The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-05-06

Bv reference to the above table, it will be seen
that Sc 900 600, nearly the whole population, is
contained within less than one-third of the entire
territory. 1t is only among the hunters of Siberia,
or the Cossacks of the Don that are to look for
any individual independence In all other parts OF
the empire the laborng classes in state OF ser
yitude. The great extent to which the system of
slavery exists may be estimated from the fact that
while the mobiles number 691 1885, a 800 0C0 of the
people are serfs. OF this amount almost half, or
81 900 900 are the property of the crown; the re-
mander belong to the nobility. The number be-
longing to the Gar has been gradually increasing
since the time of Peter the Great, who made the
first successful effort to ameorate the condition of
the people, and restrain the power of the mobiles.
Since the reign of that great monarch, the interest
of the sovereign has been linked to that Of the peo-
ple and there has been a continual contest between
the crown and the aristocracy, in which, fortu-
natey success has generally inclined towards the
former. In order that it may be seen which of
these favors the people, it is only necessary to
state that the serfs belonging to the crown are but
in a condition of predial and partial servtude,
while those who the property of the nobility are
in state of absolute slavery it is even believed
that the Emperor has had it in contemplation to
liberate all his serfs, and he very probably would
have already done it not for his fears of the
nobility who have invariably opposed every
form in the Government, and every attempt to inn
prove and enlighten the people.
Russia is frequently accused of Unsuitable lust Of
territory and desire to aggrandiZe herself at the
expense of others, Yet we doubt whether she is
more liable to this reproach than France, or Eng
land, any of the great powers of the world. One
thing, however, is certan-that in every territorial
acquisition made by her, the people have been ele-
vated and the turbulent aristocracy repressed. If
the empire were to be discovered, either by in
ternal CONFUSION external violence, the different
provinces would only relapse into their original
state of feudal submission to the mobiles. The at
tempt to revive the independence of Poland may or
may not be successful, but in any event the West
of Europe may be considered secure from Russian
invasion; its people have advanced beyond despot-
ism-bevond even constitutional monarchy-it re-
mains to be seen whether they have become worthy
of republicansm.
But the tide of Muscovite conquest is only divert
ed, not checked it will overrun the decrepit king
dom of Persia, and, sweeping southwark, will at
last overtop the lofty Himmalaya, and burst like
deluge upon British India.
The military power of Russia, by many greatly
exaggerated, by others as greatly deprecated, is
about upon an equality with the establishments Of
the other European nations The regular army
owes its origin to the same genius to whom all the
greatness of Russia may be traced. Before the
reign of Peter the Great the only military force of
the empire consisted of the Stretzes, a band of
turbulent and licentous soldiery, resembling the
Janizaries of the Turks or the Pretorians of the
aof.l Il l.
been a fruitful source of evil and anarchy, when
Peter, seeing the danger which would result to the
nation from their further existence, determined to
suppress them. The design carried into
cution, and a regular army formed. The good
effects of this soon felt in the battle
of PultoWa, which is said to have been the first
victory the Russians ever gained over regular
troops twas that battle which crushed the power
of Charles XII, of Sweden, and gave to Russia the
preponderance in the North. At the death of Peter,
the army amounted to 10000 men. During the
reign of Catherine H. it was increased to 100000.
1t now consists of six corps darmee of $4,000 each,
being $4,000 infantry and 1000 cavalry and artil
lery; corps of guards, 57,000 a corps of grena-
diers, 81 900; cavalry corps of 10000; and two
independent corps, one in Siberia and the other in
Caucasus, being 10000 total of 594 200 men
and 74O pieces of artillery. This does not include
the irregular Asiatics, or the Cossacks of the Don.
1t is an immense force, yet it is only the peace
establishment, and is not more than one per cent.
of the population. The recent events in the west
of Europe together with the attempt at revolution
in Poland, will no doubt cause large increase in
the Russian army. Yet, although she is invulner-
able at home, her power westward has reached its
limit. A collision may take place, and the struggle
may be long, obstinate and bloody but it will leave
both parties i'll the same relative position, though
exhausted by the fury of the contest, Western
Europe can never return to despotism-the Sca-
vonians are not yet prepared for democracy: they
must first pass through the intervening stages of
feudalism, absolutism and constitutional monarchv
WHAT MEANS 1T "A great many of the demo-
cratic papers are publishing biographies of Levi
Woodbury..
VERY SoFT.-The most of the staunch party
papers, on the Democratic side, are bostering up
Gen. Pillow.
" The Democrats have done better than the