The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-09 00:00:00

A DEAR BARGAIN.

The Report of General GEORGE 11. THOMAS on
Alaska suggests the question—Has the Re-
public been " sold" by Russia ? The Autocrat is a
deep party, and if we are to believe all we see about
his Government in the Diplomatic Review, both sec-
tions of the Anglo-Saxon race are shuffled by it like
cards in a juggler's hand, diamonds and knaves being
turned up at command, hearts when required being
thrown in for sentiment. It would be a good shuffle
even for the Moscovite to sell to the Union a territory
not only useless, but costly, for around sum in hard
coin, thus killing three birds with one stone. The
first bird is the receipt of a large and needed amount
of money ; the second is the cessation of a heavy
annual outlay; the third is the parade of gratify-
ing the sentiment of a powerful, and to Russia a
friendly, people. But what if the wary Russian
had another and a larger bird in the net? What if
he was using the gold levied from these Repub-
licans to supply what Russia requires to enable
Odessa to beat Chicago as an exporting grain
dd-
pot? The burden of Mr. URQUHART'S song is that
the Government of St. Petersburg has no sympathy
with America, but, on the contrary, heartily detests
the Republic; and admitting that Mr. URQUHART
may have a monomania about R ssia, there is no
denying that he has weighty reasons for what he
says. The Russian system is the very reverse of
the American. It is a concentrated one-man power
whereas the other is the diffused equal rights of all ;
it is a Government of bayonets :and cannon; of
repression and exclusion, conquest and coercion,
against a Government of free-will, with a continual
appeal to the people ; it is a community of serfs,
against a community of Sovereigns. Russia is the
mighty and growing Empire of the East, represent-
ing the Autocratic system ; the Republic upholds
by a still greater and more rapidly increasing power
the Democratic principle of the New World. Both
are great producers of raw material, and both in
some staples are rivals. They are then an Eastern
and a Western Colossus of wholly different struc-
ture, and destined if they near each other to come
into conflict. They have a single aspiration in com-
mon—the desire of a pervading influence over the
world ; but the one can only see the realisation of
this through force and terror ; the other through
the sway of opinion, backed by immense wealth,
strength, and that prosperity which constitutes the
best appeal to follow such a lead. Two nations so
dissimilar can have no real sympathy, and the Wes-
tern farmer will soon. begin to understand the
fact that his estate would be a more remunera-
tive property if it were not for the grain-growing
provinces of Russia. Unquestionably the Russian
farmer has as much right to grow grain as the Ame-
rican has, and the English consumer to purchase
bread-stuff where he can get most for his money.
But the question we ask is, Why should the Illi
nois grain-grower be taxed to furnish the means to
Russia for constructing railways to bring down the
Russian farm produce to Odessa, where it finds a
ready sale to his English and French customers in
competition with his grain. The great object of the
Muscovite is so to construct his iron roads that he
can open fertile tracts to profitable cultivation, and
all the money Russia can spare from her overgrown
armaments is devoted to this purpose. True, Rus-
sia cannot spare much, and perhaps it was this
knowledge which induced the American farmers,
who are really the controlling power in the United
States, to help with a few millions of dollars in
gold, knowing that such a gift would act as a
fillip to Russian credit, enabling their Eastern
rival to raise many millions more on loan. It
may be wise in the Western Powers to lend Russia
every reasonable aid, for the produce raised is
their staff of life, and it is good for them to have
two strings to their bow ; but why should America
help in placing her rival in a position to cut out her
own trade ? If the CZAR has succeeded, not only
in replenishing his exchequer by ridding himself of
au incumbrance, but also in gratifying the national
sentiment of a people to whom he professes friend-
ship, while in reality levying on them a tax to be
used in placing his subjects and their rivals in a
position successfully to compete with their trade,
then he has done a fine stroke of business ; and Mr.
SEWARD, instead of roaming over America as a lion
from Alaska, his dear bargain, to the Halls of the
Montezumas, should creep back with lowered tail, to
the peaceful seclusion of "sweet Auburn." The re-
ceipts of wheat iu England from the United States
have largely increased within the last two years,
doubling each succeeding year, and the flood of the
Mississippi is at present more fully utilised by the
West for the transport. The question is now coming
prominently up, Chicago and St. Louis versus Odessa.
The distance of the latter port from England is
asserted to be 4,200 miles, while the distance of the
Mississippi from England is less, but involving
more railroad transport. Considerable attention is
now directed to expediting the carriage by water
from the Prairie States, and the subject was brought
forward for discussion at the Louisville Commercial
Convention, lately in session. They earnestly re-
commend improvements in the Mississippi and its
tributaries, more especially the construction of
canals, and the Governors of several States have
recently met to concert measures for bringing the
Mississippi into connection with Lake Michigan by
a canal, utilising for the purpose the rivers through
Illinois. The recent competition of the great railway
corporations for the control of the Western trade has
helped the farmers in bringing their produce at a
cheap rate to the seaboard. But this will not con-
tinue ; indeed if it ends, as is usually the case, a
combination of the rival lines will be the result
against the public, when a period of high charges will
supervene. There will assuredly soon be a sharp com-
petition between the East and the West to supply
grain to the densely-peopled nations of Western Eu-
rope and the Republic comprehends the fact that,
weighted as she is, it will be necessary not to carry,
a pound more than she can avoid, and to avail her-
self, not only of her natural advantages, but to
supplement these by every artificial means the skill
of her engineers can devise, and the energy and
wealth of her citizens can carry out. But while
there are reasons to justify Mr. SEWARD in his puts.
chase of Alaska, the Union should be slow in sup-
plying Russia with money to be used in developing
her resources, so as to enable that despotism to run
an opposition against the citizens of the Republic.
—Anglo-American Times.

