Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-08-12
Balance in favor of
q "a populatioa of the Russ:.an. Empire. IN

!.o-..-.s. f,-Oc,UUJI IoIJ; ZI,3OJ, lou
s.9ie population Of the Russian Empire, ig
1852, he estimates at seventy millions; and the
4 revenue of the Gar in 1850, at five million
/ roubles. The products of the mines Of the pre-
cious metals in Russia in l848, were ,826
/ pools of gold, and I,l9l pools of silver,-a
pood being equivolant to IS tbs Troy weight
After reviewing the general progress of the en-
pre-, Mr.. Dexter proceeds to the examination OF
| its commercial relations with the United States.
"Ehat,H he asks, "shouId be the policy of the
United States towards this mighty and vet in
creasng gigantic power! We answer at once,
the adoption Of such policy as shall strengthen
the good feelings already existing between the
two countries, and the immediate extension of
oar commercial intercourse with her
/ As precedent has often more influence upon
men than reason, and interest more weight than
argument, We viii here state, that as early as
1850 our revolutionary fathers voted to dispatch
Minister to Russia, for the purpose of obtan-
ing an acknowledgement of our independence
and forming an alliance with her on the same
terms as We had with France (See Jour. Aft
1886, 81, page 367, 66.)
In the instructions thus given TO Dana, they
say: "You viii endeavor to procure from Her
Majesty The recognition Of our sovereignty and
independents, and assure her OF our desire to
number so wise, so magnanimous princess a
mong our supporters, and oar desire to form
treaty with her ON the same terms as with his
Christian Majesty" Owing to the Empress
proAered mediation between as and the mother
country, no Minister was dispatched, as peace
soou began to dawn upon us, and ii was not till
1901 that we sent a Minister to reside al St.
Petersburg. Our commerce with her began
very early, and below is its aggregate in periods
of years, and also the balance against US.
Owing TO the peculiar manner of making ont
the reports Of our commerce prior TO 1920, we
are not able, in realty,to give the gross balance
against US, for the value of no article is. given
unless paying an al rQlorem duty McCulloch,
McGregor and Pitkin have thus made out their
tables, leaving out those goods that paid during
this time of specific duty, among which were
hemp, cordage, sail duck, iron and teas, sugars,
&c. We give in a separate table the amount of
hemp, untared coriagc and sail duck imported
during the years from l8Ol-2O,
rc Balance
Years Imports. Exports. against us.
I79j-lS02: $7,3I2,l76 S Z24SH S 7,0S9,362
IS0l-I8l0; l2,0I4,370 5,429,Su G,jl4,4
ISI0-lS2l: S.092S52 I2,270,G67
Is2I-IS30: 23,027,578 5,l3G,273 I7,89l,390
la3l-l8l0: 25,0S3202 S,840,l5j l6,243,04T
I94I-l8jl: I2,633,7G9 9,277,236 4,356,4il
Hemp, from I8a0-2O, I,45O,536 cvt; Russia
duck, from l8lG-2O, 92,578 pieces; tarred cord
age do 3,Gi8,92l lbs.
Our imports from Russia in 1851 were, arti-
cles not specified, SIS, ,58l; sail and other duck
$6l ,554 sheet 1886; bristles, ,$lG8, ,4O2;
cordage, $l8o, ,0O4; hemp manufactures, $79,-
334; fax manufactures ,$Il3,394 Our exports
cotton 81, ,297, ,l64; tobacco, Sl30,O63; and rice,
1855; these onlyinclude the principa! articles
on both sides-)
Total imports, $l,392,782 In american
vessels, $l,O9G98l. Total exports, l,46j,7Ol.
in American vessels, Sl,l87,ll6
These are to us gratifying figures, showing
constant diminutioa in importsand steady growth
III exports. Our export of foreign and donos-
tic produce, at different periods since S42, is
as below:--
1912. 1885 1851. Inc in 10 yrs
Foreign produce S7G,926 $97,G79 SI45.sS7 5 6S.G61
Domestic :: 509,S67 5S5,5G3 l,iGj,7O4 l,!jjS47
These figures demonstrate clearly that new
era is opening in our commerce with Russia,and
what is more pleasing than all, the increase is
in those bulky articles that gives the most en-
ployment to our shipping. In the statement
below viii be seen the increase in two Of these
articles since 1882.
Cotton exported, Tobacco.
lbs. value. value.
1832......... 838,95l 3237,973 $500
I842....... 1883, 237,3lf l,170 \
l85l....,... l0,O98,4f87 l,297,l6 l35,063
No figures could better show the increase of /
Russian manufactures than those given above,
and yet, in order to show what we may expect
from her as regards our cotton, we again give