The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1852-03-09
"a - From the New York Time
Russia and Poland.
A LEcruRx-nY Docroa BAIRD.

day. ltS suOIect was huSsid anu Totanu, tUoi
history. biography. human, natural and politi
cal positions; and with roth il may be said, ita
no person who has travelled lhrongh thos,
counrries,c can be better qualified to do justice rt
the subject.
He began by calling the attention Of the au
dence In the vast extent OF the Russian EN-
pre, embracing. as j, did, about half as mucf
as the half Of Europe. Its surface was so tile-
| what rocky, with some exceptions. ltrosses
| ses territory Ia great extent on our own con-
,ineni and Nova Zembla. lis population now
| is abou, 67.0O0,00O. 5,000.0O0 oi whom are il
| Europe The northern part Of Russia io Eu
rope is very barren, and narshy and rocky. be-
ing lakey and low. The southern parr is san.
dy, aud through which ruus the ,Volge, Don
Med and Niesta. Four ofthe rivers 10 Russil
flow in one direction, and foor in an opposite
| No part of the world is as level as Rnssia-be-
| ing the lowest country 10 Europe. IL you were
to level il of. it would be only thirty five fec
above the sea. According 10 Hnmboil. il woe
take materials from Central Europe, and South
! ern Europe in particular. 10 make il six hun
dred feet above The level OF the sea. q
As to the early history of Russia, IL Is invol-
we'd in great obscnriry. Rome never conquer
ed any part other. She was inpenetrabe by
the Romans. The Greeks. however, planted
| colonies in The Southern part Of Russia beiore
tie Christian Era: and hence Civilization in the
Sonthern part of Russia advanced in the ages
which followed The advent of our Saviour But
by The nrup,ons of Tartars and barbarisns
Greek civilization Disappeared; and, whei. again
il iis foot upon Russian soil, instead of South
il showed itself in the Nor,h--especiaily al ST.
Peersbureh. Scyrhis. was, according to the
idea or the Romans, filled with various tribes.
who lived ih tents, and whose Occupation was
sporting and fishing. These tribes were con
stantiy at war with each other. The only way
in which the Greeks and Romans got any intel
ligence from the Scyihians was from travellers
In the fifth century, according TO the Rus
sian historians. a Sclavouic trlbe obtained pre-.
ponderance over the rest. The G0vernmen,
was established az Keiff .sf a-G f1 a.t.1 8l
The Russians obiained their Christianity
from Couslafainople. 10 the process Of time,
The Russians embraced the Greek faith. Alrea.
dy had the schisms taken place between the
Greek Church and the Latin Church. There
was no essential difference between the creeds
II the two churches. The Greek Church, how
ever. has no infalliable head. Ii had monks
until Peer the Great put an end to that busi-
ness They administered the sacrament To the
iairey, and 10 the infants when sick To get them
well, aud 10 the well. that they might get sick.
The cfameni Of the Priest was given ajusi
as you wonh give gfuel TO children. The
doctrine Of purgatory is not adhered 10 a.
s,rougly as by the Roman Catholics. though
The Greek Church has the Seven Ceremonies
the same as the Latin Church. There is +
beIter foundation fot the work of Reformation
than there is in The Latin Church. because they
ave opposed 10 giving the people the Scriptures.
The Greek church prevailed in RUSSIA. A,
the same time. anothar branch Of the Snlava-
t.I ~,
where now stands the cuy of Warsaw. Po-
Iand remained independent for time; and the
Poles made more Progress in civilization than
did the Russians, sending missionaries abroad.
Sc. .ra iHiH1 rtap e.Ensr ai rau
The cause uf The orig inal feuds between the
Two nations lies in the fact that the Poles were
Roman Catholics. while fhe Russians belonged
~ the Greek Church. Religion was al the
bottom oi il The Poles advanced faster in
civilization, because they were nearer 10 Ger
many. and had many wars with the Germans,
especially with the 'reu,onic knights. OH
To come down further in tho history Of
these countries Keiif ceased 10 he part of
Russia in helat,er part ofthe w elIih century.
"A man by the name Of Gorge funded IN. city
of Moscow and transferred The seat Of Govern
,neni Ia illa, city from Keiff % niii
The Cry of Moscow con,ains 400, 900 inhab-
itants, a pant being Of wood, few buildings Of
brick. II is very level, and. though lying in a
basin, you would scarcely perceive it, II is
surrounded by ridge of hills, over which the
French came. Moscow was burned in 1879,
after the Frcrch had taken possession of -
il was set on fire after that. BoNAPARrE Ought
not TO have let them do that. IL vas their
nature 10 burn whatever they left behind them,
and Russians have wondered that anv body
should have thought there was any great meI-
il in that affair. Nine-tenhs Of the civ were
burned. BoNAPARrE had enough 10 put four
or five men in every house, and thus have pre-
vented such n catastrophe. There are no ru-
ins 10 be seen, the city has been completely re-
built.
The chief charm Of the place is the Kremliu.
Some Prince found hill on the North side of
the liver that he thought he could converl in .
10 a Kremlin. IL is rs or 80 feet above the
river. and is the chief piomenadug place in the
city commanding fine view Of The city. ,9lh
The city Of Moscow was long time growing
up. and is the only city in Russia Of anv inpcr-
tance, with one or two exceptions i'.' i1
Russia was t.onbIed by The irrupiion Of As.
iaiics in the time of Tame ,Iane, The Ta,,srs
conquered a great part of Russia, and. al the
same time, the Poles gave the Russians a
great deal OF woube; for, being more civilized
they were more warlike. Berween the Tarsrs
and the Poles, the Russian Empire was almost
auuihiated in The sixteenth century. Even, n
man ofindom,able courage. began to make
war upon the Tartars and Poles, aud transfer
red the Government to Moscow.
Peer The Great began to reign in 1859. Just
about the time Of the revolution IN England
when the Prince Of Orange took possession of
the throne Of England. s, ~, u ,.,i
From that lime dates the existence of Rus-
sia as European county. Before that j, was
empha'cally Asiaiic. Peter went 10 work 10
make them Europeans. The frs, thing no did
was 10 break down the power OF The Jsnizaties
Peter, with his own hands, cut off The heads OF
grea; many ofthem. lie put dawn the Monks
and broke up the Monastefies; ordained lbat no
man should be monk without reaching the
age Of f6y; went TO work to Try "a make people
dress in Frepch fashion. imported a number Of
Fiench, German and Dnich tailors into Russia.
He wanted people TO shave of their boards,