EASTERN EUROPE AND THE EMPEROR NICHOLAS.

TO judge from The White Slave and the work before us, (The Revela- tions of Russia we have never seen,) the author is likely to be a diplomatist, too imaginative for his trade. He appears to have some knowledge of men and things in the line of life where ambassadors and their followers "cultivate a connexion" : he is familiar, if not with the original literature of diplomacy, with the books that diplomatists, especially foreign diplomatists, write, as well as with the sort of political philosophy in which they shine; and he has a very fluent, rotund, and even powerful state-paper style. But his views are too startling, his speculations too vast, to satisfy "This" or any other " Office" ; whilst his predictions of "change" must be "perplexing to monarchs," let alone foreign minis- ters. With this exaltation of mind, there would, we dare to say, be something of inconsistency in his different despatches were they all read together, and certainly a strong leaning to a side, as well as a remarkable disposition to theorize and judge of tverything by the colour of his own spectacles. He violates from first to last the impressive warning of M. de Talleyrand to young diplomatists—" Above all, Sir, let us have no zeal."

The object of Eastern Europe and the Emperor Nicholas is to lay bare the atrocious tyranny of the Autocrat, and to unfold the author's views of the national, social, and intellectual characteristics of Eastern Europe, together with the political prospects of the rather extensive regions he indicates by that term. The book and the theories in it are distin- guished by all the peculiarities which we mentioned as characterizing the author's mind : everything, therefore, which he states is to be received with caution, however plausible it may appear from our actual ignorance of the subjects in question, or the evidence on which he declares the facts to be supported. But it is well to have had the book ; because if there is any truth in the predictions grounded on the theory, by preventing wonder it may prevent rash conduct should they ever come to pass. The outline of the view is something like this.

' The Sclavonic people, embracing the Finns, Russians proper and Cos- sack, the Poles, the Hungarians, and the provinces now or lately tributary to Turkey—as Servia, Wallachia, Moldavia—are in number from eighty to a hundred millions. This vast population is held in captivity or sub- jection by about thirty-five millions of Germans, (or rather by about fourteen millions, forming the states of Austria and Prussia,) and by the house of Romanoffi—the Russian Imperial family being now essentially German, whatever they may originally have been ; whilst many of its employes are of that nation, and the whole system of its government. The manner in which so few, and those not fashioned by nature to be the lords of human kind, has been able to domineer over so many, is owing to the ignorance of the Sclavonie race, and the wide prevalence of slavery amongst them ; 45 out of every 63 persons being serfs, or rather slaves; whilst in Moscovy 34 are slaves in every 36. Strictly speaking, how- ever, ignorance, and perhaps blood, is at the bottom of it all ; for a main prop of the Russian Government is the awe with which the serfs regard the Emperor,—looking upon him as a superior being over their lords, and a protecting power against them; whilst the gallant nobility of Poland are shown by modern researches to have been a foreign race, and pro- bably the Hungarian nobles are of the same caste. But this state of things is passing away. The Polish nation is, of course, ripe for revolt, whenever an opportunity offers ; the tyrannies of Nicholas, so far from having subdued them, only inflaming them more. In Hungary, educe- lion and improvement are advancing ; the Sclavonic provinces tributary to Turkey are moving slowly in the same direction; and, though owing their present freedom in part to the Russian Government, yet they are now as hostile to it as the rest of their brethren, in consequence of ob- serving its oppressions. In Russia also, opinion is on the move. The nobility, in the style of this author, are " profoundly inimical " to the Government, that is, to the Imperial power : but if his character of them in other places is at all correct, their enmity is of little consequence to any one whom they have not "under their thumb." The masses, that is the 34 out of the 36 of the population, are the great support of the Imperial family. The private slaves could not be stimulated to rise against their Tsar ; and if they could, the nobility dare not attempt it, as they would be the first victims, and in a worse style than that of the Jacquerie,—as is constantly proved by partial insurrections, when they proceed to roast their oppressors and commit other atrocities. Still, some gleams of light are penetrating even here. The soldiers (the Rus- sian privates are all serfs) who have served in foreign countries, have got rid of nearly all of this veneration for the Emperor ; and it is observed that even the troops stationed in Poland become a degree liberalized. The Imperial serfs, considerably increased of late by confiscation of private estates, have also lost much of the veneration for their" father," who oppressions they feel : and this is strikingly shown in their outbreaks "The conduct of the insurgents is usually in both cases the same; with thie remarkable distinction, however, that in every one of these rebellions, from that dangerous outbreak in the military colonies on the banks of the Volchova, towards the close of Alexander's reign, down to those of most recent occurrence, the Im- perial slaves, when once roused, show none of that superstitious awe for the sove- reign, which with their fellow slaves survives even when they have furiously broken through all other trammels.

