Prepoffeffion of the Turks in favour of their own Military Character. Hafan Ali appointed Grand Vizier. His Character. Situation of the Ottoman Empire. Conduct of Selim. Treaty between the Porte and the King of Pruffia. Continued Preparations for War between the Porte on the one Part, and the Ruffians and Auftrians on the other. Death and Character of the Emperor Jofeph. Succeeded by his Brother Leopold. Character and Conduct of Leopold on the Commencement of his Reign. His arduous Situation, internal and external. Difcontents and Disturbances in Hungary, the Milanese, and Tufcany, and Infurrection and Revolt of the Netherlands. Political State of Europe. Sextuple Alliance in oppofition to the Confederation between Auftria and Ruffia. Hoftility and Animofity between the Courts of Berlin and Vienna;—yet both thefe Powers inclined to Peace. A Congrefs for that Purpofe propofed by Leopold. State and Pofition of the Auftrian and Pruffian Armies. Eagerness of the Divan for a Continuation of the War. Progrefs of the Auftrian Arms, on the Side of Turkey. Cef fation of Hoftilities and Armiflice between the Turks and Auftrians. Death. and Character of Field Marshal Laudhon. Conferences and Convention at Reichenbach for the Purpofe of a Pacification between Auftria and Turkey, and for a Refloration of the Netherlands to the Dominion of Auftria. Prudent Conduct of Leopold, with regard to the Hungarians. Difentions, Contests, and State of Parties in Hungary. Leopold elected King of the Romans, and VOL. XXXIII. B crowned 1 crowned Emperor. Grants, as by free-will to the Hungarians, what he had refufed to their importunate Solicitations. Settlement of his Family, and Intermarriages. Various Acts of his Imperial Majefty's prudent Condefcenfion and Favour. Peace concluded between the Court of Vienna and the Ottoman Porte at Siftovia. THE HE fucceffes of the Ruffian arms during three fucceffive campaigns, had excited lefs of terror than of aftonishment and indignation among the Turks. Their proud and obftinate character leads them to confider themselves as naturally invincible, and not to be fubdued but through the most unexpected and extraordinary caufes. It is on this principle that they never attribute their ill fortune in war to want of courage and military virtues, but folely to the bad conduct, or the treachery of their commanders. Hence they are not apt to be much dejected by defeats; and, as experience has fhewn, are always ready to face their victorious enemy with as much intrepidity as ever, provided they are no longer commanded by thofe under whom they have been unfortunate. Hafan Ali, the man now chofen by Selim, to retrieve the loffes and difgraces of the laft campaign, was equally distinguished by activity of mind and firmnefs of fpirit: qualities which fitted him for the arduous talk which he had the courage to undertake at his advanced period of life, being now feventy-five years of age. Though of late deferted by his former good fortune, he was ftill the ableft officer in the Turkish fervice. But his capacity, though great both in the council and in the field, was heavily counterpoifed by the difordered ftate of the Ottoman empire, the factions in the Divan, and the difcontents both in the army and among the people. No Vizier was ever raised to that dangerous dignity in more difficult times. Exclufively of the formidable combination of the two imperial courts, the Perfians, ever watchful of opportunities to distress the Turks, had increased their calamities by invading the eastern parts of their empire with a powerful army. Selim, fully fenfible of the very critical fituation of the Turkish empire, had neglected none of those popular means of keeping up the courage of his fubjects which are ufually practifed among the Turks in times of public danger. His troops were clad in black, to denote their readiness to meet death in defence of their caufe; and he had, in concurrence with the heads of religious affairs, proclaimed a remiffion of their fins to all thofe who fhould die in battle. In aid of several other meafures of this kind, an univerfal mufter was made in every province throughout Turkey, of all the men between the ages of fixteen and fixty, out of whom the moft proper for war were ftrictly felected. The Turks were farther encouraged by the co-operation of a young northern hero, the King of Sweden, with whom they confirmed an alliance offenfive and defenfive, on the condition that neither of the contracting parties fhould liften to feparate propofals of peace from Ruffia; and that, in order the better to enable the Swedifh monarch to fulfil his engagements, he thould receive an annual fubfidy. amounting to an immenfe quantity, to the mint; and prevailed upon the ladies of the feraglio to difpofe of their jewels and moft coftly ornaments for the public fervice. Not only the Turkish nation in ge neral difplayed a readiness to second the exertions of their fovereign, but large contributions were made by the ecclefiaftical order. The fubfidy. A large fum was remitted without delay to the King, by his Turkish ally. Selim was not lefs attentive to the acceleration of his warlike preparations at home: he infpected the arfenals in perfon, diftributing rewards and punishments with equal munificence and feverity, conformably to the long eftablished policy of his country. By thefe methods of proceeding, Sultan was not lefs encouraged, it was hoped at Conftantinople, when he turned his eyes to the that, notwithstanding the loffes of ftate and difpofitions of foreign na the foregoing year, the Turkish tions. The Auftrian dominions arms would in the enfuing feafon were in many parts ripe for infuragain have an equal trial with thofe rection againft the Emperor Jofeph; of their enemies. It was however and he himself was labouring under deemed prudent in the Divan to an illness that threatened his fpeedy proffer terms of peace to the two diffolution. The Emprefs had imperial courts: but thefe were fo confented that the Emperor, on elated with their fucceffes, that account of his great embarafiments, they would grant no terms but fhould conclude a feparate