Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-07-21
NO. s..

paign of I'LL dispelled for time the delusion
as to the weakness and speedy dissolution of
the Ottoman Empire, as well as the belief in
the discomfort of the Christian subjects of that
power; and the treaty of Falkeen, "a village
on the river Pruth) in July I'LL, which saved
the Emperor, the Empress and the Russian ar
my, then surrounded and enfeebled, and stipu-
lated the surrender of Taganrog and Asoph to
Turkey, annihilated the commercial projects
Of Peter on the sea. But stability of purpose
was one of the elements of his power, and the
intention to establish an Oriental commerce
never deserted him. Neither his success in
the North nor his defeat in Turkey, diverted
or deferred him from pursuing the scheme
Having failed to turn one extremity Of Caucas-
us, he directed his attention to the other, and
abandoned the Sea Of Asoph to occupy him
self more intently on the Caspian.
In 17l7, the Gar sent Prince Bekeritch on
an embassy to the Khan Of Khiva, with an es-
cort of several thousand men, with secret di-
rections to seize, in the country Of the Prince
to whose court he was accredited, the gold
mines which it was enormously supposed to
contain. This expedition was unsuccessful,
for the inhabitants, on preconcerted signal,
fell upon the Russian troops and cut them of,
except few who remained slaves for life.
The following year Peter sent an embassy
to Persia, the object of which was the improve
ment of his commercial relations with that
country, and the establishment of trade with
India. An arrangement was entered into by
which the whole of the silk exported from
Persia was to be sent to Russia, but the at
tempt to open communication with India was
unsuccessful, though forty years before this
time, a Russian agent had penetrated to the
court Of Aurungzebe, and in the early part of
the reign Of Peter, Russian traders were set
tied in India.
A war between Russia and Persia took place
in 1922, and the Car entered Persia with an
army Of about fifty thousand men, the infantry
crossing the Caspian in four hundred and for
ty-two vessels, while the cavalry proceeded by
land. Having taken possession Of some Of the
Persian territory on the Caspian, Peter returned
to Moscow in triumph. Turkey was prevent
ed from taking up arms in aid Of Persia by the
Intervention of Austria and France in favor Of
the Car. Before the termination Of the nego-
tiations which followed, Peter the Great died
in January, 1928.
The successors of Peter have uniformly fol-
lowed the course he so early marked out for
the extension and aggrandzemcnt of his en-
pire- At the accession of Peter, in 1859, the
population of the empire was fifteen millions;
at the accession of Catharine the Second, in
1862, it was twenty-five millions; at her death,
in 1896, thirty-six millions; at the death of
Alexander and accession of Nicholas, in 1926.
it was fifty-six millions; and at the present
time, as we have it stated, it is about sixty-fve
million. The acquisitions of Russia of terito-
ry from Sweden are greater than what remains
of that kingdom; from Poland the territory ac-
quired by Russia is nearly equal in extent to
the Austrian Empire; the Russian acquisitions
from Turkey in Europe, are Of greater extent
than the Prussian dominions, exclusive Of the
Rhenish provinces; from Turkey, in Asia, they
are nearly equal in dimensions to the whole Of
the minor states in Germany; from Persia, her
acquisitions are equal in extent to England;
in Tartary, her acquisitions have an area not
inferior to that of Turkey, Greece, Italy, and
Spain.
The Russian frontier has been advanced to-
wards Berlin, Vienna and Paris, 700 miles;
towards Censtantinople, 500; towards Stock
holm, $50 miles, and towards Teheran and In
dia, 1000 miles; and the territory added to the
empire since 1772, when Catharine ii. was on
the throne, is greater in extent and importance
than the whole empire which Russia had in
Europe before that time. The power and re-
sources of Russia, however, lie in the coun-
tries to the west Of the Volga, not in the wilds
of Siberia.
Our next advices from Europe will perhaps
enable us to form more definite opinion as to
the fate which awaits Turkey and Persia.