July 1762. Anecdotes of the fucceffion in the Ruffian empire. revailed upon your Highness to think me langerous, it must be from the employnents that I hold, and which therefore I his moment refign; referving only that which I value more than them all, the onour of being the Emperor's faithful ubject, and your devoted fervant." This lifarmed his antagonist: the Grand Duchefs would go no farther: on the contray, the granted Count Munich a large enfion, and leave to come to court whenever he thought fit, where he was tlways graciously received. The high chancellor had formed new chemes, of which fome of the principal obility gave the Princefs Elifabeth noice, and advifed her to be upon her quard. She was principally guided by he Counsellor Befucheff, and Mr Letock, an Hanoverian furgeon, and her domeftic, who, with infinite fecrecy and address, managed an affair that would have coft them all their lives if the court ad fo much as fufpected them, and, confidering the experience and penetration of Count Ofterman, it was next to a niracle that it was not fufpected. However, when all their intrigues were brought to a point, the Princess Elifabeth, fhocked at the apprehenfions of the blood that must be fpilt, appeared fluctuating and uneafy. It is faid that Leftock, in order to filence her apprehenfions, ketched with his pencil, upon a fheet of paper, the figure of the Princefs veiled between two grenadiers, and his own figure ftretched upon a crofs, with an executioner ready to break his limbs, with a bar lifted up with both hands. The Princefs, cafting her eye upon the figure, faid, "Leftock, this is horrid."- "True, · Madam," (returned he), "but it is only on paper; to-morrow it will be in reality." The Princefs, refuming her countenance, faid, "I am at your difpofal; the daughter of Peter will regain her rights, or perifh in the attempt." In the evening of Dec. 5. 1741, there were great commotions in the capital: the regiments of Preobrazinski, Simoaufki, and Dagermanlewski seized at nce all the avenues to the palace: the eft of the guards had their pofts aligned in different parts of the city. Strong detachments furrounded the chancery, and fmaller detachments were placed at the palace of every foreign minifter. At twelve o'clock at night, the Princefs EHabeth left her palace, where her friends were affembled in council, Atepped into 347 her fledge, preceded by Leftock, the Counsellor Beftucheff getting up behind, though fome fay the Chamberlain Woronzof, and went directly to the Preo. brazinski guards, at the head of whom,. with a sword drawn in her hand, the entered the Imperial palace, without any refiftance, except in the apartment where the young Emperor was in his cradle, and where, if fame fays true, the officer upon guard was killed. [iii. 561.] Thus was this great revolution brought about almost without blood/hed, and with the general acclamations of perfons of all ranks, who, on the 6th of December, crouded all the forenoon to kifs the new Emprefs's hand, and to with her joy. Count Ofterinan and Count Munich were both condemned, with many others: but the Emprefs would not fuffer them to be executed; and that clemency, which was the characteristic of the first moments of her reign, continued fo to the laft mo-. ments of her life. The Duke of Courland was recalled from Siberia, and still furvives in a retreat given him by the Emprefs, with a competent allowance. [265.] A few little circumstances remain yet. to be remembered. The time was determined by the intelligence that Bestucheff had received, that the Counts Ofterman and Munich were to be reconciled the very day the Empress Elifabeth was pro.. claimed, which would have rendered their defign abortive. Leftock, while the council was held in the Princefs's pa lace, went to spend the evening at a merchant's house, which deceived those who had an eye upon him, and there he played at cards with his ufual ease and vivacity till the clock ftruck eleven; and then returned to his miftrefs, in order to give the laft directions for the executing this enterprise. Amongst those who came to compliment the Czarina on the day of her accellion, there was a Ruffian gentleman who paffed in that country for a wit, and might perhaps be thought to deferve that title in any other. He killed the Emprefs's. hand; and after making a very low o beifance, pauled a little, and then faid, "Madam, the fun that fetting faw your a fuffering fubject, though with the rights of fovereignty, beheld you when he rofe refplendent as himfelf, and mistress of half the globe that he illumines. Other victors, Madam, have been indebted to their fleets and armies; your Imperial Majesty Majesty atchieved this great conqueft by your prefence and your virtues." The Empress ELISABETH PETROWNA, who began her reign Dec. 6. 1741, and who deceased Dec. 25. 1761, left the fucceflion to his prefent Imperial Majefty, PETER III. the fon of her elder fifter Anne Duchefs of Holftein, who was born Feb. 21. 1728, declared her prefumptive heir of the Ruffian Empire, Nov. 18. 1742, Tiv. 573.1, efpoufed Catherine Alexiowna, daughter of the Prince of Anhalt Zerbft, Sept. 1. 1745 [vii. 429.], by whom he has Paul Petrowitz, Great Prince of Ruffia, born Oct. 1. 1754 [xvi. 499.], and the Princess Anna Petrowna, born Dec. 21. 