peace fuch as were too humiliating to be with the Turks: a circumftance fubmitted to by the Turks, had which will appear to be of the their diftrefs even been greater. greateft importance, when it is conThough repeatedly defeated, they fidered that the Emperor's army ftill kept the field, and found full had by the fkilful management of employment for both the Auftrians Marthal Laudhon, been put on the and Ruffians, who, notwithstanding most formidable footing. It contheir victories, had not yet been fifted at this time of 300,000 men; able to mafter Orfova. That of which one third; compofed of ftrong and important place ftill held the beft foldiers in the Auftrian out; and the bravery and skill of fervice, were to have acted against Its governor afforded little hope of the Turks under that able comits being fpeedily taken. The mander. To crown all these inGrand Seignior, in order to be viting circumftances, a treaty of alnearer the fcene of action, and to liance was on the 31ft day of Januforward by his prefence the exer- ary, 1790, concluded between the tions of his people, determined to Porte and the King of Pruffia; by pafs the winter at Adrianople; which it was ftipulated, that in where measures were taken for cafe an equitable peace fhould not affembling an army of 400,000 men be granted to the Turks in a given by the next fpring. So refolutely time, the King fhould declare was he bent on the most vigorous war against Auftria, for the purprofecution of the war, that, in or- pofe of extorting it by force of der to prevent all occafion of dif- arms. His Pruffian Majefty encontent among his troops for want gaged to co-operate with the fubcí regular pay, he fent all his plate, lime Porte for the recovery of the B 2 Crimea, Crimea, as well as the other terri- In confequence of this alliance, by 100,000 men; and a numerous The Repeated intelligence of the declining health of the Emperor, did not in the mean time flacken the preparations for the enfuing campaign on the part of the Turks, who looked on the enmity of Auftria as of a permanent nature, and not as depending on the perfonal difpofition of the dying Emperor, whofe death would leave his fucceffor heir not only to his claims, but to the hereditary hatred fubfifting between the Turks and Germans for feveral centuries. Divan, conformably to thofe maxims of Turkish policy by which they were governed in their more profperous eras, looked upon themfelves as bound to listen to no propofals of peace tending to diminish their power and confequence. They refolved therefore, that while the leaft hope remained of regaining what they had loft, and until they were unhappily reduced to the very laft extremity, they ought to continue manfully to struggle against The whole treatheir enemies. fures of the Ottoman empire were accordingly thrown open, and every effort exerted to fet fuch a force on foot as fhould be competent to meet the two imperial armies. The pay of the Turkish troops on this critical emergency was doubled; and fuch rewards offered as effec tually fually contributed to allure to the Ottoman ftandards the flower of the Turkish nation. On the other hand, an equal folicitude to prepare for the field was difplayed by Auftria and Hungary, with this difference however, that their fovereign being the aggreffor, and the interests of his family the only motives that provoked the war, they were earnestly defirous of its ceflation. For what concerns the Hungarians indeed, instead of cordially feconding the ambitious views of the Emperor, they were in a ftate of infurrection, little fhort of rebellion, against his government, which they regarded as that of a defpot. This prince, worn out with bodilydifeafe and anxiety of mind, and fenfible of his approaching diffolution, ended his reign, where he thould have begun it, by recognizing the neceffity of moderation in matters of government, and particularly that of governing a free people by their own laws, and leaving or placing the great offices of power and truft in the hands of the native chiefs of the country. In this ftate he received a very haughty memorial from the Hungarian nobility, demanding in lofty terms, 1. The restoration of their ancient rights and privileges. 2. The return of the royal crown of Hungary, which after the death of Maria Therefa, had been removed from Prefburg to Vienna. 3. That the people fhould be at liberty to lay afide the German, and to refume their oid native dress. And 4. That all public acts fhould be kept and recorded, either in the Latin or Hungarian language, instead of the Ger man, as was the prefent practice. The noble Hungarians promised, on thefe conditions, to defend the kingdom to the last drop of their blood, and to fupply the Emperor's armies in general with every neceffary that their country could afford. The Emperor, foftened by calamities private and public, without any comment on either the language or manner of the memorial, complied with the greater part of the requifitions, and confirmed his conceffions by a public decree. In the refervations he made on this occafion, we have a confpicuous proof of the vanity of ambition, and the folid and unfading comfort arifing from the consciousness of virtuous intentions and actions: he readily gave up all his encroachments on the rights and privileges of Hungary; but ftedfaftly retained three articles:one eftablishing a general toleration in matters of religion; another providing for the fupport of the parochial churches and clergy out of the revenues of fome fuppreffed monafteries; and the third lecuring a degree of liberty to the peafantry. At the fame time of his paffing a decree in favour of the Hungarians, he folemnly declared, that if he should be alive in the enfuing month of May, and able to undergo the fatigue, he would proceed to the capital of Hungary for the purpofe of being crowned. He alfo expreffed his intention, if time fhould be granted, to fatisfy the national demands in all other parts of his extenfive dominions. The joy of the Hungarians on the restoration of their crown, was almost incredible; it was received • Water in his thorax. |