New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-05-12
NUMBER ID


Of government despotism tempered by assassi-
nation Her ruler is surroundea by ferce and :
haughtv mobiles, feudal princes, That never have !
hesitated nor would hesitate to use poison or the
knife, when itsmight further their ambitious
aims The people are corrupt from top to
bottom. Bribery is open even IN the courts OF
justice. ALL from the highest noble, who re-
ceives costly presents to wink at fraud, TO the
lowest policeman, who opens his palms and shuts
his eyes, when the thief thrusts q few kopecks
into his hand, are dishonest. Are not the Cars
predictions for absolute monarchy not alone
sincere, but correct, when applied to people
like his Are such men fit to govern them
selves'
The past Of Russia is but day in the History
of Europe. 1t is less than two centuries since
Peter the Great assembled the throne g He
made the Russians Europeans, as Philip made
the Macedonans Greeks" His success was due,
not to his extension of the Russian dominions
but to his concentration of the powers Of govern
ment He reduced the oyergrown power Of the
Boards; he disbanded the streiitzes. those
Janissaries of Europe. He founded ST. Peters
burg, he built ships and armed and equipped a
powerful navy, making Russia for the first time
q maritime country; he raised an effective
standing army and more than all, he en-
couraged science, and ged thednechanic |
arts among almost bkss1a Fsuss.I In |
l721, he was crowned Emperor; and was the first /
VINO pore tHe imposing tltle Dl = LthpefUE Vi all |
the Russias.'' |
The next great instrument of Russian cviliza- |
ton was Catharine the Great. Both learned |
and warlike, she drew savans to her court, ussd |
every effort to advance the diffusion of knowledge
in her dominions and improved the machinery |
Of government; while she quelled instructions, |
and by conquest added 100000 square miles OF |
fertile land to her territory. Now, Nicholas is |
pursuing the course that Peter the Great |
marked out. He has been as vigorous in govern |
ment as he was anxious to civilze his people.
We condemn his oppression of the Poles. and |
his interference in the Hungarian war. But |
while the true-hearted American sees with grief
these two great nations reduced to slavery must
| he not own that if he occupied the Emperors
\ position he must have taken the same course
The law of selfpreservation is the highest human
| law. In obedience to its dictates the Poles and
| Hungarians sought their liberty, and in obe-
I dence to the same law, Nicholas crushed the
| spirit of democracy.
I 1t would be impossible for the most far seeing
| politician to divine the future of Russia. Her
| fate must depend upon her rulers. Iron may be
| welded to iron, but when wood and iron are
joined, their connection lasts only with the rivet
| that holds them together. No one is mad enough
| to suppose that all the Russias, extending from
| the North Pole to Persia, and from the Baltic to
| our own frontier, comprising one-sevanth of the
| globe, with a population Of 81 100000, could
| be blended together into one great republic
| Catharine once called together congress of her
subjects at Moscow to devise general laws for
her people 1t represented tsrenty-seren diff
| ferent nations, speaking as many different
| languages, and after few vain attempts at
| organization broke up in confusion. Imagine
| the stoid Esthonan fraternizing at the polls
with the fiery Don Cossack, or the rude fisher
man of Finland, or still ruder Kamtschatkan
clarifying the double headed eagle in political
speech to the Moslems of the Caucasus!
But let us turn from the frozen seas and
dreary steppes of the Cars domain let US
cross the frontier to the land of the olive and
myrtle,' the golden East
1t was on Friday, the Mohammedan Sabbath,
that we stepped from the quay of Tophana into
| o light caique and darted across the sparkling
waters of the Golden Horn into the rapid tide
of the Bosphorus. 1t was day of idleness for
all good Mussulmen Thousands were throng
ing to the mosques; the water alive with
caioues conveying the inhabitants of Pera or
| Stamboul to the Ssweet waters of Asia,' to
the heights of Burguloo, or the sweet waters
Of Europe" Suddenly fash of light from the
, Asiatic shore, followed by the dull roar of a
, cannon, procams that the Sublime Porte has
left his palace to visit the mosque. A large
caique darts from beneath the arches of the
serai and cuts the water into foam as it heads
across the Bosphorus. 1t is followed by another
and another. The echo of the first cannon has
hardly died away, before hundred brazen
throats reply. The hugh Turkish men of war
that tower above the waters like castles, which,
but instant since, seemed deserted and soi-
tary, now swarm with men. Every spar, from
deck to masthead, bears living load The
sailors cling to the rigging like bees. and line
the bulwarks. The eaiques rapidly approach
They are high proved boats, painted in white
: and gold, each propelled at great speed by
sixteen stout rowers. Astern is a crimson
. ,1a,,, ,l,a Ct,1a Al.
; officers of state. The train sweeps by, and the
roar of cannon is not slenced till the Sultan has
, landed and entered the mosque.
Thus, on ca b Mohammedan sabbath through
the year, the descendant of the Calphs anl
head Of the church, visit different mosque
The prayers lasted about an hour, and in thu
meantime we landed and secured good position
; to see Abdul Megid, on his departure. Their,
j was crowd assembled, Il detachment of soldier
were under arms, and five horses saddled ant
/ brded, with housings thickly studded Will
diamonds, were led up and down to await tn
) choice of their Imperial master. The troop
. wore dark blue European frock coats, an,
trowsers, and red fez caps and had slouchin.
| gait and awkward look, in their ill-ftting an,
g foreign habiliments.
G At last the doors flew open and a crowd of th
high officers of state, all in the same plain dresa
poured out. When the Sultan came, they sur
: rounded him and gave him the Eastern saluta
ton by touching the hand first to the breast
e and then to the cap, and bowling low, substi
, tute for the ancient custom of prostration. Wit
o assistance, the Commander of the Faithfu
Q mounted white steed who was led quietly t
8 the seria or palace, followed by the officers an
: the guards, and band of music. The Sulta
: is a man of middle height, dressed somethn
n after the European fashion, with pale, melan
a choly, but fine face. His head dropped on hi
= breast, and his dark eyes gazed vacantly befor
j. him, it not being etiquette for him to look al
n or show the least recognition of those aroun
It him. A man came forward with paper, som
s petition, which was taken by an officer, and th
: cortege passed on. 1t reminded one of til
d ancient Egyptian worship of bulls The AM
o mails were deified, their passions gratifed an
If the priests governed for them. The Sultan
d consigned to the pleasures of the harem, and
e but a puppet that seems to act and speak wha
c really emanates from his ministers behind tn
g scenes
e As the feeble Abdul Megid, surrounded b.
G pashas and soldiers, attended by bands of musi
d and cringing favorites, riding steed who's
n trappings glittered with precious stones, to-
- proud to recognize, even by glance, the bow
e ing multitude, passes by, and we remember th
), vigorous Omar, the second of the Caliphs, whit
d entered Jerusalem, as victor, seated upon {
7. camel, laden with bag of fruit and another o
e corn, his own provisions, whose only furniturt