Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-11-10
TIE PAST HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION OF
TIE CRlMEA.
Irrom TIE London Chrcnicie.l

Historians info,m us that the Crimea has, at different
periods. partially entirely occupied by more than
seventy distinct nations The object Of s latest masters
appears have been the destruction, far possible Of
every vcsgo Of ancient rule and OF every relic OF former
magnfcence which might contrast unfavcraby With tho
and Arseua which constitute the monuments Of
their supremacy The celebrated traveller Dr. Catke'
who visited the Peninsula the beginning Of the presen
century, hmsefa witness Of the barbarous process y
which have referred lie mosques, mnsrcts and
palaces stripped Of their caden roofs to furnish material
for bullets lie stones which bore inscriptions OF a.
most priceless value in the eyes Of the jealous antqua
udey from their places and used up in the construc.
ton Of government buildings. lie told, in answer TO
his application for permission to purchase tho treasures
which he 80 highly estimated that for reasons of State
policy no foreigner could be allowed to carry to other
countries material evidence Of tho former cviz Of
the Crimes and Of the barbarism oil those into whose
hands Il had fen Ii Ia surprising that he should
have recorded in terms strong language could sup
ply his unfavorsbo Impression of the Russian author
tiles sThcy have" he says, "lsd waste tho coun-
try, they have cut down tho trees, aud pulled down
tho houses !" and after proceeding to cnumerate othcr
similar acts OF wanton tyranny, no closes his cata
logue with the wei-known quotation, soludinem hciun
pscem appellant The port of kafa whom visited by Dr.
Clarke afforded hsbitston to only about fifty families;
and readers not familiar with those melancholy psgcs Of
scarcely credit glowing description given by Ssmond
of the same place existed four centuries ago II
then the principal colony Of Genos, rivalug the mother
population and wealth. aud was the great market
for the WOOD wax and frS supplied by northern regions
Il formed the central point OF communication between
Europe and tho Esst- received by OF hsaean the
silks and OF Persia aud the spices OF lndiand
the wealth Of the foreigners established within is walls
employed in developing the resources OF the Ciuc,s
ian mines The native Khans whether under compulsiou
from policy bad granted TO the coouis,s the most lib
l,,,.,.
dcon except tha, OF their authorities Trade throrc
and wealth increased until in evil hour the Conquer
ing arms o Mohonet H. assaulted the colony by SEA, while
adverse party in the Peninsula besicged il by land
The Geuoyse were backward i'll assisting their fellow
citizens and the power Of the prevented them
from seudug maritime they despatched live hun'
bred soldiers who, having made their way through Hun
gary Poland and Lesser rsrtsry reached their desna
in safety, hut late TO render efficient SERVICE
The Cmea longer afforded +sfe resting place for the
merchant, Of the West; aud ts commercial emnence
lost The final expulsion the Genoess occurred in the
iI5 and the history Of the three centuries j.
only record oi RlSsitn aggression, often repealed, aud
system ,ticsly rcuc~cd Ia lI Dnlogo:ouk forced the
es III PcTrknp. aud the conquest OF the Peninsula Al
most naic,iateiy followed Ncminaily it remained Tor
few ind, pcneni hut its complete suhugatnn ha:
been iuls determined Inv the ambitious ~ iriua ami
,cctiv. taken for accomplish ing her de
sisn. ln direct breach oi the understanding VIII ch ai
been entered Into the coHqSt III the PROVINCE Rus
sian villages erected" ana cooui-ts scut 20 Ia
habit them $4,000 ChrSlian nitivc> Were expelled hon
ux faith III lISi the county formally ucnrpa
rir With III. gigantic empire u: which it has until nov
formed part Il Russian accounts he credited, the
commerce oi kai during the pcrioi subsequent To the
iucItUon, increased ~ nsTyciou-ly rapid Its
Imports winch .titei u have Amounted III 1890 only
81 Iii tuuDi-s ,a9S SOS III 1912 aui III th'
rSpotts tGcrc corresponding arsumenta;ion. II
airrr ards d,cn'd cApeiient, however, 10 shcTihr"
40. Cr'S order promote the prosperity OF Odessa
md the oil nal report the commerce Of the empire
presented irw Years ago, s. hc,eny shows that IN ei
advantages which IN ancient times, gave much mpcr-
tauce to the province.
