Gazette Of The United States

LONDON, March 15.

An attempt had been made through the ladies of the Seraglio, with the Empress Mother at their head, to induce the Sultan, on account of the late very ill success of his troops, to come into a peace on any terms. These were seconded, or more properly set on by six thousand Grandees of the empire, who had all put their hands to a petition for that purpose. But the Sultan, on receiving advice of the capture of Ismail, and the cruelties practised there by the Russians, most gallantly swore, that he would sooner be buried under the ruins of Constantinople, than make peace with so brutal an enemy.

Ever since that period it has been publicly proclaimed at Constantinople, that it shall be death for any one to talk of peace; and the ladies of the Seraglio have been enjoined under threats of the same punishment, not to intermeddle again in any thing of the like tendency. The Emperor, no doubt, finds himself strengthened by the exhortations of the British and Prussian ambassadors, who have certainly promised him assistance from their masters, should their offers of mediating a peace be rejected. The Emperor of Germany, too, it is not doubted, will give assistance to the mediation, the moment his own peace with the Turks is concluded, which is allowed to be in the most favorable train.

In the mean time Catharine still remains stubborn. Proud and imperious, and unaccustomed to control, she will not allow of any mediation, nor admit of peace at all, unless dictated by her; or rather means perhaps entirely to defer it, till her favorite General shall have planted her ensigns on the walls of Constantinople.

To oppose any attempt which the Prussians may intend to make in favor of the Turks, her armies in Livonia are perpetually increasing. To oppose the English, should they offer to enter the Baltic, orders are given to fit and immediately draw out her whole fleet, consisting of thirty-six ships of the line, and several frigates, the command of which is entrusted to Prince Alexis Orlov, who performed so many gallant things in the course of the last war, on the coasts of Egypt, and several parts of the Levant and Greece and was afterwards some time resident here in England.

The American Paine over-stepped the bounds of prudence, and his publisher shrunk from the danger; but another has been found more hardy. That publisher has escaped for the Leons to a Prince;' the principles of which work, respecting our having ' no political constitution,' no representation, &c. are literally adopted and copied by Paine.

Sunday a messenger at Lord Grenville's Office from Sir Robert Ainslie, our Minister at the Porte, with advice that some fresh impediments had been recently thrown in the way of the negotiation for peace between the Turks and Russians; and that, in consequence thereof, the Grand Signior had issued orders for recruiting his forces with the utmost celerity and vigor.