1757. [xx. 50.] These genealogical remarks comprehend a fuccinct detail of the fucceffion in this great empire for the space of near 150 years; and exhibit to the reader's view, in a narrow compass, so as to be eafily apprehended, and as easily retained, a line of princes, who make a great figure in history, and with whom of late years other fovereign houfes are connected; which was one of the points of the Great Peter's policy; who faw, and refolved to extinguish, the ill confequence that attended the custom of his ancestors, who ufually married one of their own fubjects; and thereby raised up a new family, feldom very confiderable, to high titles, great honours, and extenfive power; which being naturally attended by envy and jealoufy, was the fource of perpetual intrigues, and a restless competition of factions. They are properly ftyled anecdotes, as being collected with much pain and indufry, from a great variety of pieces, not eafily to be met with, and will be found extremely useful in explaining most of the hiftories which we have of that country, which are very defective, more especially in regard to dates. They will likewise throw a light upon all the fubfequent accounts we may receive from that country, which could not be fupplied any other way, and for the fupplying which they were principally collected, The reader may also please to observe, that though the ancient fovereignties were without limits, yet this was not the cafe with respect to the Imperial family of Romanow, who were bound by a capitulation; and, though the fecond prince of that houfe endeavoured to render himself abfolute, chiefly by inftituting his private chancery, where every thing that regard ed the Imperial authority was decided by commiffioners of his own appointing; yet this has been annihilated by the prefent fovereign, who by his own choice, is become the monarch of a free people. L. Ch. Account of the Cherokees, by Lt-Gen. 0. glethorpe. ON the back of Georgia and Carolina are three confiderable nations, called the Cherokees, Chickafaws, Creeks, or Ufchefees. The Cherokees inhabit among the mountains, from whence the river Savanna defcends. Thefe Indians are not the most warlike, nor of the larger ftature; but are more accustomed to labour, and live upon corn, than to procure their fuftenance by hunting. They have about 5000 warriors or hunters; for the Indian nations are divided into two kinds of men: Those who they call warriors, or hunters, are like the ancient gentlemen in Europe, whose fingle profeffion was arms and chace. Thefe Indians look upon the end of life to be living happily. For this purpose their whole cuftoms are calculated to prevent avarice, which they say imbitters life; and nothing is a feverer reflection among them, than to fay that a man loves his own. To prevent the rife and propagation of fuch a vice, they, upon the death of any Indian, burn all that belongs to the deceased, that there may be no temptation for the parent to hoard up a fuperfluity of arms and domeftic conveniences, their chief treasures, for his children. They strengthen this cuftom by a fuperftition, that it is agreeable to the fouls of the deceased to burn all they leave, and that afflictions follow them who use any of their goods. They cultivate no more land than is neceffary for their plentiful fubfiftence, and hofpitality to ftrangers. They ufe neither horfes nor ploughs in agriculture; but instead of ploughing or digging, hoe their fields by common labour. The reft of the year they spend in hunting; and when they are injured by any other nation, as fuppofing one of their own nation to be killed, they fend to demand fatisfaction; but if this is refused, they make reprisals upon the first they can take of the nation that committed the injury. Thus their wars begin, which are very frequent, and carried on with great rage, there not being any people in the world braver, or more dextrous in the use of their arms and manner of fighting among woods and mountains, none more patient of labour, or fwifter of foot. A view of the prefent POLITICAL DISPUTES continued. ` [291.] The From the BRITON, No 2. continued. [291.] To ask, Were not thefe claims declared by France to be the feed of a new war? Ga is a question truly ridiculous. Every difpute may be inflamed into a war. late m-r has fhewn, that the most trivial difputes may be blown up into a dangerous and expenfive war, by the turbulence and ambition of either party. But is it for the intereft or honour of any nation to cherish thofe feeds into a war, which may be deftroyed or removed by pacific intercourfe and friendly mediation? To fay it was impoffible to make a good peace by granting those claims, is taking for granted, that no peace could be made but by admitting those claims; a conclufion that has no relation to the premiffes. The court of Spain itself had pointed out a healing expedient, which might have been made the bafis of a folid and lasting pacification. "Withdraw your fettlers from the Rio Tinto," (fays the Spanish ministry)," and his Catholic Majesty promifes, on the word of a king, that the English fhall be admitted to the privilege of logwood cutting on the coaft of New Spain. What was this, but asking us to make fome flight reparation to the honour of his crown, for having invaded and occupied his territories in the time of profound peace; and declaring he would confirm that right or privilege which hath been the main fource of all our late contefts with the Spanish monarchy? Had this material point been fettled, the other, relating to the fishery, might, and undoubtedly would have remained undetermined, as it has been for a great length of time, and as much neglected as the obfolete claim of his Britannic Majefty to the crown and dominions of France. Here then is a plain and easy way to feeure ourselves from the bad confequences of those claims, without any exertion of our ftrength, which indeed we could