THE WILL OF PETER THE GREAT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 1762, 23 June 1877, Page 4

THE WILL OF PETER THE GREAT.

At the present juncture of European affairs (says an exchange), when Russia is making another effort towards carrying out the policy which has animated her for a century and a half, the publication of the full text of the Will of Peter the Great, the founder of Russian power and progress, cannot fail to interest our readers, especially m view of the announcement regarding Constantinople which our London telegrams contain. Th» authenticity of the will has been m a more or less feeble way denied by Russia ; but the history of Russian aggression gives facts far more cogent than any mere diplomatic assertion. The following is the document : —

In the name of the Holy and Indivieable Trinity," We, Peter, Emperor and Autocrat of all^the Russia*, &c, &c, to all our Successors to the Throne and m the Government of the Russian nation : — Section I. — The Russian nation must, be m a continual state of war, m order to hold the soldier m warlike dispositions. No repose, except to ameliorate the finances, to recruit the army, and I o wait for a moment propitious for the attack. Thus peace serves for war, and war for peace, m the interest of the aggrandisement and increasing welfare of Russia. Section II. — By all possible means we must draw towards us, out of the moßt advanced peoples of Europe, generals m time of war and learned men m tim» of peace, m order to make [the Russian nation participate m the advantages of the other countries without her losing anything of her own. Section 111. — On all occasions we must meddle with the affairs and discords of Europe, principally with those of Germany, which, situated nearer to us, is of more direct interest. *

Section IV. — Poland must be divided, by our keeping up therejdisorder and a perpetual jealousy; the powers (hero must be gained over through gold, the Diets must be bribed to hare influence orer the eleotion of the Kings ; we must create for ourselves there a party, s-nd thilber Bustian troops, and leave them there until they bare found an opportunity of remaining io Poland for ever. Should the neighboring Powers raise difficulties, we must satisfy them temporarily m parcelling out tho country, until we can retake what we hare yielded.

Section V. — We must lake from Sweden as much as we can, and let ourselves be attacked by her, 'm order that we may hare a pretence for subjugating, her. With that view wb must separate her from Denmark, and Denmark from Sweden, and keep up carefully their rivalry.

Section VI. — The wires of the Russian princes are • always to be chosen among German prinoesses, to augment the family relations, to tighten the interests, and, thus to bind Germany to our cause by increasing there our influence.

Sootion VII. — We must principally seek the alliance of England for commerce, beoause it is the Power whioh is most m want of us for its nary, and which can be most useful to the development of ours; we must exchange wood and other products for her gold, and keep up continual relations among her tradesmen and seamen and oars.

Section VIII. — We must incessantly extend ourselres towards tbe north, the Baltic Sea ; 'and towards the sooth, the Mediterranean.

Section IX. — We must advance as much as possible towards Constantinople and India. Whoever shall reign there will be the true master of the world. Therefore, we must fan continual war*,, sometimes with Turkey, sometimes with Persia ; create dockyards and emporiums on the Black Sea: take possession, little by little, of that sea, as well as of the Baltic, which is a point doubly neceisary for the- success of the plan; hasten the downfall of Persia; advance into the Gulf of Persia; as far as

can_ be done, re-establith through Syria the ancient commerce of the East, and enter into the two Indies, which are the etores of the world. When once there we can do without the gold of England. Section X. — Wo must keep up carefully relations with Austria ; apparently to second hrr designs as to the domination orer Germany, and excite, underhand against her, the jealousy of the princes. In the same wiie we must induce each and all of them to seek succor with Russia, and exercise a sort of protection orer Germany, which may prepare our future domination.

Section XI. — We must interest tho House of Austria m the expultion of the Turk from Europe, and neutralise her jealousy, if Constantinople be conquered, m exciting the old States of Europe to a war against Austria, or m giving up to Austria a part of tho conquest, to tale it from her afterwards.

Section XII. —We must father around Russia all the Greeks scattered by discords, ■who are spread m Hungary, m Turkey, and m the South of Poland ; make ourselves their centre, their support, and thus found, by anticipation, and by a sort of Bacerdotal supremacy — a universal hegemony. Section XIII.— If Sweden belong to w, if Persia bo overcome, Poland subjugated, Turkey conquered ; if our armies be united, tlis Baltic and the Black Spas guarded by our ships; then, we must, separately and secretly offer, at first to tho Court of Veriailles, then to that of Vienna, to ihare with them the Universal Monarchy. If one of them accedes to the proposal — which is not dubious, if we flatter their ambition and conceit ; then we must make use of the one for destroying the other j we must annihilate then, also, that one which remains, by beginning with it a struggle which cannot bo problematical, because Russia will already then possess as a property tho Eist and a great part of Europe.

Section XIV.— If, what is not likely, both refuse the proposals of Russia, we must excite the one against the other, and cuusethem to crush themselves reciprocally. If Russia seize then the decisive moment, *he will send to Germany her troops, assembled beforehand, whilst two important fleets, one from the Sea of Azof, the other from the port of Archangel, loaHed with Asiatic horde*, will come out under the joint escort of the armed fleets of the Black Sea and the Baltic. Advancing upon the Mediterranean and upon the ocean, they will inundate on one side France, whilst Germany shall be pressed on the other ; and if these two countries be vanquished, the rest of Europe will easily, and without delay, bend under the yok«. Thus can and must Europe be subdued.