Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-11-06
THE POLICY OF RUSSIA.

hser.
That which merits the deepest attention
in the policy of the Russian government
is exhibited in the art OF assimilating con-
quered nations with the empire Since The
times of Rome, whose laws seem to have
been planned for the conquest of the
world, no country has been constituted
like Russia, tor the extension and the pre-
servation OF its acquisitions. Russia, like
Rome, having perceived it necessary to
form Der empire OF crowd OF nations Dis
fering in religion, manners and language,
has established rule allowing 10 each all
those things which are held desrer than
political existence. Thus ali religions are
equally tolera,ed--psy more, they are
equally protected. Their iexercisess is
public and peaceable, even in those parts
oil the empire inhabited by people of diff
ferent faiths. Each religion has its owa
temples, affairs and ministers. In Peters
burg for example, are erected places of
worship for Greeks, Jews, Roman Catho-
lies and Proiesiants in al their varieties OF
Lutherans CaMinsts, &c. In the south.
ern provinces lsIanism is freely protested
by those who obeyed the law of Mabomet
before they were reduced 10 the Russian
government. In the East there are still
idDlaters, and the government does not
prosecute their idolatry; we'll knowing
that 10 the course oftime by he progress
of improvement, men will rise of them.
selves to purer belief-to system bet
ter fitted to our nature, and less opposed to
the majesty of the Creator,
Russia never attempts violent measures
to make conquered nations forget the Ian,
guage of their ancestors; that intellectual
inheritance with which are always con-
nected so many delightful recoIlectjons
and hereditary virtues: but the govern.
nent trusts to the insensible but effCacious
operation of those relative circumstances
winch render it for the interest of every
man to learn the language of his conquer
or, particularly when that conqueror is adj
vauc ing with bold strides along the path
of civilization. With these circumstances
also are combined all those which flow
from the intercourse Of men drawn from
different nations. and assembled ia the
same camps, under the same standards;
and finally all the motives OF ambition and
the hope Of private or public fortune,
which, sooner or later. induce the con-
quered to acquire and to employ alone the
language of The conqueror.
1t is farther permitted TO every people
to preserve its own customs and manners.
The Tartar. are allowed to fight, as they
have done ever since the times OF the Par
thians and Scythians; the government hav-
oh
bodies of this irregular cavalry, to place
them in The ranks oil the imperial guard,
to offer them as a model 10 the barbarous
bands. which by degrees have learnt all
that was necessary to increase their force
in discipline and exercise. Already 40
600 Cossa cks on the border OF the Don
and Danube are organised into regular
mounted lsncers, and other light armed
troops, with well-mounted and wel.ma-
nsged light artillery. This immense boz
dy of cavalry, ready at the first signal to
march in body, lives encamped in ter
ri,ory which furnishes them With the me-
cessaries Of subsistence.
Military enthusiasm is The ruling passion
among these tribes, who have heretofore
never known any other path TO renowu
than that OF battle. When The French ar
my had penetrated into the interior OF
Russia in 1919, this body of Tartar caval-
ry rose like one man, took up their line OF
march in a terrible winter, hungry lor
their prey, and pursued without pity the
victims Of deyouring climate Com-
panions! = they would cry to each other,
enraged at the valor OF our soldiers even IN
the midst of their misery and nakedness;
: Companions what shame it will be
70 lis It we leave these skeletons TO rise
from their graves and escape US! And
go saying, they would throw themselves
upon the remsns OF our phalanxes with
redoublad fury. This is the support
which Russia may rely upon obtaining IN
time of need from the most unclyljIzed
part OF her population
We mus. therefore acknowledge this
disagreeable but nconeslible truth, which
is forced upon US by an examination into
the state OF things, that from the Baltic 10
the Adriatic-from the mouths OF The Cat
taro 10 that OF the Vistula, the unhappy
system adopted by the great Germanlc
powers iriesistibIy urges the inhabitants
of an immense zone OF provinces to stretch
out their arms towards The Muscovite do
minioD. Germany has bat one way to es-
cape the danger which threatens her; and
that is to initiate Russia in the depth Of
her views aud the generosity of her mea-
sures towards her subjects.
{NsTALLATION.vw
On the Gath inst. the Rev. William |.
Armstrong was installed Pastor OF the lst