Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-12-31
Russia and her Resources.

The Oriental War continues to attract at
tenton from the civilized world and, in dis
cuscuslng the subject, a continued flood of
light is thrown on the past and present his
tories of the Turkish and Russian people
Until recently, we have looked upon the Mos
lem as semi barbarian whose soul was full
OF generosity to friends and hate to his foes
whoes habits and religion, alike, dehed the
kindly influences of Christianity. The Cos
sack we have been accustomed to look upon
as fierce and unyielding slave who lived and
died at the bidding cf his mastor--who7e un-
tied strength de6ed the world as it had de6ed
the power OF NAPOLEON. Now, we begin to
unlearn former judgment; and, with the
sudden and mastery activity of the Sultan's
army, we discover all the elements of great
and intelligent people-iD the defeat Of the
invincible strength of the Autocrats slaves
we discover, alike, Russian Weakness and ex-
ecutive incapacty. We are astonished, we
can scarcely believe that it is not all illusion
for it is strange to talk of bumbling the pow
er of NICHOLAS; but as every news from the
Danube has announced Turkish success and
Russian defeat we are compelled TO accord
the Turk the place in history assigned to a
great power.
Every thing relating TO the two nations pos
sesses a singular interest Books are pouring
from the press of all measure of worth in
speculation, narrative and history. Like the
Hungarian's struggle, the moment is seized
upon by travellers and tourists to reveal The
heretofore hidden history Of Moslem and Cos
sack. Every book but confirms the opinion
we are now forming of the Cars over-esti-
mated strength and power. We learn that,
of his sixty millions of people, over one half
are the most abject and untutored slave
one fourth are small masters whose life and
liberty arc in the hands of the few mobiles who,
in turn, owe all to the one man in power.
Not over the whole lenghth and breadth of
his inmense domain is there such feeling as
lore for the Gar The Muscoyite, the Cos
sack, the Pole, know no love: the throne Of
the Autocrat is girded around with brute force
alone. Even that force is not reliable. AS
the hearts of his people are estranged from
their sovereign their impulse is, of course, sell
fish; and at any time, they may desert their
allegiance and leave their iron-hearted ruler
to the mercy of his assailants. 1t is no argu,
ment to say that, as this never has been the
case, it never will be- If this picture, by a
recent writer, be true-and we know it ie
such-what reliance is there to be placed on
the Russian people,?
"The Muscovitsh world is world of slaves.
and very sorry slaves too. Corruption is un
iversal and loathsome. Truth, sobricty, hon
esty, personal integrity and virtue-even The
decent hypocrsies which are the tribute vice
pays to virtue in other countries-are un-
known among the great mass of the people,
There is, therefore, no civilization; and patri-
otsm is a mere name-unless we may consid-
er that feeling sach which prompts the stu
pd serf to hate the Turk and defy the Auto
crat, who is his and his masters master Clio
ry to God and the Empress SUwARRow :
thanksgiving when he had stormed Ismail and
massacred its forty thousand inhabitants--s
the sentiment in which the Russian appears
to concentrate and unite into one faith all that
he feels of loyalty and religion. What kind
of power can any government derive from
such source? There is the appearance oi
strength, but all at the heart is unsound; and
the leebleness is seen as soon as we have cha.
ken off the delusons of first impressions"
And to this picture the recent fact of the
desertion of large bodies-some say regi-
ments-of his troops, and we may really sup
pose that even the brute force of the Czsr is
just as unreliable as the word Of the House ui
Hapsburg. He has not the invincibty of a
Navy to intimdate and support his land fore
les;-the Russian Navy scarce merits mention
in comparison with the fleets of England and
France. Neither has the Autocrat the
strength of Notifications and arsenals to fall
back upon in every emergency. The Baltic
is open to any incursion, and English guns
could desolate the whole coast. The Black
Sea is perhaps the best fortified; but even
Sebastopol, in the Crimea, represented as the
Gibralter of the East, lmpregnable to any as.
sault and the stronghold of Russian strength
is now known TO be over-estmated in its
strength and proven to be really weak re-
lance. The writer we ahve before quoted
thus refers 10 the fortress
Nothing can be more formidable than the
appearance of Sebastopol from the seaward.
Upou future occasion we visited it in steam,
er, and found that, at one point, we were COM
manded by twelve hundred pieces of artillery.
Fortunately for hostile feet, we afterwards
heard that these could not be discharged
without bringing down the rotten batteries
upon which they are placed, and which are
SO badly constructed that they look as if they
had been done by contract -Four ofthe forts
consist of three tiers Of batteries We were,
of course, unable to do more than take very
general survey of these celebrated forti6ca-
tons, and we therefore cannot vouch for tho
truth of the assertion that the rooms
in which the guns are worked and SO
narrow aud lily ven Hated that the artillery
men would be inevitably stiaed in the attempt
to discharge the guns and their duty but of
one fact there was no doubt that, however
well fortified may the approaches to Sebasl-
opol by sea, there is nothing whatever to pre-
vent any number Of troops landing few
m les to the south Of the town, in one Of the six
convenient bays with which the coast, as ia,
as Cape Kherson, is indebted. and marching
down the main street provided they were
strong enough to defeat any military force
that might be opposed to them in the oper
feld,) sack the town and burn the feet"
From such a review of Russia's resources
and strength, how can we award to her al
l.... =. Al -. l. r