not have exerted folely on account of those claims, confiftent with any found maxim of policy, or with any law divine or human. Of this paper, the fubfequent MONITOR takes no notice, but gives an acCount of the calamities into which the French nation is brought by the afcendance which Madam Pompadour, the King's mistress, has gained over his will. As there is not even the most remote refemblance between Yompadour and any VOL. XXIV. person in this kingdom; and as her character and influence are generally known; it will not be neceffary to give any extracts from this number. The NORTH BRITON in No 2. congratulates his dear countrymen upon a Scotfman's being at the head of the Englifh treasury. This, fays he, is a post which for himself, and is of the first importance the prime minifter has almost always kept in this country. It must ever be fo in time of war, and above all of this wideextended, but glorious war, when nearly the fum of twenty millions will be this year raised on the fubject; though, I thank Heaven, but a fortieth part of it will be paid by us; and yet our thare of the legislature is, much to our advantage, fettled at about a thirteenth. The Earl of Bute has no hereditary right to a feat in parliament, nor is he elected by the people: no; he is chofen by the opulent and independent nobility of Scotland; to whom it must be a fatisfaction to fee the object of their choice thus honoured, trufted, and rewarded. Our ancient kingdom therefore cannot but be fatisfied, and by every tie of gratitude, as well as duty, muft now be fincerely attached to the government; which can have no fears from us for the future, in cafe of any rebellion's fpringing up in any other country; which to me feems highly improbable. I have heard the wisdom of this meafure decried by fhallow politicians, because two great rebellions from Scotland have within a few years difturbed the tranquillity of this ifland, and fhook the throne of two of the mildest and best fovereigns that ever governed a happy people. Nothing can be more weak or frivolous than this objection. Let us only confider what has before happened there; and I chufe to inftance in the lat ter end of Q. Anne's reign, because so many of our modern writers are drawing our attention to that period: upon what grounds, I know not; for I find no fimilitude; as it is impoffible we can now be fuing for peace in the most abject and humiliating manner after fuch amazing fuccelles. In May 1712 each of the heads of the highland clans received 3601. Ster ling as a complete year's payment of the bounty money her Majesty was pleased to below upon theme there were the words 3 A of could never equal. I cannot but fay, that at that time the peculiar baseness and perfidy of my countrymen ftruck me: for while the English were fo gallantly fighting for the liberties of Europe, and indeed of mankind, they were called back to deal out halters and gibbets to their fellow-fubjects, who were forging chains for both; and, worse than the infamous Cappadocians of old, not only refufed the liberty they might enjoy themselves, but endeavoured to entail their vaffalage and flavery on the whole island. The BRITON, No 3. observes, that the Monitor has found a coadjutor in the North Briton, and anfwers the firft number of that paper to the following effect. The North Briton denies, that the Monitor of May 22. even fquinted at the character of his f-n; and affirms, there is no mention of Tiberiùs, except in the motto from Tacitus. But if a man was to be tried for a libel against the government, and should plead in his own defence, that the government was not mentioned, excepting only in one line, would not the court laugh at the folly, and be aftonished at the effrontery of the culprit? Will not the unprejudiced public be affected in the fame manner, by the declaration of this writer, when he affirms, that a minifter may, in all points, refemble Sejanus, and yet the fovereign may be a Trajan or a Titus? in other words, the minister may be a corruptor, an oppreffor, a poifoner, an affadin, and the prince who employs this minifter, remain one of the best of kings that ever fat on any throne. of the receipt. Soon after they figned an address to the Queen, which was carried to London by Allan Cameron, brother to Lochiel, and prefented to her Majefty, Allan being introduced by the Lord Treasurer Oxford. In the addrefs are thefe words: "Happy! if after your Majefty's late demife, to put a period to our inteftine divifions, the hereditary right and parliamentary fanction could poffibly meet in the perfon of a lineal fuc ceffor." Then at the accellion of the prefent illuftrious family, the fame high land chiefs wrote a letter to the Earl of Mar, "intreating him to affure the government, in their names, and in that of the reft of the clans, of their loyalty to his facred Majefty King George; and that as they were always ready to follow his directions in ferving Queen Anne, fo they will now be equally forward to concur with his Lordfhip in faithfully ferving King George." The Earl of Mar too had wrote the warmest letter of loyalty to his Majefty's great-grandfather, and had taken the oaths of allegiance and abjuration: yet in a few months, even before there could be the pretence of a single grievance, all thefe infamous wretches went into open rebellion. Had the 3601. a-year bounty-money been continued to them, and had the Earl of Mar remained fecretary of state for Scotland, as he was at the death of Q. Anne, fome millions, which the extinguishing that rebellion coft, had probably been faved to this country. I therefore moft fincerely