Most important of all was the secret treaty of alliance with Russia, also signed on July 7th, whereby the two Emperors bound themselves to make common cause in any war that either of them might undertake against any European Power, employing, if need be, the whole of their respective forces.  Again, if England did not accept the Czar’s mediation, or if she did not, by the 1st of December, 1807, recognize the perfect equality of all flags at sea, and restore her conquests made from France and her allies since 1805, then Russia would make war on her.  In that case, the present allies will “summon the three Courts of Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Lisbon to close their ports against the English and declare war against England.  If any one of the three Courts refuse, it shall be treated as an enemy by the high contracting parties, and if Sweden refuse, Denmark shall be compelled to declare war on her.”  Pressure would also be put on Austria to follow the same course.  But if England made peace betimes, she might recover Hanover, on restoring her conquests in the French, Spanish, and Dutch colonies.  Similarly, if Turkey refused the mediation of Napoleon, he would in that case help Russia to drive the Turks from Europe—­“the city of Constantinople and the province of Roumelia alone excepted."[154]

The naming of the city of Constantinople, which is in Roumelia, betokens a superfluity of prudence.  But it helps to confirm the statement of Napoleon’s secretary, M. Meneval, that the future of that city led to a decided difference of opinion between the Emperors.  After one of their discussions, Napoleon stayed poring over a map, and finally exclaimed, “Constantinople!  Never!  It is the empire of the world.”  Doubtless it was on this subject that Alexander cherished some secret annoyance.  Certain it is that, despite all his professions of devotion to Napoleon, he went back to St. Petersburg ill at ease and possessed with a certain awe of the conqueror.  For what had he gained?  He received a small slice of Prussian Poland, and the prospect of aggrandizement on the side of Turkey and Sweden, Finland being pointed out as an easy prey.  For these future gains he was to close his ports to England and see his commerce, his navy, and his seaboard suffer.  It is not surprising that before leaving Tilsit he remarked to Frederick William that “the most onerous condition imposed by Napoleon was common to Russia and Prussia."[155]

This refers to the compulsion put upon them to join Napoleon’s Continental System.  In the treaty signed with Prussia on July 9th, Napoleon not only wrested away half her lands, but required the immediate closing of all her ports to British vessels.  We may also note here that, by the extraordinary negligence of the Prussian negotiator, Marshal Kalckreuth, the subsequent convention as to the evacuation of Prussia by the French troops left open a loophole for its indefinite occupation.  Each province or district was to be evacuated when the French requisitions had been satisfied.[156] The exaction of impossible sums would therefore enable the conquerors, quite legally, to keep their locust swarms in that miserable land.  And that was the policy pursued for sixteen months.