New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-06-01
From BIsck
CIRCASSIA.

Iuxisc. This position nearly determines tnt
character Of its climate, intoierably bot IN the
valleys in summer, and intoleraby cold on the
moun,aintop, in winter; yet exhibiting alrao.'
tropical luxuIiance in the more sheltered parts,
and displaying in all seasons that richness AID
vastness Of land cape which belongs to Alpine
countries. This position probably determines,
too, the character OF The people. he inhabitants
Of hill countries have always had bolder indi-
vidual Temperament than those Of IN" plans.
though they have nearly always been ultimately
su5ducd by the people OF the plains evidently OF
the prime pie, that united force i 10 conquer
in the end while the disunion OF mountain tribe
always makes them a prey in succession Where
they have tn rood sense 10 make common cause
the result has been Of another order and the
Swiss have often made their in, aders rue the hour
when inev trode tn, rough soil Of the Hclvetian.
Circassia, from time to time has greatly varied
its nominal boundaries, but It's real are defined bl
nature. Its exact northern limit Is now the steppe
along the river kuban Georgia closes il on the
south Daghistan, region rude rs ITSELF but
much more sterile marks It's extent eastward and
its west coast continually borders the Black Sea.
All semI-barbariaDs imagine themselves the orr
ginal possc,sors OF the soil, though they may not,
like the athcnians declare themselves to be ra,scd
from acorns-tha, happy hit reserved for the
civilized. But whatever might have been the
primal savagcs Of this wild region, its pos-essnrs
at a very early period were Just, as might be cx
pected from is locality between Two seas, and
Two fertile aud pcpulous countries. a miscellany OF
thieves, slaves, pirates, and plund"rcrs. BY then
little boats they performed in the Black Sea the
same ieats winch the scandinavian. in their ship,
performed on the waters that wash Europe. The
reign of robbery lasted until they came in contact
with master of the trade. Rome, suffering no
rival ia the art of rapine taught them the morality
&C, l,,ak. lt,itt n.
TONER, and the Circassians, under a hundred yari
Gus names. were all sent to school by the Roman
sword We hasten Sut of this classic period,
which generally makes up for It's clascaliiy by IT.
duncss, and stride down dozen centuries with
out any renOrsc, leaving Lucullus and MIthrdate-
to settle their claims to the merit of which had
sent the greater numbers of the mountainecr chief
to E,sum. and caring no for the exploits
Of that rather overraed person, Pompey, than foT
the pacific spirit of the Gar Nicholas himself
The modern history of the Circassans begins
with the descent Of the Turks upon the lettering
strength of the Greek empire. The Turk drove
the Greek before him the hound drives the deer,
and with nearly ihc result. The Greek
fortunate it he escaped being up the spot,
and, If he did SO. it only 10 BE- dcy0ured NJ
leisure. But the business of the InrkOman
not TO waste his time in driving hardy savases 10
the necessity of dying with swords in their hands.
he had more attractive game in robbDg the
easily-robbcd Greek, and a land scapc more CON
genial his in the shades of the olive groves
aud vineyards Of Ionia, the cool and lovely
shores of the sea of Marnora and the Mcditcira-
mean. Not taking the trouble 10 fight the noun
taineerS for the possession Of rocks he established
traffic with them for their daugl and TN.
singular European slave trade has lasted nearly
unbroken for four hundred wears; and startling y
!, 4. nj La, f,ol,n =,
the only slave-,rade since the Dcuse that has been
popular with both parties. The Circassian parents
rear handsome daughters for expectation, as far
mcrs rear calves ard chickens But the daughters
themselves are not merely conscnting parties, they
look forward to their sale a. prcermcnt, speculate
upon i, for wears beforehand and, in case OF
failure, suffer pretty much the chagiin of a can
dida,e for the place. who finds that neither coun-
try, city, borough, will allow him insinuate
bis claims to be purchased by the best bidder. The
whole coast of the Black Sea and the ncig hboring
countries of Georgia ard, perhaps ia earlier days.
Armenia, the nursery Of these sultana slaves :;
but their style and beauty different. The
Crcassisn, Twin. in the mountains, had the gene
ral fairness of the mountain, but frequently the
mould of the Tnrar countesancc: the Georgian
living more To the south, was more daughter of
the sun--hcr features were Asatc and the mag
niudc OF the Georgian eve, and the richness of
the Georgian complexion, and the grace of the
Georgian form, were the theme of all the bard, of
Constaniuoplc The Circassian however, found
admirers for her snowy phvsiosncmy; and the
question of beauty still, ike all the other great
questions" of the earth remains undecided 1t +,
10 the crcdi, of the Russian govcrnmesf-and it Is
its only title 70 credit IN these counlrcs-ihat il
has discounienanccd this uuwarraniablc trade
wherever it could and the Turks complain Bit
tcrly oi the irtcrpo>ition. The Russian claim to
CircaS>ia rests upon what il calls the Turkish
possession Of the country made blythe treaties
which concluded the last war. But tie Turks
could not give what they had got, and the
consequence has been bitter succession of Skin
mishcs or their operation, are seldom NOR
than shooting at each other from behind bu,hc.
and walls. but with perpetual los, Of life. and an
inccs drain of Russian gold. The Turk certaislv
could NOT have left monc vexatous legacy to hi,
enemy nor the Russian have more experimental,
lett the awkwarlness of d" catching a Tartar"
Inc CueasSian> were evidently independent
throughout The whole long period from the fall OF
the Greek empire TO the supremacy of the Turkish.
Even then. the Acknowledgement, was b,, ,r,A;,,
it was the kind of acknowledgment, which NOM.
tainccrs, with arms in their hands pay TO a mower
whose seventies they defy, whose oxaction, tho,
refuse, bu whose alliance they allow SO far as !,
is convenient About ia, they allowed the
Turks 10 build two t,-tnapa and Sandiank
koli--oa their shore. bat simply dcpo Cor Incr.
chaudizc and 10 protect the dealers from being
robbed by the more awlc>> portion of their com
munity. But the clans kept W their independence
IN the old way BY showing them>elvc, ready t. DO
battle ior Il whcuc,cr there were any symptoms
oi IT. mole,iariou. \ Turkish tax-gaihcrer, who
ven'uted 70 " raise the sspplie,' league beyond
the forts. was sum To be sho, or flung down some
prciPice; and the Turks were f1lly In
formed on the subject. that the attempt was made
no more Even for their llite show OF sovereignty.
they paid handsome price. The Pa>ha received