MOLDAVIA.

FRANKFORT JOURNAL, May 1.

THE Frankfort Journal had admitted into its columns, by a natural sentiment of impartiality, all that has recently been published about Moldavia, but now it declares that, happily for it, in publishing every thing, it had guaranteed nothing. It has, however, now received most detailed information respecting this country, so interesting to Europe in its actual state.

"Ascending," it continues, " to the source of the evils that afflict Moldavia at this moment, we do not hesitate to expose it in its reality. The cause of the misfortunes of this country is according to our views to be found in the principle of election of the Princes, as it is sanctioned by the organic statute of Moldavia.

"In 1835 five candidates figured on the list, the junior of whom was Prince Michel Stourdza. His great capacity, his noble qualities, made to inspire confidence, pointed him out to the esteem of the

Courts to whom he was proposed as worthy of the preference. It is natural to suppose that his competitors and their creatures became his adversaries. These are the natural fruits of the elective principle. Ancient Poland remembers them!

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Happily doubts disappear and unjust murmurs are hushed before the firmness of legitimate authority. The courts, sovereign and protector, lend no ear to vain declamation, or to base calumny. That which they have established they know how to maintain, and it will belong to no one to attack with success the institutions and the persons that the country surrounds with its suffrage and respect.

"We understand that General Mouravieff, commanding the sixth corps d'armée, a portion of which garrisons Silistria, is expected at Jassy on his route to the Turkish fortress. The Prince has sent to the frontier his Aide-de-Camp to receive and compliment the General. The documents which have been published sufficiently explain the object of the mission of General Mouravieff to Silistria."

The Frankfort Journal has for several months been the channel of insinuations and accusations

against Prince Stourdza. Addresses against him were sent to St. Petersburgh, and the utmost publicity given to them by the organs of Russia. A commission was named to inquire into his conduct, or, in other words, to try him. This commission was composed of three General officers, to whom were to be added the Russian consul-general, Baron Ruckman (formerly minister of Russia in Greece and at Constantinople!) Now the Frankfort Journal has ascertained by "the most detailed information" that Prince Stourdza merited the esteem of Russia, and had been deservedly preferred to the other candidates. Here is another enigma propounded to the Edipus of Europe!

Russia

The following facts may assist in the solution— Prince Stourdza having been considered by Russia as hostile to her views, was excluded from the list of candidates presented to the Porte for her selection. The Porte resolved that it would elect no other individual as Prince of Moldavia. flatly refused to admit his name as a candidate ; on this the Porte declared, that unless his name was placed on the list she would make no election at all, and publish a manifesto to Europe exposing the conduct of Russia and her own motives; Russia

alarmed at this determination consented.

Prince

Stourdzą was admitted as fifth, as "junior" candidate, and was immediately selected by the Porte. This will explain the meaning of the Frankfort Journal, when it says that the evil lay in the elective principle; an election also, be it observed, which by the stipulations between the two powers is strangely confined to "cette seule fois-ci."

The Prince

The consequences are natural. attempted to pursue an independent line of policy, received no support, was menaced, circumvented, driven perhaps into errors, conspiracies fomented against him, represented, of course, as Russian, and, now his resistance is overcome, he has made his peace.

To whatever side we turn our eyes what a labyrinth of iniquity-what a web of cunning and intrigue! Can the British Government really believe that all this trouble and expenditure is incurred merely to baffle its penetration, or to counteract its policy? It may be necessary to act on the mind of the British Government when sums of money are wanted to support the action of Russia, or when it is necessary to bring England (and this is the acme of her policy) into a real or appaVOL. III.-No. 21.

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rent concert with Russia, but it would be very erroneous to suppose that the multiplicity of means used against Turks, Persians, Servians, or Moldavians, has reference to any other combination than those contingent on the impossibility of her acting by force, and her succeeding by strength against the numerous bodies she has undertaken to disorganise. It is therefore by the combination of art, far more triumphant than her victorious arms, that these people are daily reduced lower and lower in the scale of political power. It is by dexterity rather than impulse that she introduces the two wedges which have prostrated so many crowns, so many charters before her-discontent and insecurity. And all this while England is kept in perfect indifference as to what is going on-is firmly persuaded that these people are all wild savages, already at the mercy of Russia, and likely to prove a source of weakness if incorporated in her Empire!

In a former number we have said that the Provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia offer in their natural resources, and in their financial system, which, not yet being civilized, allows the free importation of all the produce and manufactures of the earth-a field for commercial enterprise,