The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-09-07
THE CmNra--The news from DIE seat


TEE Cmxr1--T6e news from tbe seat
Of war leaves no doubt about The deiermin-
alton Of the allied powers to invade the
Cnmea. THIS is the 6rst offensive meas
IRE Of anyireal irporl.nes t,eabas been
undertaken by tie allies since tie com
meBcenent OF Lostllies. The only point
on de peninsula whose desences will o5er
any great obstacles, is S~evastopoi. What.
the Notifications for land defence nsynow
be. does no. seem 10 be well uuderstood.-
Two years ago they were described by en-
English traveller as but slight; but it was
evident that be had not good opportunity
for observation, being constrained in biz
movements from 1aht Of leave 70 make
explorations. Time enough has elapsed
since tho commencement: Of The war TO
mako the landward defences correspond in
some degree wish tho p~rodigious show Of
strength seaward. The following brief
description Of tie crimea istahen from an
article in the Journal of Commerce, and
just al tins time will be read with inter-
est:
THE Crimea is a peninsula OF about
eight thousand square miles, possessing a
greater variety Of natural resources than
perhaps any territory Of equal extent 10
Europe. Three sides Of IL are washed BY
the Black Sea. and Che North east side
by de Sea,ol Act. It forms psftof Che
Russian govefbmdnt Of Taurida; and IL
present condition, as a country neglected..
depressed, and debased, isa Standing .esti-
mony TO the evil influence Of Russian rule.
So far from keeping pace with the progress
of the age, the Crimea has sadly fetrogra-
ded. Her products arc shipped off in
considerable quantities TO Russia, much Of
them extolled from her in return for the
Cars protection. The fertility Of some
parts Of the Crimea is so great. hat stver-
al of the most valuable of tie fruits Of the
earth can be cultivated, with but slight
labor, in the greatest perfection, and 10 an
astonishing extent Of increase. This was
known TO the ancient Greeks. and was "a
ken advantage of by Greece under her
system Of colonization.
Six centuries before the Christian era.
they had begun to form colonies on the
Northern shores of Asia Minor; and we
learn from Strabo, and other writers OF
antiquity, that they preferred his peninsu-
la, from its containing so many induce
ments to industrial enterprise, particularly
in the richness Of its soil, which, it i
affirmed, was found to yield a return OF
fifty times the seed. at one time, indeed,
it was considered the grSary Of Greece.
especially of Athens whose territory,
being of small extent, and OF Indifferent
fertility, was unable 10 maintain its large
population by its own produce. There is
a deep classical interest in this subject
Demosthenes has, more han oace, had
his eloquence excited by it. Besides
breadstuffs, it still exports hides, morocco
and other fine feathers, silk stulFs of East
ern fabric and pattern, camels' hair, wool,
skins, dried fruits, wines, and an endless
variety of other products, for which the
Crimea, with its appurtenances, has com
paratively i~nexhaustible resources. The
population has become a very mixed one,
and on this account is only the more likely
to sHstiin an advanced civilization and in
dustrial progress. Tie largest proportion,
no doubt, consists Of Mognls and Turks,
united under the common designation Of
Tartars; but there are Greeks, and Russians,
and even Germans, in considerable num-
bers among them, and these latter have,
for some time past, tits said, been rapidly
increasing"