Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-08-12

TIE Dqaubiqn PiRcipalaies.- s.-The provinces
Of Moldayia and Wallaohia, which the emperor
Russia IS said to have invaded, were, until late
( ly, names less familiar to the American press
4 than Japan, or Tlibet itself Even now but
/ little is popularity known respecting these prin-
cipalltIes 1t may serve TO render future refer
cHccs to tl.ese countries. more plain. should The
occasion arise for them, if we giyea hasty
sketch oftheir history. resources, population
and government
Moldavia and Waliachia formed originally q
( pert OF anciett Dacia, the frontier province OF
( the empire of Traian. Though successive "a
ces Of Goths, Huns, fartars and Turks have
swept over their bor1crs, the people 81 III letaia
/ the phvscappecu'iarit.e Of their ancestors, and
even 90 great extent their costume, as deplct-
cd On the column Of Trajan, at Rome. The
/ language also retains large proportion OF Lat
in words, So that If stranger speaks Latin, his
| general meaning can be understood even hy the
illitcrae, i sssa1ssr57.
Since thcir first conquest 10y the Romans
! these provinces have always been u.dcr foreign
domination. Alternatelya prey to the Greek
Empire and to the Scvthians of the North, they
became subject TO the Hungarians in the thir-
teenth century, and Gaallg feel into possession
.
no,ninally their masters. For long series Of
generations ;hev were governed by Yaivodes,
appointed By the Sultau from among the Greeks
I of Coastautinoplc; and during this period, they
were ihe yicti,nes o. intoierajle eXaetions, and
( a prey 10 every species Of abuse. Latterly,
howeverAhey have been governed with cum
paratiye mildness. For q period they We're
Jointly occupied by the Turkish and Russian
armies. Und4T specific treaty, and it is but Il
shor, time, indeed, since the two provinces were
cyacuted. They practically belong 10 neither
The Car ror Sultan, for though the latter has
the abstract title, 50 to speak, to them, the for
mer ciaiInS a prOtectorate over them, and really
exercises il at his option.
The people Of Mo,davia and Wallachia, in
fact. sympathise with the Russians rather than
the Turks in their religious views being almost
/ universally members Of the Greek Church
They are, indeed, so far independent that the
Sultan cannot build single mosque in their
country-a solemn treaty guaranteeing them
against this and similar encroachments on their
faith. They are said to be entirely under the
/ control OF their priests. Formely &ey were in
the lowest stage OF Ignorance; but within the
last twenty years schools have been introduced
TO some extent. Yet the population is still only
seufcyiized. The reasantrv. though no lon-
{
still live in acoaditioa Of almost abject depend
ence on the land owners. The ordinary dwell
ling for this class is mud hut, thatched with
straw which in winter, is exchanged for cave
under ground, kept warm by fires. 1n word,
the social condition of the three millions in
habitine the five provinces is even lower than
thatof the English people five centuries ago;
So far is Eastern Europe behind eStern III
the march Of true civilization.
Moldavia and Walathia lie or the East side
Of the Cazpajhian Mountains, Stretching down
wards from the hily regions to The plisn taat
borders the Black Sea. Together the two pro-
vuces comprise about forty-iive thousand square
miles. in ether words they are very nearly as
large as the State Of Pennsylvania. In winter
the SHOWS lie deep, and the Danube, with its
tributaries, which flow through the provinces,
is usually frozen over for six weeks the ice
some times being strong enough to bear bark
Of artillery. The Pleasan'est season is the
autumn, from September to the middle of No
vember. Its during this period, now rapidly
approaching, that the Gar, therefore, will as
sune the aggressive, if ever. OF the two prin-
cipalities Moldav;a is the easterrmost, and by
far the richesi its territories comprising, indeed
Tie second plain in Europe in magnitude. The
soil is alluvial. and quite fertile. No manure
.
lowed to lie f,llow. Much attention is paid to
the rearing Of cattle, and also to the breeding
Of horses. The cavalry, in both the Austrian
and Russian armies IS principally mounted
from iIoldayia and Wallachia
Two parties exist amoHg the higher class
one Russian, another 4 Turkish one, and
each appt ars, in turns, TO gain temporary as
ccajancv. At one time bhe military force 9
mounting to the respectable number Of fifty
thousand, was odicered principally by Russians
On the whole. 4he inAueace of the autocrat ap-
pears to be steadily increasing, while that Of
the Sultan as steadily declines. The process
Of assimilation, thus going on between these
ancient Dacians and the modern Sclayes, may
eventually be followed by absorption.
Bucharest and Jassy are the principal towns,
the former being the capital Of Wallachia. and
the latter Of Moldavia. The provinces are well
watersd, principally by tributaries Of the Da-
nube As the Pruth formes the eastern boun-
Diary Of Moldayia its crossing by the Russians
may be considered definite pation.--PtH
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