Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-01-29
HISTORICA AL.
From the New York Evangelist.
Present Aspects Of Russia,
Nvn
NO. |.
BY REV. JOHN s. c. ABBOTT.

tSANob IA A4lARldnuy ullu luucGu VIII Ill luh1u luCu
throughout the continent of Europe, than what is cal
led the Eastern Question. Russia and England are
now playing as important a political game, as ever ex-
cited the Eastern Hemisphere. Russia, with an am
bition which knows no bounds, with resources almost
inexhaustible, with secret policy intriguing at every
court in Europe, seeks to extend her territory over all
of central Asia, and to outvie ancient Rome in the ex-
tent Of her dominions and IN the majesty of her pow
er.
England trembles at the gigantic acquisitions of her
great northern rival. She sees, with a degree of dread
which she can neither appease nor conceal, the Rus
sian power crowding closer and closer upon her East
Indian possessions, and ~contemplates with irrepressi-
Bile anxiety the rapidly increasing navy of the autocrat,
threatening soon to supersede her in her ancient sove-
reignty Of the seas. To thwart the designs of Russia
is now the great object of English diplomacy. And
there is at the present time a contest going on between
these two powers, which, though it has excited but lit
tie attention on this side Of the Atlantic, is an alien
crossing subject Of interest in every cabinet of Europe.
The Russian dominions now compose about one
seventh of the hehitable globe, extending from the
Baltic sea, across the whole breadth Of EurOpc and Of
Asia, to Bheering's straits; and from the eternal ices Of
the northern pole to the sunny cline of the pOmegIan-
ate and the fig. The Emperor Nicholas reigns with
unlimited sway over about seventy millions of the hui
man family a population considerably exceeding that
of England, France, and the United States combined.
- AbN - AiiAitio NOhohIlIE "a EhlSC IlllOiD VI
armed and respectfully disciplined men. He had a
standing army of highly disciplined troops, many of
them veterans in the ~hardships and horrors of war,
consisting Of one million of men, two hundred thou
sand of these being cavalry, perhaps unsurpassed by
any other body of mounted troops in the world. His
navy, consisting Of forty or fifty ships of the line, with
frlgates, sloops, floating batteries and gun boats al
most without number, is now manned by about sixty
thousand men, daily exercised in all the arts of war.
IND the SbOrnS Of tha E1vino aOd tho Rolfio ipoaCCont
ly reused with the blows of the ship carpenter, as
month after month new ships are launched upon their
waters. The annual revenue of the Emperor is about
fifty millions ofdolars. Such is the gigantic power
now overshadowing the north of Europe, and apparent
y aiming at the sovereignty of the world.
The Emperor Nicholas is about %forty-fve years of
age, in the very prime of his intellectual and physical
vigor. He is, in all respects, one of the most extraor-
binary men now on the busy stage of life. 1t is said
that he is in form and feature one of the handsomest
men OH the continent of Europe. Lord Londonderry
who not long ago returned from a visit to his court,
says that if all the seventy millions, who compose the
subjects of the Emperor of Russia, were assembled to-
gether, Nicholas is the one, who, from his commanding
Ggurc, AIS symmetrical ana intellectual features, and
his %princely bearing, would be selected, from them all
as formed by the God of nature for their chieftain. His
mind is ofthe highest order, uniting in that wonderful
combination which made Napoleon the master spirit
VI Ills aye, Je COlIlDTbIGuSNGHe Vi luG HAL Vi 3Gililo,
with the practical mans mnutest acquaintance with
details. He is alike at home everywhere, in the army,
in the navy, in the cabinet. His diplomatic corps is
by general consent, the ablest in Europe. In England,
as in America, a man IS appointed to an important
mission, not because he is the most suitable man, but
because there are certain interests which must be con
%ciiated, or particular friends who must be rewarded.
