The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-11-13 00:00:00

SUPPLEMENT TO tbr 4tAurrvoW tautarti* ,/ AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER. the Transcaucasian states, he proceeds to consider the gradual interference of Russia. The jealousies of the two Eastern States were carefully stimu lated by the intrigues of the Russian court, whose rulers were deeply sensible of the value of the truthful injunction, acted on by more than one despot, divide et impera, and ceaselessly held in operation by the Muscovite. Always at peace with one, while warring with the other, Russia, even at this moment, is successful in holding Persia aloof from Turkey, and, by the steady exercise of this policy, she has crept, foot by foot, and mile by mile, stealthily, upon the territory of both. Ever watchful of her own interests, she has, through the operation of diplomacy and the agency of arms, acquired such a frontier on the mountain range of the Caucasus, as, in the estimation of Baron Haxthausen, " but for natural obstacles; would lay Persia, as well as Asiatic Turkey, de fenceless, and entirely in the power of a suffi ciently large Russian army." Such a position of affairs is one for very grave consideration by the British Government. Many years ago it was proclaimed—and the impression is as yet far, very far, from being obliterated—that Russia had a robber's eye upon our Indian territory, and was looking out for a highway by which she might rush upon it as a prey. If it be true that she has, as stated by our author, obtained such a frontier as places Persia " entirely in the power of a sufficiently Russian army," she has indeed opened a large portion of the highway which she courts the possession of. True, the movements of " a sufficiently large army" in the direction indicated, if started from Moscow, or any other portion of central Russia in Europe, would be a difficult, if not an impossible task. If she be successful in transferring her centre of action, and her seat of Government, to the sea-board of the Euxine, the difficulty must almost vanish. With a powerful fleet, such as that she held at Sebastopol—and that, large as it was, would, no doubt, be speedily augmented—the transport of an army to the Persian frontier would be an object of comparatively easy attainment. The purpose once fairly embarked in, though often baffled, would be persevered in till absolute suc cess had crowned the nefarious enterprise. Thou sands upon thousands of her scarcely-naturalised children would, no doubt, be sacrificed in the attempt ; but Russia has never been economical of human life ; on the contrary, she has ever been prodigal to recklessness in pushinc , her legions forward to combat against foes, and the yet more fatal conflict with climate and the ele ments. Such considerations are of vital im portance in the present crisis of affairs. The first endeavour to impose upon Russia a retrogressive action has commenced in the y Crimea ; and the safety of our Indian empire, not less than the integrity of Turkey, imposes on us the necessity of for ever -expelling Russian prows from the Black Sea—and, if we are politic and wise, a similar expulsion from the comparatively unim portant Caspian. The Baron looks with a steady eye upon the CONSEQUENCES OP THE PRESENT STRUGGLE. Two obstacles indeed there are, and only two, to this advance of Russia,—England and the mountain races of the Caucasus. But for these impediments, Russia would unquestionably be able, by a great effort, to advance her W ISHES. A LL the fluttering wishes • Ca ged within thy heart Be at their wi i ngs against t Lou sing to dep art, Till they s h ake their prison With their wounded cry; °Pen t hen thy h eart to-day, And let the captives fly. Let them first fly upward Thro ugh the st arry air, T ill You almost lose them, For their h ome is there; Then with outspread p i n i ons, Circling round and round, Wing their way wherever Want and woe are found. Where the weary stitcher Toils Where fo r daily b read ; Watches by r dead ; Toilin the lo nely watche r he Whe re with thin weak fingers, Sta g at th e loom, nd the little Bli g h ted e children, re they bloom. Where by darkness blinded, for the light, With distorted conscience Men . do wrong for 'gilt' Where the coldhi-Clow: BY smooth Plesur: thrown, linfnan hearts by hundreds Hardened into stone. Wher e Sunlight, ungry outcasts go : Whe re all mirth is sil enced, A nd the earth is ch For one Place is emptily,l, And one voice is still. Some hearts will be lighter While your captives roam Fortheir tender singing. Then recal them home ; When th e sunny h ours Into night depart ; Softly they will Ina quiet heartnestle •HOUSEHOLD WORDS, 1 1 -2? .-k 1 7 lEir s . 1' ,1 tt7,,, 6 ; (if f t he ca------ ,o t , , and _ ucasuB. With an Account of qktigakth tb e lifurids. By Baron August ti alit* s \I .. . 