nave been compelled speak in terms of recre,
past conduct oi Turkish allies in the Crime,
bet their misiccds aud those Of Russia there l.
difference. important TO be overlooked. At the
close Of the fifteenth century, tie Otomans had not
inyei tie opportunity OF acquiring European civilization
fn'y we're then birbirous peopc, who had been taught
ny experience To r0gri themselves isosted race
and the hereditary foes Of Christendom and il their
hand against 1t is not less true that
mans hand against them. For the conduct OF Russia
the close OF the eighteenth century, the claim
indulgence clnnot be preferred. A Christian power
which has Systematically dsrcgsrded the rules OF justice
which has caught every preteIt for aud conquest
which has followed up victory BY eKterninaon, and
been gr.ater terror to s encmicsis uot to be judged
10y the rules which applicable TO remote periods and
the unculiivaied champions uf faith In theory ess
pure ct let Il not be forgotten that, some i've ccntu
rcs ago, the first conflict between Russia aud Turkey
originated in the efforts Of the latter accomplish
mcTcal achievement as great! perhaps IN it, day
the DIVISION Oi the -thu5 oil fauss would he at the
present time. The Turks eng sed in emitting canal
with the uniting the Don aud the Volga, and thus
aordiug the facilities Of carriage the perchan
disc OF the East, when they were for the first time
assied 10y the hDsic= OF Muscovy. Ever since that
Rod tue motto OF Russia has been Yuais aJ inct,o
aud beneath her bishing sway, commercial as wed
political freedom has lapgushed and decsyed.
Now that this incubus about he Of BY the
VI the Western Powers cannot but anticipate for the
ports Of the Cea, and for the districts borde
ring upon the Black Sea, partial revival of their former
prosperity Although our commercial intercourse with the
Esst has, since the period to which last referred found
convenient highway, the value Of the market
thrown open to Us not 70 be despised. Nor br
doubted that the losses occasonCd 10y restricted inter
with Rusil-and by the absolute Introduction
of traffic with tha, country should tue exigenccs Of the
render such step ncceSslry-w, in few years, he
amply rcplid by the channels which will be rendered
accessible to the enterprise of merchants ID is easy
to parade, in exaggerated languagc, the population and
the wealth OF that vast portion OF the European continent
which is suljcc; the sway Of the Auocat; but figures
too clear tie misunderstood show that Cuba Chill
hni ciu have been as good customers A. Russia Tor the
produce and manufactures uf the United kinslO while
even the Dinubian ucpalss have absorbed fourth
much the whole Of the immense empire which seeks
to them TOT territories. From GiatZ and Braow
We may rely upon supplies OF abundany sufficient to
meet deficiency in stores aud may feel
ient that the mouth Of Euope's agnicen will
speedily bee cared from those distractions which under Ru
sian rule have been allowed impede alton Ii has
been forgotten that the selfish policy which has sui
.ered the Voigi to become almost impossible lower
extremity has also permitted the Suina exit Of the Dam
ube to become almost mirsh-we will say in defiance
OF the express words of any binding treaty bu, clearly
violation OF tho arrangements no the Congress
of Vienna. Passing eastward in rapid glance,
to odessa the lavorite port offs present
Fine events OF last summer have satisfactorily shown that
IL rests with England and France 10 determine whether il
snail continue, heretofore, furnishing emporium OF
commerce, or sink into lite original insgnfcance. Ii may
he matter for consierd on hereafter what terms IL
should be suffered to remain Russian port; but thing
may regard certan-the balls which bs,
down granite walls will prove than match for pro-
tcctlve tarf and the concession OF commercial freedom
oInnOt .;l TO suggest itself Of the important
points to he sse when the proper time has arrived
OF the Crmca We have already spoken lts southern d.
trics rich IN natural productions, aud OF the
counts which nave reached ~, afford parallel those
which the spies Of old brought back the fertility 81
the promised land. The population il, 10 doubt poor
one, yet, without adopting to full tbs o our
distinguished statesman who "cni.d into 1sence new
world redress the balance OF the old" may express.
conviction that the ingenuity of British merchants wi
long devise system Of eIchingc profitable both
parties OF the good will Of the nbsbtInts We nave had
decisive proof aud III this kindly feeling have the 6rs
! aud mos relis he assurance uf success.
The be said o. Ccasss which with the oIccp.