The congress of Aland or Oeland. Death of Charles XII., &c. The
treaty of Nystadt.
These immense labours, this minute review of the whole Russian empire,
and the melancholy proceedings against his unhappy son, were not the
only objects which demanded the attention of the czar; it was necessary
to secure himself without doors, at the same time that he was settling
order and tranquillity within. The war with Sweden was still carried on,
though faintly, in hopes of approaching peace.
It is a known fact, that in the year 1717, cardinal Alberoni, prime
minister to Philip V. of Spain, and baron Gortz, who had gained an
entire ascendant over the mind of Charles XII. had concerted a project
to change the face of affairs in Europe, by effecting a reconciliation
between this last prince and the czar, driving George I. from the
English throne, and replacing Stanislaus on that of Poland, while
cardinal Alberoni was to procure the regency of France for his master
Philip. Gortz, as has been already observed, had opened his mind on this
head to the czar himself. Alberoni had begun a negotiation with prince
Kourakin, the czar's ambassador at the Hague, by means of the Spanish
ambassador, Baretti Landi, a native of Mantua, who had, like the
cardinal, quitted his own country to live in Spain.
Thus a set of foreigners were about to overturn the general system, for
masters under whose dominion they were not born, or rather for
themselves. Charles XII. gave into all these projects, and the czar
contented himself with examining them in private. Since the year 1716 he
had made only feeble efforts against Sweden, and those rather with a
view to oblige that kingdom to purchase peace by restoring those places
it had taken in the course of the war, than with an intent to crush it
altogether.
The baron Gortz, ever active and indefatigable in his projects, had
prevailed on the czar to send plenipotentiaries to the island of Oeland
to set on foot a treaty of peace. Bruce, a Scotchman, and grand master
of the ordnance in Russia, and the famous Osterman, who was afterwards
at the head of affairs, arrived at the place appointed for the congress
exactly at the time that the czarowitz was put under arrest at Moscow.
Gortz and Gillembourg were already there on the part of Charles XII.
both impatient to bring about a reconciliation between that prince and
Peter, and to revenge themselves on the king of England. It was an
extraordinary circumstance that there should be a congress, and no
cessation of arms. The czar's fleet still continued cruising on the
coasts of Sweden, and taking the ships of that nation. Peter thought by
keeping up hostilities to hasten the conclusion of a peace, of which he
knew the Swedes stood greatly in need, and which must prove highly
glorious to the conqueror.
Notwithstanding the little hostilities which still continued, every
thing bespoke the speedy approach of peace. The preliminaries began by
mutual acts of generosity, which produce stronger effects than many
hand-writings. The czar sent back without ransom marshal Erenschild,
whom he had taken prisoner with his own hands, and Charles in return did
the same by Trubetskoy and Gallowin, who had continued prisoners in
Sweden ever since the battle of Narva.
The negotiations now advanced apace, and a total change was going to be
made in the affairs of the North. Gortz proposed to the czar to put the
duchy of Mecklenburg into his hands. Duke Charles, its sovereign, who
had married a daughter of czar John, Peter's elder brother, was at
variance with the nobility of the country, who had taken arms against
him. And Peter, who looked upon that prince as his brother-in-law, had
an army in Mecklenburg ready to espouse his cause. The king of England,
elector of Hanover, declared on the side of the nobles. Here was another
opportunity of mortifying the king of England, by putting Peter in
possession of Mecklenburg, who, being already master of Livonia, would
by this means, in a short time, become more powerful in Germany than any
of its electors. The duchy of Courland was to be given to the duke of
Mecklenburg, as an equivalent for his own, together with a part of
Prussia at the expense of Poland, who was to have Stanislaus again for
her king. Bremen and Verden were to revert to Sweden; but these
provinces could not be wrested out of the hands of the king of England
but by force of arms; accordingly Gortz's project was (as we have
already said) to effect a firm union between Peter and Charles XII., and
that not only by the bands of peace, but by an offensive alliance, in
which case they were jointly to send an army into Scotland. Charles XII.
after having made himself master of Norway, was to make a descent on
Great Britain, and he fondly imagined he should be able to set a new
sovereign on the throne of those kingdoms, after having replaced one of
his own choosing on that of Poland. Cardinal Alberoni promised both
Peter and Charles to furnish them with subsidies. The fall of the king
of England would, it was supposed, draw with it that of his ally, the
regent of France, who being thus deprived of all support, was to fall a
victim to the victorious arms of Spain, and the discontent of the French
nation.