"An officer who witnessed the revolt of the military colonies in the govern ment of Novogorod, and who had some reason to remember them, having nar- rowly escaped being boiled alive, informed the author, that when he made an ap- peal to the rebels in the Emperor's name, they tore the portrait of his Imperial Majesty from the walls, and ignominiously trampled it under foot. The image of the saint which hangs in the corner of every Russian apartment, was, however, still respected."

Besides all these, there is a latent element of movement in the different races of Russia. The Southern or Little Russians, Poles in blood, whom our author calls Ruthe,mians, but who are commonly known as the Cossacks, are a bolder and more independent race than the Muscovites, and are connected with the Poles by the sympathetic ties of a kindred language and a common tradition.

The conclusion our author draws from all this is, that Austria, Prussia, and Russia, are not nations like the English and the French, but only governments, liable at any moment to be overthrown ; incapable ot resisting conquest, like the Spaniards against Napoleon, or of defying extirpation, like the Italians and the Poles. From the general views we have given, and a great variety of particulars, the author infers that the subjects of these three governments are all in a volcanic state ; and signs threaten an early eruption. Why the Turkish tributaries, who are represented as satisfied with their condition, should plunge into war—how and by what means the Poles are to form a nucleus and organ- ize a revolt—when and for what cause Russia is to rise in blind and bloody insurrection—he does not explain. He is only particular with Austria; which, he says, will fall to pieces after the death of Metternich, who alone holds the incongruous empire together. Perhaps Hungary iso- lated, certainly with Austrian Poland, (and, as would be most probable, an Italian insurrection,) might maintain herself against the Cabinet of Vienna in the case of a general war, to furnish her with allies, or if the feelings of the Sclavonic people should prevent the Prussian and Russian Governments from acting with effect, or acting at all. Whether Hungary, without further cause than the death of Metternich, mould do so, is another question. However, we must not omit the main purpose of the author in publishing ; which is to advertize the true condition of Eastern Europe, and to warn England against any interference in favour of those mane- tional governments when the predicted convulsions occur.

Mixed up with these political theories is an exposition of the character of Russian slavery, and of the tyranny of Nicholas : for the author places it all to the Emperor ; his Ministers frequently disapproving of his measures. The account of the serf system does not greatly differ from that of other writers, or from what might be expected ; and is painted with more appearance of reality than in The White Slave. The various stories told of the tyranny of the Emperor are of so revolting a charac- ter that the reader turns away in disgust. Whether they are true or not to their full extent, the mind is sickened at such brutal outrages, and at the brutal degradation of the slaves, which can permit such a monster to trample on them. We cannot, however, go along with our author to the full extent of his theory. Morally responsible the Emperor undoubtedly is, for he grants the power, and does not control its exercise ; but, from the nature of the case, he cannot give personal directions for such crimes as these. They took place during the late religious persecution in Poland.

TREATMENT OF POLISH PRIESTS.

