Newton Dogvane (Volume 3); A Story of English Country Life

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1859 edition. Excerpt: ... price of the rouble at the commencement of the war, and the question of how Russia was to carry on aggressive war without money, or any visible means of raising it. They knew nothing of the reforms 'for the consolidation of her empire carried out in Turkey, and spontaneously commenced by her about the period of the Greek war; or how, when even at her very worst, as it might be expected, with these reforms first agitating her--when Russia, having for years been preparing for war with Turkey, and having plunged Turkey into a seven years' war with Greece by her intrigues--having also cut off Egyptian aid from her by the presence of the allied fleets, and having by the same means annihilated her fleet at Navarino--when, we say, Turkey being, as it may fairly be supposed, by all these means much exhausted, Russia went to war with her herself, with an immense force, and was worsted both in the first and in the second campaigns, How she did raise the money to commence the war is strange enough. She borrowed the money, giving for security the Russo-Dutch Loan, a species of tribute which we continue to pay to Russia after the Crown lawyers have declared the payment of it illegal. Of course this was but doubtful security, which we might discontinue paying at any moment; but our Government guaranteed it, and with this money, which we voluntarily made Russia a present of, she put her troops in motion, and crossed the Pruth to attack our ally. Furthermore, as Russia was in effect bankrupt at the commencement of the war, and is now tolerably well off, as the price of her securities shews, the agreeable fact forces itself upon us, that Russia has positively saved herself and made money out of us by the war. This sounds strange enough; such, ...