Alberoni and Gortz now thought themselves secure of totally overturning
the system of Europe, when a cannon ball from the bastions of
Frederickshal in Norway confounded all their mighty projects. Charles
XII. was killed, the Spanish fleet was beaten by that of England, the
conspiracy which had been formed in France was discovered and quelled,
Alberoni was driven out of Spain, and Gortz was beheaded at Stockholm;
and of all this formidable league, so lately made, the czar alone
retained his credit, who by not having put himself in the power of any
one, gave law to all his neighbours.
At the death of Charles XII. there was a total change of measures in
Sweden. Charles had governed with a despotic power, and his sister
Ulrica was elected Queen on express condition of renouncing arbitrary
government. Charles intended to form an alliance with the czar against
England and its allies, and the new government of Sweden now joined
those allies against the czar.
The congress at Oeland, however, was not broken up; but the Swedes, now
in league with the English, flattered themselves that the fleets of that
nation sent into the Baltic would procure them a more advantageous
peace. A body of Hanoverian troops entered the dominions of the duke of
Mecklenburg (Feb. 1716.), but were soon driven from thence by the czar's
forces.
Peter likewise had a body of troops in Poland, which kept in awe both
the party of Augustus, and that of Stanislaus; and as to Sweden, he had
a fleet always ready, either to make a descent on their coasts, or to
oblige the Swedish government to hasten matters in the congress. This
fleet consisted of twelve large ships of the line, and several lesser
ones, besides frigates and galleys. The czar served on board this fleet
as vice-admiral, under the command of admiral Apraxin.
A part of this fleet signalized itself in the beginning against a
Swedish squadron, and, after an obstinate engagement, took one ship of
the line, and two frigates. Peter, who constantly endeavoured, by every
possible means, to encourage and improve the navy he had been at so much
pains to establish, gave, on this occasion, sixty thousand French
livres[111] in money among the officers of this squadron, with several
gold medals, besides conferring marks of honour on those who principally
distinguished themselves.
About this time also the English fleet under admiral Norris came up the
Baltic, in order to favour the Swedes. Peter, who well knew how far he
could depend on his new navy, was not to be frightened by the English,
but boldly kept the sea, and sent to know of the English admiral if he
was come only as a friend to the Swedes, or as an enemy to Russia? The
admiral returned for answer, that he had not as yet any positive orders
from his court on that head: however Peter, notwithstanding this
equivocal reply, continued to keep the sea with his fleet.
The English fleet, which in fact was come thither only to shew itself,
and thereby induce the czar to grant more favourable conditions of peace
to the Swedes, went to Copenhagen, and the Russians made some descents
on the Swedish coast, and even in the neighbourhood of Copenhagen, (July
1719.) where they destroyed some copper mines, burnt about fifteen
thousand houses, and did mischief enough to make the Swedes heartily
wish for a speedy conclusion of the peace.
Accordingly the new queen of Sweden pressed a renewal of the
negotiations; Osterman himself was sent to Stockholm, and matters
continued in this situation during the whole of the year 1719.
The following year the prince of Hesse, husband to the queen of Sweden,
and now become king, in virtue of her having yielded up the sovereign
power in his favour, began his reign by sending a minister to the court
of Petersburg, in order to hasten the so much desired peace; but the war
was still carried on in the midst of these negotiations.
The English fleet joined that of the Swedes, but did not yet commit any
hostilities, as there was no open rupture between the courts of Russia
and England, and admiral Norris even offered his master's mediation
towards bringing about a peace; but as this offer was made with arms in
hand, it rather retarded than facilitated the negotiations. The coasts
of Sweden, and those of the new Russian provinces in the Baltic, are so
situated, that the former lay open to every insult, while the latter are
secured by their difficult access. This was clearly seen when admiral
Norris, after having thrown off the mask, (June 1720.) made a descent in
conjunction with the Swedish fleet on a little island in the province of
Esthonia, called Narguen, which belonged to the czar, where they only
burnt a peasant's house; but the Russians at the same time made a
descent near Wasa, and burnt forty-one villages, and upwards of one
thousand houses, and did an infinite deal of damage to the country round
about. Prince Galitzin boarded and took four Swedish frigates, and the
English admiral seemed to have come only to be spectator of that pitch
of glory to which the czar had raised his infant navy; for he had but
just shewn himself in those seas, when the Swedish frigates were carried
in triumph into the harbour of Cronslot before Petersburg.[112] On this
occasions methinks the English did too much if they came only as
mediators, and too little if as enemies.
