Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-02-19
HIS TOR ICAL
From the New York Evangelist.
Present Aspects Of Russia.
NO A
BY REV. JOHN S. c. ARRoTr.

Much has been written of late years in the English
newspapers respecting the reforms which pervad
ing the Ottoman empire. And it is true that the late
Sultan Mahmoud put on frock coat, and drank cham
pagne, and dressed the ladies of his harem in the Ia
test fashions of the Paais Royal and the Thuileres
But no new motive of action has been called into be-
ing; no dormant energy awakened. The Turk still doz-
es upon his dvan slipping his coffee and smoking his
pipe and as ioEresses and provinces of his country
fall into the hands of the Russians he eXclams "Masl
Allah" God is great and quietly re-ights his pipe
The cross will soon supplant the crescent the dome
of st. Sophia.
One plan strenuously urged by some of the English
Journalists to arrest the appalling increase Of the Rus
sian power, is the last resort of desperation. They say,
the present moment is crisis of awful import to every
nation on the globe-that unless something is done
speedily and ehectually Russia must become the
undsputed mistress of the world They urge that all
the power of the British navy be Immediately collected,
that force its way through the Helespont and the
Bosphorus into the Black Sea, utterly annhilate the
Russian navy, plough up the very foundations of Sc
vastapoo, and burn every dock-yard of the Emperor.
But to this it is replied, will not the civilized world,
and indeed the English nation, r out against so wan
ton an outrage? Will they not ask, what right has
England thus to wage against nation which stu
diousy avoids every act Of provoca0n, Or dis
courtesy towards her? And again. it is not the pleas
ant pastme of summers day, even for the British
navy, to destroy wel-built and well-armed Russian
feet manned with thirty thousand troops, having been
for many years exercised in nautical discipline and
warfare. The result Of such conflict would be- to
say the least, extremely doubtful.
And then Sevastapool, ground whose Notifications
twelve thousand men have been constantly employed
for many years. to render the post regnabe, is not
to be battered down by few hot shot from an English
frigate. The hostile navy, be it large, which
floats within the range of the guns of that fortress
must have a very uncomfortable position And in fine
as Russia has already virtual possession Of the Oar
daneles, probably at the very first demonstration Of
war, the banks of the lelespont, from the Medera-
mean TO tho Sea Of Marmora, would be bristling with
Russian cannon, and thronged with Russian troops and
the whole British navy would be destroyed before it
had forced its way a dozen miles in the passage of the
strait.
Quite recently, Russia and England appeared as
allies to sustain the tottering power of the youthful
Sultan of Turkey against his vigorous antagonist Me-
hemet Ali, viceroy Of Egypt and conGGoror of Syria
Into the political mazes of this subject we have moi
now time to enter. We may, however, briefly remark
that France refused to enter into this alliance against
the warlke chieftain of Egypt, the safety Of he
Colony in Agers is quite dependant upon the friend
ship of Mehemet Ali. His ounity is a more immcdi
ate bject of dread to France, than the remote en-
croachments of the great despots Of the North France
endeavo therefore, at all hazards, to keep the peace
with the monarch of Egypt England; however, has
nothing to fear from the anger of Mehemet ALI aid is
determined if possible, to preserve the Turkish EN-
pire from destruction that that empire may oppose al
obstacle to the encroachments of Russia. She there
fore sent her fleet to batter down the cities of Mehem
ct Ali and thus she compelled the proud Egyptian tt
Genounce all claim upon the province Of Syria, which
he had vanqushed and oveun, and to restore the ia
Wy Of Mahmoud which he had taken and triumphant!
anchored in his own harbors. In this enterprise Aus
tria, with lukewarm zeal, feebly co-operated. Ant
Nicholas also, anxious to retain his ascendency III tn
Turkish councils, and to retain the friendship OF tn
Dardaneles, very zealously lent his feet to help hi
good friend the Sultan. These were the main inhuen
ces which directed the movements of the fleets ant
armies, which short time ago were lowering aroun
the shores of the Mediterranean, and filling the soil
tudes of Syria with the dscordant din of war
Europe has once been Oyerrun with northern hordes
There is 40 little danger that it may be again. 1t
difficult to where the power Is 10 arise, which
etfecualy to arrest the progress of Nicholas. In tn
short limits of few newspaper articles, but very fee
BILE justice be done to SUBJECT so momentous, an
so extensive ii It's bearings as that which we have nov
been considering But if we have succeeded in gyin
general view of the sub iect which agitates Ell
rope and if we have touched upon those points
this sub which may be the topics of future though
and conversation, and if, in fine, one new emotion
gratitude to God may be excited in the readers hear
vading armies, and from the ambition of kings an
courts, one great object of these communications wi
have been accomplished,