She folds her arms, lets the two empires go to work to cut up Turkey as they can, and holds Prussia aloof, neither as a friend nor foe.  This is withdrawing her opposition from the two empires, without the benefit of any condition whatever.  In the mean time, England has clearly overreached herself.  She excited the war between the Russians and Turks, in hopes that France, still supporting the Turks, would be embarrassed with the two empires.  She did not foresee the event which has taken place, of France abandoning the Turks, and that which may take place, of her union with the two empires.  She allied herself with Holland, but cannot obtain the alliance of Prussia.  This latter power would be very glad to close again the breach with France, and therefore, while there remains an opening for this, holds off from England, whose fleets could not enter into Silesia, to protect that from the Emperor.  Thus you see, that the old system is unhinged, and no new one hung in its place.  Probabilities are rather in favor of a connection between the two empires, France, and Spain.  Several symptoms show themselves, of friendly dispositions between Russia and France, unfriendly ones between Russia and England, and such as are barely short of hostility between England and France.  But into real hostilities, this country would with difficulty be drawn.  Her finances are too deranged, her internal union too much dissolved, to hazard a war.  The nation is pressing on fast, to a fixed constitution.  Such a revolution in the public opinion has taken place, that the crown already feels its powers bounded, and is obliged, by its measures, to acknowledge limits.

A States-General will be called at some epoch not distant; they will probably establish a civil list, and leave the government to temporary provisions of money, so as to render frequent assemblies of the national representative necessary.  How that representative will be organized, is yet uncertain.  Among a thousand projects, the best seems to me, that of dividing them into two Houses, of Commons and Nobles; the Commons to be chosen by the Provincial Assemblies, who are chosen themselves by the people, and the Nobles by the body of Noblesse, as in Scotland.  But there is no reason to conjecture, that this is the particular scheme which will be preferred.

The war between the Russians and Turks has made an opening for our Commodore Paul Jones.  The Empress has invited him into her service.  She insures to him the rank of rear-admiral; will give him a separate command, and it is understood, that he is never to be commanded.  I think she means to oppose him to the Captain Pacha, on the Black Sea.  He is by this time, probably, at St. Petersburg.  The circumstances did not permit his awaiting the permission of Congress, because the season was close at hand for opening the campaign.  But he has made it a condition, that he shall be free at all times to return to the orders of Congress, whenever they shall please