again been burnt, by a day is nearer than may be dreamed of, when greater than Sobieski; yet Napoleon and his the whole will be torn and shattered by a empire have passed like a comet away, and great revolutionary outburst. The train is Russia remains far mightier than it was be- already laid-the pile erected; it wants but fore the star of Austerlitz arose. Under the match to ignite the whole, and there will Peter the Great, the Russian empire made be a funereal pyre of nations. But there is its first grand entree upon the stage of Eu- little reason to believe that the grand result rope; and from that time until the breaking will be, as Kossuth and his followers seem out of the French Revolution, bore a part in wildly to hope, in the establishment of unialmost every considerable event of the great versal republicanism. When the storm does That Revolution at last broke forth; come, every monarchy of Europe will withand with the desolation of a tornado raged out doubt be ruined; but they will all be over Europe; and while it gave irremediable gathered and consolidated finally under the wounds to every other nation on the conti- more steady, more quiet, and for that reason, nent, seems to have been destined by Provi- perhaps, the more happy rule of Russian arena. |