11' London : Chapman and ztt tk ork , bli "jell ll t' ed, is 4ti Pell o f la peculiarly we -im ,rt ,:n 04 a gentleman who, by a recent h 'll e Tran scaucasia v o l) °l 2 4ld a r,, obtained a large ' lb tliti tt li — Y , While he conveyed to the u1 ) ,, - , the b , arnount of acceptable informa (l44'fatio'ljeisuent instance the author confines Pr' 4th a great degree to the existing I lti e fre e • eeh e ,on, h ave tribes, who, amidst peril I N 'ess resists continued to oppose a gallant ii i t e i nv. , , tte e to • the policy of their M t iglane 4 " els ''• After a I A ha e vi a n t the p„t i r to prehensive though ~ g ra i r , ,r at, g traced th ,. i l i 'y of these tribes, , e ~ tk, '", I ° ll of Ira n i a , "nges effected by liatuat when ated when Persia 'tiding with Illaport ail a t id Turkey had ' been i e of porter each oth e ltPires, and were was I _ , her for supremacy, the un g held and exercised by frontiers to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. The other countries of Europe might stand by and bear witness to such aggression on the part of Russia ; indeed it might in certain respects bring advantage to some of them, as the position of western Russia would be con siderably changed, by the diversion of so important a power from that portion of the empire toward the south and east. But England, for her own security and self defence, must of necessity carry on the war to the knife; for the question at issue involves the security of her pos sessions in the East Indies ; this momentous question fills the back-ground of the picture. ' We have mentioned a second barrier to the advance of Russia southward,—the mountaineers of the Caucasus for half a century they have fought for the freedom of? their hearths and homes; and who can regard without interest and admiration the heroic struggle they have maintained ? At the present moment we may probably be entering on a great political crisis in the world's history, one which may entail an entire change in all the political and social relations of Asia. The war for the conquest and possession of the Caucasian provinces will probably de cide, whether this change will be effected rapidly by external causes, or gradually by internal development. Such events as are now passing give rise to many great questions, inviting speculation as to their probable solu tion ; hut the ways of Providence are often inscrutable to our weak sight, and the issues of the future are lost in obscurity. If England can succeed in rekindling the fanatical zeal of Islamism, now almost expiring,—ln raising the standard of the Faith, in the person of Schamyl and the principles of Muridism,—in effecting the union of Sunnites and Shiites, Turks and Persians,--if a large English army were to advance from the East Indies and cross the Persain Gulf, whilst a French army landing in Asia Minor were to appear simultaneously on the theatre of war, forming a nucleus for the military organization of the un disciplined Mohammedan masses, —Russia would unques tionably be placed in a very perilous position. But the question is beset with difficulties of extraordinary moment. It is not an easy matter to plant, to form, and to main tain a European army there. On the other hand, supposing the Russians to come off conquerors, and to compel the remains of the European armies to evacuate the country, what power could in such a case arrest their victorious advance ? Unchecked, they would take possession of the entire countries as far as the Persian Galf and the Mediterranean; and, for her own defence, and security against any renewed attack on that side, Russia, would be compelled to annihilate the two great Mahommedan powers ; in which event possibly some temporary satrapies, as Khiva and Bokhara, might be formed. But Russia, once planted on the Mediterra nean, would rule Egypt with an iron hand. This indeed would be the knell of England's power. These commentaries on the aspect of affairs are entitled to profound attention and respect, not merely from those to whose guidance is intrusted the present prosperity and future integrity of the British Empire, but from thinking men of every class and occupation. It is no mere question of passing Cabinet policy—it is one of vital import to the nation in all its multiform and complicated interests. Without committing ourselves, in any way, to a recognition of the principles of a war of policy, apart from one of right included in the Baron's arguments, as stated above, it can be no hazardous course to inculcate a careful under standing of the case which he is putting. The little book presented to the public by the Baron contains much interesting information rela tive to the obdurate and gallant resistance offered by . the Caucasians to Russian aggression, and, of course, treats largely of the exploits of Schamyl. Of the rise of Muridism, the peculiar sect by which the Schamyl war is carried on, and the leading features and animating principles of which are intense and unconquerable hatred of Russia, and ceaseless resistance to Russian sway, he treats largely, showing that it has become, whatever