Nov. 1720.] At length, the new king of Sweden demanded a cessation of
arms; and as he found the menaces of the English had stood him in no
stead, he had recourse to the duke of Orleans, the French regent; and
this prince, at once an ally of Russia and Sweden, had the honour of
effecting a reconciliation between them. (Feb. 1721.) He sent Campredon,
his plenipotentiary, to the court of Petersburg, and from thence to that
of Stockholm. A congress was opened at Nystadt,[113] but the czar would
not agree to a cessation of arms till matters were on the point of being
concluded and the plenipotentiaries ready to sign. He had an army in
Finland ready to subdue the rest of that province, and his fleets were
continually threatening the Swedish coasts, so that he seemed absolute
master of dictating the terms of peace; accordingly they subscribed to
whatever he thought fit to demand. By this treaty he was to remain in
perpetual possession of all that his arms had conquered, from the
borders of Courland to the extremity of the gulf of Finland, and from
thence again of the whole extent of the country of Kexholm, and that
narrow slip of Finland which stretches out to the northward of the
neighbourhood of Kexholm; so that he remained master of all Livonia,
Esthonia, Ingria, Carelia, with the country of Wybourg, and the
neighbouring isles, which secured to him the sovereignty of the sea, as
likewise of the isles of Oessel, Dago, Mona, and several others: the
whole forming an extent of three thousand leagues of country, of unequal
breadth, and which altogether made a large kingdom, that proved the
reward of twenty years' immense pains and labour.
The peace was signed at Nystadt the 10th September, 1721, N. S. by the
Russian minister Osterman, and general Bruce.
Peter was the more rejoiced at that event, as it freed him from the
necessity of keeping such large armies on the frontiers of Sweden, as
also from any apprehensions on the part of England, or of the
neighbouring states, and left him at full liberty to exert his whole
attention to the modelling of his empire, in which he had already made
so successful a beginning, and to cherish arts and commerce, which he
had introduced among his subjects, at the expense of infinite labour and
industry.
In the first transports of his satisfaction, we find him writing in
these terms to his plenipotentiaries; 'You have drawn up the treaty as
if we ourself had dictated and sent it to you to offer the Swedes to
sign. This glorious event shall be ever present to our remembrance.'
All degrees of people, throughout the Russian empire, gave proofs of
their satisfaction, by the most extraordinary rejoicings of all kinds,
and particularly at Petersburg. The triumphal festivals, with which the
czar had entertained his people during the course of the war, were
nothing to compare to these rejoicings for the peace, which every one
hailed with unutterable satisfaction. The peace itself was the most
glorious of all his triumphs; and what pleased more than all the pompous
shows on the occasion, was a free pardon and general release granted to
all prisoners, and a general remission of all sums due to the royal
treasury for taxes throughout the whole empire, to the day of the
publication of the peace. In consequence of which a multitude of
unhappy wretches, who had been confined in prison, were set at
liberty, excepting only those guilty of highway-robbery, murder, or
treason.[114]
It was at this time that the senate decreed Peter the titles of _Great_,
_Emperor_, and _Father of his Country_. Count Golofkin, the high
chancellor, made a speech to the czar in the great cathedral, in the
name of all the orders of the state, the senators crying aloud, _Long
live our emperor and father!_ in which acclamations they were joined by
the united voice of all the people present. The ministers of France,
Germany, Poland, Denmark, and the states-general, waited on him, with
their congratulations, on the titles lately bestowed on him, and
formally acknowledged for emperor him who had been always publicly known
in Holland by that title, ever since the battle of Pultowa. The names of
_Father_, and of _Great_, were glorious epithets, which no one in Europe
could dispute him; that of _Emperor_ was only a honorary title, given by
custom to the sovereigns of Germany, as titular kings of the Romans; and
it requires time before such appellations come to be formally adopted by
those courts where forms of state and real glory are different things.
But Peter was in a short time after acknowledged emperor by all the
states of Europe, excepting only that of Poland, which was still divided
by factions, and the pope, whose suffrage was become of very little
significance, since the court of Rome had lost its credit in proportion
as other nations became more enlightened.