But Nicholas feels none of these trammels. He reigns
in unlimited d%espotism. Dukes and Barons are moth
,uA l.. H., H., 80 II. ,a,o ,,rS, ,4lou 90
where he was born. Looking simply at the qualiica-
tons of the individuals selected as the instruments of
his government, he has gathered around him from all
the nations of Europe the most brilliant and compre-
hensive talent, and no cabinet in the Eastern hems-
phere is probably equal to the associated diplomatists
of Nicholas.
The favored plan of Russia, which has never for a
moment been lost sight Of since first projected by the
d~issolute and ambitious Catherine, is to found unjver-
sal dominion by the monopoly of the ommerc be-
tween Europe and Asia. 70 do this, she must first SO
extend and strengthen her central power, as to have
nothing to fear from the other nations Of Europe. She
must SO enlarge and perfect her navy as TO wrest from
the hands of Great Britain the sceptre Of the ocean,
and she must subjugate Turkey, and make CONSTANT
nople her third capital, and fortify her Gibraltar's rock
at the Dardanelles.
Towards the accomplishment of these projects, she
is advancing in a career triumphant, rapid and appl-
rently r~esistess. BY diplomatic intrigue and the pow
er of her armies, Russia had succeeded in bringing a
large portion of the Empire of Poland under her con-
troll. The Poles manifested some restiveness under
the yoke, and made an effort to regain their ancient
independence. The imperial %autocrat poured into the
Inflated territory his ~resistless armies, They swept
over Poland with hurricane fury. One wild shrek Vi
brated upon the ear of Europe, so deep and piercing
that it even passed the Atlantic wave and rolled along
our shores, and Poland was no more. Her armies
-z -z- H.. - H. - CT
rian exile. Ter cities and villages became the prop
erty of Russia. Her population of twenty millions of
inhabitants were transformed into the subjects Of the
grasping c%onqueror, to swell his armies and to fight
his battles and her annual revenue Of twenty millions
of dollars was cmptied into his Overlooking treasury.
The Empire of Sweden lies the western shore ofthe
Baltic sea. 1t would be convenient for Nicholas to
have possession of the whole coast. 1t is said that
Russian gold has already bought up the influence Of
her leading mobiles and statesmen. And there is now
in Sweden a powerful party, even with the King HIM
self at their head, who openly advocate the annexation
of their territory to the powerful Empire upon whose
border they lie. They say that it is far better for them
to become assimilated with this majestic nation, to
share its glory and its power, than to be an independent
but feeble empire, which may at any moment be in
undated with Russian troops. Thus Sweden virtually
belongs to Russia. Her monarch is but the viceroy of
Nicholas, to do his bidding in the furtherance of all his
plans.
And Norway, a narrow strip of land washed by
the German ocean, is left unmolested, simply because
she is not worth possessing. Her cold and cherries
wastes, inhabited by a population of but about a mill
ion, without a navy and with hardly the shadow of an
army, only add to the interior strength of that power
ful monarch, who can fill her whole territory with Rus
sian subjects whenever it shall be his will. Thus the
stormy waves of the German ocean are the only real
limits to the power of Nlchalas OH the West.
of nc NON, tnu, 10 tlo G,at furl uoto tbn aconiei-
tons of this gigantic empire in that direction. There
is a large promontOry juttlng into the Black sea from
the North, called the Crimea. The possession of this
promontory is important to any power that would con-
troll the commerce of the Black sea. Turkey owned
it. Russia wanted it. She took it. And when Tur-
key demonstrated, Nicholas very significantly pointed
to his guns and his troops, and advised the Sultan to
keep quiet. Mahmoud took the hint, and exercised
discretion, that " better part Of valor."
Sevastapool, on the southern shore of the Crimea,
is now the naval depot of the Euxine feet. Here an
immense navy, manned by thirty thousand seamen,
rides proudly, armed and provisloned, ready to unmoor
at a moments warning for any expedition of aggran-
disement. For many years Nicholas has had twelve
tbo,,sond man CONSTANTLY amnlOvnd in throwinp I'm FIR