About this period, several monks of Saint Bulling were brought to the same convent. Their treatment is described as having been more barbarous than even that of the nuns. Four of these men, Zawecki, Komar, Zilewicz, and Buck- zynski by name, all upwards of seventy years of age, were at last, in the full severity of winter, stripped and placed under a pump, where, as the water teas poured over them, it gradually congealed into a mass of ice, and froze them to death; another, named the Abbe Laudanski, aged and infirm, whilst staggering beneath a load of fire-wood, was struck upon the head with such violence, by a drunken Deacon, that his skuU was fractured, and he died upon the spot.

It must here be explained, that all the lower or white clergy in the Russian Church is very ignorant and depraved, and that the Deacons are the lowest amosg them.

TREATMENT OF NUN&

Such, notwithstanding all the repressive terrors of the RIISlaal' I authorities became the feeling of the population of the city of Polock, that it was found ute safe to continue the persecution of the nuns within its walls; and they were ordered to be removed to the borough of Medzioly, in the province of Minsk. This public defeat of the Russian Bishop and authorities was however, re- venged on these poor women, by an act of such diabolical malignity as only the most undeniable evidence can render credible.

When the Russian soldiers, and the newly-made Deacons, had been rendered drunk with brandy, all these helpless nuns were turned out among them as in- curably obstinate, to treat as they thought fit. Then commenced a scene worthy of Pandemonium—the shrieks and prayers of the victims mingling with the oaths, blasphemies, and ribaldry of the crowd to whose brutal lust they were abandoned.

When the fury of these &mons in human form had been exhausted, it was discovered that two of these unfortunate females were quite dead. The skull of one had been crushed by the stamping on the temples of an iron-plated heel. The other was trampled into such a mass of mud and gore that even its human character was scarce recognizable. Eight others had one or several bones or limbs broken, or their eyes torn or trodden out Of the whole number, the Superior, a woman of iron frame as well as indomitable resolution, fared the best; but she was not allowed to attend or console her mutilated sisters except on the condition of apostacy.

They were afterwards marched out of Polock by night on foot, and chained two by two—even those whose eyes had been torn out, and whose hideous wounds were festering. Those whose legs were broken, or who were lamed, were sent forward in carts under the care of Cossacks.

The following is curious, "if true." Konarski, the hero of the story, attempted in 1835 to produce an insurrection ; and, after traversing Po- land in safety, but without much effect, was arrested through the spon- taneous treachery of a German.

"The greater part of what he endured during his long incarceration was never known; It was only ascertained, that when found to be mute under the lash, as a means of torture he was fed on salt provision, and tempted in vain to speak in the fever of burning thirst, by liquids placed before him. The deprivation of sleep was resorted to. When he had been constantly wakened up in his slumbers, burning sealing-wax was dropped on to his flesh. When all attempts had failed, and that he was reduced to such a feeble and emaciated condition that his life became daily precarious, judgment was passed upon him, and he was condemned to death. As soon as his sentence had been pronounced, he turned to his judges, and, extending out his hands, burned to the quick, in an affecting speech, which brought the tears into the eyes of many of the bronzed officials, forgave them for all their cruelty towards himself, and prayed for his enemies. "So profound was the impression wnich Konarski's behaviour produced, even on the Russians, that two officers successively refused to shoot him, and from that time disappeared. His death was in this respect remarkable, that of all the Polish victims his fate alone elicited the sympathies of the Russians; partly, per- haps, through its being so widely bruited, and partly because of its having taken place beneath the eyes of those in whom the tendency to assimilate in feeling with the Poles had already made some progress. The Russian officers secretly purchased his fetters; which were converted into rings, and worn by a secret society, discovered shortly afterwards, in which the subalterns of a whole division of the army were compromised. Up to this moment, there are several officers of the Imperial Guard who treasure up and show with mysterious precaution, the author haswitnessed, small rings of iron, said to be derived from the same source, and which they regard with all the awe which relics still more equivocal fre- quently inspire."

Besides the political subjects, a considerable part of the two volumes is devoted to modern Sclavonic literature ; in which the author gives notices, with translated specimens of the more distinguished authors : and on this ground we think him more reliable than in his larger specu- lations, as his critical taste is good, except 'When his prejudices operate.