* The Associated Press gives the following summary of
the General's Report to the Secretary of War:—The Ge-
neral thinks the principal if not the only present value of
the new territory is in the effect its transfer to the United
States will have upon loosing the hold of England upon
British Columbia. He thinks that the sending of revenue
and other civil officials there is a useless expense, as the
only benefit will be to those who draw the salaries. He also
thinks that the military posts should be reduced, as the
expense of supplying them is enormous, and the cost of
keeping up the civil service will very far exceed the re-
venue collected. The territory was a constant burden to
Russia, and she held it at great expense, simply for the
benefit of the fur company. There is no probability of
any emigration in that direction, as there is not the slight--
est inducement for any. Two mines of valuable minerals
have been discovered which would pay to work. There
is plenty of timber and coal, but plenty of as good quality
and easier of access can be had a thousand miles south of
the territory. There has been no change in trade on the
part of our merchants ; the few houses engaged in it be-
fore the purchase still continue. The fur trade of the
interior must continue to be carried on by the natives.
Its agricultural region has no value whatever. Grain
cannot be raised, and the few vegetables that can be pro-
duced rot if not used within a few weeks. The super-
abundance of rain and the great lack of sun preclude the
idea of any profitable cultivation of the soil. Stock raising
for obvious reasons cannot be carried on.

Washington reports a tale of political woe.
James Murth owns a cart. A Washington supervisor
employed him to do work for the city, paying him with
tho public money, in return for which Murth's wife sup-
plied the supervisor with eggs, chickens, and milk, free of
charge. This happy exemplification of political economy
continued for three months, when, according to Murth's
affidavit, "finally his chickens, or the balance of them,
were stolen, and about the same time his cow became dry
and refused to give milk. Affiant, owing to this, was
unable to supply said Crano longer with milk and chickens
ar4 upon his failing so to do, his horse and cart were at,
once dismissed from the corporation work by said John
11. Crane."

BREAKFAST.—.BIFFS'S GOUDA.— GRATEFUL AND COM-
FORTING.—The very agreeable character of this prepara-
tion has rendered it a general favourite. The Civil Service
Gazette remarks :—" The singular success which Mr. Epps
attained by his homoeopathic preparation of cocoa has
never been surpassed by any experimentalist. By a
thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the
operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful ap-
plication of the fine properties of well selected cocoa, Mr.
Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately
flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doc-
tors' bills." Made simply with boiling water or milk.
Sold only in tin-lined packets, labelled JAMES En's and
Co., liommopathic Chemists, London.