hope, that as we have now a Scotch nobleman at the head of the treasury, his Lordship will confiderit as the trueft economy, to give fome proper penfions to his countrymen the highland chiefs, which may fave England the fevere and expenfive operation of quelling another infurrection, and bleeding again a country, which, I lament, is fo much exhaufted by former rebellions, and the prefent general defertion of her fons and daughters. If this is done, I make no doubt they will as implicitly follow the Earl of Bute as they did the Earl of Mar. I ne ver fhall be brought to believe, that rebellion is natural to any part of Scotland, as the plague is faid to be to Egypt; but certainly in fome parts this wicked fpirit has been kept up with much art; and the late moft unnatural rebellion was care fully nurfed by Scotfmen, till it became the most accurfed fiend we ever faw, which all the united plagues of Egypt July 1762. A view of the prefent political difputes. ave caufe to wonder, not that the fubidy has cealed, but that it was ever ranted; and the people of G. Britain would have reafon to rejoice, in having miniftry endued with honefty and refoution to difengage their necks from fuch vile fubjection. But I am challenged by this umbra of the Monitor, to name the fuccefs which hath attended the measures of the prefent administration.They have broken the fhackles of this difhonourable G-n connection, and in that fingle article faved near a million annually to the nation; they have contributed in a great measure to deliver that boafted ally from the moft formidable of all his enemies; and pre vented a new war from breaking out in the North. They have reinforced Sir Charles Saunders fo powerfully, as to enable him to maintain the empire of the Mediterranean; to annihilate the commerce and navigation of the enemy in that fea, to infult the coafts, and to block up the harbours of France and Spain: they have, with uncommon diligence and dispatch, equipped and forwarded a gallant expedition, by which the important conqueft of Martinico, Granada, and all the neutral islands in the Weft In dies, hath been atchieved. They have, at the fame time, fent forth another powerful armament against the chief fet tlements of Spain in that part of the world; and in all probability, by this time, the object of their enterprife is accomplished. With respect to underhand offers made to the court of Vienna, we fhall look upon them as another oblique fhaft of malice, until the author thinks proper to be more particular in his information. But if it fhould appear in the iflue, that thofe underhand offers were no more than fair and honourable propofals, to terminate, by a juft and equitable peace, a war which hath been attended with fuch mifery and defolation; a war kindled by ambition and rapacity, fomented by a B-hm-r in fervile compliance with the prejudices and predilection of a weak f-n, and maintained by the blood and treasure of the B-fh nation; the honeft part of that nation in particular, and of mankind in general, will think themfelves obliged to the m-y for taking teps fo fuitable to the diftreffed circumftances of their country; and fo conform able to the interefts of religion and humanity. The national sting in the tail of his ef 351 fay, relating to penfioned Scotchmen, ist a most unfortunate farcaim for the author.. His patron will not thank him for touch-ing upon this ftring: it is like talking of halters in the houfe of a man whole fa ther was hanged A penfion is a thing not to be joked with; it is a temptation to which, in all probability, our author's, virtue will not be exposed: but if it fhould, we prefume he would follow the example of his great archetype, that phoenix of minifters, that mirror of dif interefted patriotilm.-Having fet him up as a pattern of all earthly perfections, he would moreover be apt to imitate him in point of gratitude, in receiving the bounty, and then kicking his heels in the face of his benefactor. The NORTH BRITON, N° 3. contains a reply to the preceding paper. I defired the Briton, fays he, to name any inflance of vigour and fuccefs which had attended the prefent adminiftration; and he tells me of the important conqueft of Martinico, Granada, and the neutral islands in the West Indies. He might have mentioned Louisburg, or Pondicherry, with as much propriety; and the prefent adminiftration are rather two knowing to lay any ferious claim to the merit of either, As to the prefent expedition, the full merit of that cannot yet be ascertained to the public. Mr Pitt's legacy to the prefent miniftry, of a collected and powerful mafs of force in the Weft Indies, now remaining at their difpofal in consequence of the reduction of Martinique, may caute the new expedition to be adequate in force to the important object. If there fore the conquerors of that ifland have not, in confequence of delay, the featon to combat with, (the only enemy they cannot vanquifh), a decifive blow may ftill be ftruck to the heart of Spain, and a glorious conclufion made to this noft fuccessful war. In the mean time, let the lovers of their country cease to adopt that unmanly despair, which has been to induftriously inculcated in order to justify the procuring an accommodation on any terms. That defpair counteracts the purpofe, and ferves only, by encouraging the enemy, to place the bleflings of peace at a ftill greater diftance. The Briton in his first paper broached a fhameful calumny against his fovereign, of a fimilitude to Tiberius. In that of laft Saturday, he attacks the memory of our late most excellent prince with equal 3A 2 virulence. |