Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-08-18
The Crimea.


PCCommons on the oath ut., sketch of which we
OF w gven, Lord John Russell, the Ministerial lead.
IT," made the significant remark that " no treaty OF
oo could safely he adopted which lett the Empe-
% Of Russia in the possession OF tort OF inc great
W., strength. protecting powerful heet, when could
~ onv time menace the BosphOrus" 1t Is probable
Ih,,tLe English and French auxlliaries in Turkey
,nr ere this have been their way TO the Crimea,
w reducc Sebasapo} had the position Of Austria
,,ondefFniteIy known Indeed, when the Conven-
ian between that power and Turkey for the occupa-
n Of the Prncipates was concluded, it was thought
hat the long contemplated expedition to the Crlmea
,roud be Immediately undertaken. But the indecls-
;oand duplcity of that power renders 1t necessary
~ maintain the large Anglo French army near the
Danube in an ingorious inactivity which eze1ts a
more perncious and demoralizlng influence than
would severe losses in the field OF battle. Strong
hopes are now entertained, however, oaseu on the
aest phase of the negotiations between Austria ana
Russia that the auxares will soon be at liberty TO
AXE the field in a quarter where they will not have
70 share the glories of victory with army OF semi
5arbarous troops.
The Crimea is spoken of in some OF the English
rapers as one of the material guarantees winch
HE allies should exact from Russia the price OF
,,aacp or as security for the future good behavior
Of that power and as il is highly probable that the
lctive operations of the allies viii ultimately be trans
arred to that province, bret account thereof may
not be without interest. The Crimea Or Grim ar
,arv as il is sometimes called. is the ancient 1aurca
Chprsonesus. 1t is peninsuar, extending out into
-he Black Sea from Southern Russia, with which 1T
+, connected by 8thmus. There Is proba-
LIv no province in Europe which has been so often
.ayasta.ed and which has been the theatre OF such
stormy scenes of violence and bloodshed, this un-
r.ryna,e country. 1t is said that since the time Of
Ifpr0dotus B. C.. 400 ii has been conquered and
devastated by than seventy different nations
The Aliens the Cloths, the Huns, the Petchengues,
Ir C0manes and numerous other predatory tribes, IN
+bo I was led Cen
nose IN 1893 who were expelled by the Grim artars
under a grandson Of Ghengis Khan, IN I4I4 These
rolaOry hords settled in the country, and were tri
uary the Porte until the latter part OF the last
century, when Catherine II. took possession OF and
annexed the country to Russia.
The circumstances under which this country was
annexed to Russia forcibIy illustrate The aggressive
policy of the MusCOvite Catherine II. inherited
from Peter the Great strong desire for territorial
ACQUISITION on the Black Sea- and like that monarch
.niulred in dreams of extending her empire to the
Bosphorus. She coveted the Crmea, and deiiber-
atcv provoked a var with the Turk, who, defeated
and bumiated was forced TO conclude the treaty OF
kaInardi in liza. The terms Of this treaty were
dictated by Russia which power secured among other
important concessions, the navigation OF the Black
Sea and Mediterranean, established hind OF pro-
cctorae over Moldayia and WalIachia, which was
subsequently, strengthened, and forced the Porte to
acknowledge the independence OF the Crmea. VI
the treaty Of Kanardji, the Baron de Thugut, the
representative OF Austria SAID 4" This treaty Is
model of ability on the part of Russia diplomatlstS
and rare example of simplicity on the part of the
Turkish negotiatos. BY the terms of this treaty
Russia will remain the mistress, and will be at liber-
IT, whenever she shall think the opportunity fitting
to make descents upon the shores of the Black Sea
From her new frontier of Kertsch she will be enabled
al iorly-eght hours notice. to conduct an army tC
the very walls of ConstantInople." Simple were
the Turks in the estimation of Baron dc Thugut
for granting such concessions, Austria still
more simple for allowing her powerful neighbor tC
obtain such material advantage, not only WlthOu
rmonstTance, but with actual approval It's stated
that her representatives the Baron de Bruck assisted
in drawing up the treaty. This is not the only time
that Austria has allowed hCrselfto be made the too
Of her grasping ne;gbbor, and has blndlY aided il
the accomplishment OF her ambitious projects.
But the independence of the Crmea by no means
satisfied the wishes of the ambitious Catharine, anC
she soon, violation OF the faith of her recent rea
tv. deposed the reigning Khan, who in the int
rests Of the regning SULTAN and established upon hi
throne his brother, who for some years had been de
tanned a hostage at ST. Petersburg. The new Khan
surrounded by Russian officers, who had been in
roduced expressly TO make him obnoxious to the PEG
rIc and Russian emmlssareS stirred up an INSURED
ton. By this artful policy the empress Catharin
obtained an excuse to march army into the dis
urbcd province. The most arociouS cruelties wer
rrrpetrated by the Russians upon the inhabitants
and the country was virtually conquered, and 1t
ments The independence Of Crimea thus efec
ualIy subvprtcd, and the country was anneXe
10 Russia in 1888.
The population of Crimea is about 100000, c
whom not far from one half are Tartars who profes
the Mohammedan faith. These remains of a one
powerful tribe are wasting away under the opPreS
>Ive rule of the Mus2nve. The country is one
the most beautiful and productive the face of tn
globe, and yet, according recent traveller ''whO
Tracts susceptible of high state Of cultivation, an
me producing abundantly, lying waste
their manufactures deteriOrang, their territOrIG
wealth destroyed, their noble families becoming ez
'nct, their poor ground down by Russian tax-gatE
rlcrs and swndled out of their substance by dishor
est officials"
The latest accounts from this unhappy countr
late that there exists among the inhabitants dis
content bordering on hostility against the Russians
he trade of the country is ruined by the war, an
the inhabitants who only live by maritime industry
are reduced to the utmost misery. The fortress
hersoh had been nearly destroyed by fire, kindled
was believed, by the malcontents. and it is sal
that when an opportunity shall offer, the entiI
province will rise in arms against its oppressors
The greatest obstacle which the allies would en-
counter IN Wrestling the CrImea from the relaxin
grasp of Russia would be the reduction of Sebastc
pol The strength Of this fortress is well know
and il would doubtless successfully resist any atac
by sea. There would be no difficulty, however
landing any number of men to the south of the tOwI
Where there are no less than six convenient bay
which are unprotected, The roads across the rime
are wIetched, and during eight months Of the yea
n spring, fall and winter, and the dreary steppes
The northern part of the province are almost impassa
bic for large bodies of troops. The reduction of s.
@Stopol, II the allies should set about it with zei
ana energy, would be only the work of time. II
vested by land. and blockaded by sea, the garriso
would not long hold ont without strong prospect
Le!et Sebastopol taken, the subiugation of tn
Numea would be an easy task, and in such an ever
toaIIty the allies if they fully determined
S"pPe Russia will probably restore the Porte to III