sts would naturally dictate, the Emperor could
never stir but with their permission. France seems, however, to have
taken the worst of all parties, that is, none at all. She folds her
arms, lets the two empires go to work to cut up Turkey as they can, and
holds Prussia aloof, neither as a friend nor foe. This is withdrawing
her opposition from the two empires, without the benefit of any
condition whatever. In the meantime, England has clearly overreached
herself. She excited the war between the Russians and Turks, in hopes
that France, still supporting the Turks, would be embarrassed with the
two empires. She did not foresee the event which has taken place, of
France abandoning the Turks, and that which may take place, of her
union with the two empires. She allied herself with Holland, but cannot
obtain the alliance of Prussia. This latter power would be very glad to
close again the breach with France, and, therefore, while there remains
an opening for this, holds off from England, whose fleets could not
enter into Silesia, to protect that from the Emperor. Thus, you see,
that the old system is unhinged, and no new one hung in its place.
Probabilities are rather in favor of a connection between the two
empires, France and Spain. Several symptoms show themselves, of
friendly dispositions between Russia and France, unfriendly ones
between Russia and England, and such as are barely short of hostility
between England and France. But into real hostilities, this country
would with difficulty be drawn. Her finances are too deranged, her
internal union too much dissolved, to hazard a war. The nation is
pressing on fast to a fixed constitution. Such a revolution in the
public opinion has taken place, that the crown already feels its powers
bounded, and is obliged, by its measures, to acknowledge limits. A
States General will be called at some epoch not distant; they will
probably establish a civil list, and leave the government to temporary
provisions of money, so as to render frequent assemblies of the
national representative necessary. How that representative will be
organized is yet uncertain. Among a thousand projects, the best seems
to me, that of dividing them into two Houses, of Commons and Nobles;
the Commons to be chosen by the Provincial Assemblies, who are chosen
themselves by the people, and the Nobles by the body of Noblesse, as in
Scotland. But there is no reason to conjecture that this is the
particular scheme whic