Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-11-20
Maratime hsignifcanee Of Russia

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work has Just been published relative 10 Russia
in which the author endeavours to show that
many important consequences might arise II
that power was to direct her attention to the
Navy. "If," says the author, "R1ssta, ai'er
making herself mistress Of Cons'an'inople and
the Bosphorus, were 10 develope all that mara.
time force Of which she is capable, who could
resist a nation equally formidable by sea and
by land! The ports OF St bastopol and Cons'an-
,inople are the finest in Europe; and il would
be very easy for the Russian Government to
organize as large a feet as it might require;
wood, ropes, pitch, iron, brass, nails, and zine,
are very abundant there, apd at an excessively
low price. Greece would furnish her with sal
lors; and that credit which The victorious party
never wants, would enable her to procure as
much money, as she required" These ooser-
vations lead to The question, whether Russia
does, in fact possess Indictments Of a maritime
power? and we say decidedly no. Her mari
time system is purely military, which distin'
guishcs II from other nations, and prevents her
from making any piogress. She has scarcely
any mere hant vessels, and the number OF these
which have passed the Sound within a lew
years past, scarcely exceeds two hundred. LIE
Russian flag is scarcely ever seen in the Medi-
,erranean. II as the author contends, the low
price Of freight and materials has given Rus-
STA such advantages as TO destroy opposition,
how is il that she has not turned them 10 bet
ter account! and how is j, that her own COM
merce is almos, exclusively in the hands o! flor
eigners? IL is because a people bent under the
weight of servitude, cannot raise its ideas a
bove the globe to which it is attached. 10 at
tain a superiority in marine affairs, it is neces~
sary that the highest. degree Of civilization &
hhe rty Short1H syisI. IL &c an unIuuhIed TACT.
that the prosperity Of navigation is, and always
has been, proportioned 10 he instruction and
enlightened state Of a people; &, unless a com
plete social revolution should take place, Rus
STA. will never have a navy. The arming OF
national vessels is mixed up with patriotism,&
is a sou rec Of ostenla,ion; il is the means by
which merchants give power 10 their country
and enrich themselves. II is fact, that in
1926, the departure Of a Russian vessels from
Petersburg forAlexandria, with a freight Of ma
tional productions, was celebrated as an extras
ordinary event. This circumstance will give
an idea Of military marine, with no merchant
vessels, served by ignorant peasants, totally un.
acquainted with navigation. Nothing is more
whimsical than the mode adopted by Catharins
ii. TO supply the defect OF a maratime popula-
ton. She transplanted from the sea Of Azow
thousands Of serfs, who were employed alter
nately in filling the land, and in the naval ser.
vice; and this system very much re semble the
plan Of colonization imagined by the Emperor
Alexander, in order 10 recruit the army by land.
The Cazarine wished TO have in the Black Sea
fifteen vessels Of the line, eighteen lriga,es, and
a proportiona'e number oil smaller vessels; but
the Government have not even this Indifferent
force a, the present day This being the case,
j. i se.gra Sc jjplasiqea aasatSo&gG6Ife ffaf iHto rs sai RSss
particularly %asopposed to such powers as Eng
land aud France. French paper.