Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-10-28
EVENING STAR,
HOW RUSSIA FIRST GOT THE CRIMEA

Cnam oers's Repository contains an account,
winch will be interesting at the present time,
OF the means by which Russia became DOS
sessed OF the portion Of territory which the
English and French forces are now trying to
wrest from her 1t forms part of a biOgraph.
ical sketch of the famous
49,, Suvaroff, or Anglice Suwarrow,
VINO loved blood as an Alderman loves marrow
Catharine had huddled up peace with the
sultan IN lH4, partly on account of the Pu.
gatchey danger, and partly because of the me-
naclng tone of the British Cabinet: but no
sooner was England involved in war with the
United States Of America, and France pre
Par1ng to strike In with the revolted colonists.
than the Empress, true to the traditional pol
ICY OF st. Petersburgh forthwith commenced.
whist yet the ink was wei with which she had
subscribed q covenant of perpetual peace
with Turkey. active provOcatons for a re.
newal of the war by offensive DEMONSTRATIONS
IN the Crimea, on the Kuban northward of
the Caucasian Cordillera, and on the shores of
the Black Sea. In 1776, Suvorov, fully DOS
sessed Of the designs of the Czarina. left 81
Petersburgh for Cherson, tho most southern
point of the Russian frontier towards Tarkey:
and without even a decent pretence for hos
ulltles, at once attacked Dulut Ghiray, khan
OF the Crlmea; drove him off to seek such re-
aress as Constantinople might afford: and set
Schaim Ghiray, q kinsman of the denosed
Anan, ana the supple tool of Russia in his
steao. General suvorov next proceeded to
erect 1orts on the Kuban, and provoke hos.
tl!iles with 1.-The banditti of Circassi a., but
with such lll-fortune that he abandoned the
task to Major General Kayser, and busied
nlmselt Win the delicate Missions mach
easier one, at all events, than a guerilla war.
fare with the Toherkessi-of removing some
Z0,000 Armenian families from the Crimea to
the district of Catherinoslof in Russia. where
they would be more manageable than In their
own country. Nearly third of these unfor.
tunates persisted by the way of fatigue and
privation, and hundreds threw themselves in
despair under the hoofs of the Cossacks,
horses, as the riders, in obedience to Suyoroy's
orders, prlcked them on with their spears, as
II goadlng cattle to market or to pasture
Inc Sublime Porte loudly demonstrated against
these proceedings of the Russian general and
even went so far as to parade q numerous
heet IN the Black Sea; but the deplorable
war with America and her European allies
precludlng tho ministry of Lord North from
anordlng the Sultan more than " "moral' help,
the Capudan Pacha returned with his feet to
Constanunopie, after receiving a contemptu-
Gus note from Suvorov, in reply to his demand
ior an explanation" of the Russian doings
In the Crlmea, and the appearance of Rus
sian corsairs" in the Black Sea, to the effect
that the legitimate Khan of the Tartars.
Schalm Ghiray, had been pleased to call in
the aid OF his august ally, the Empress of al;
the huseias, which had enabled him to dis.
pense with the assistance of the Sultan . and
that, with regard to the scandaIous epithet of /
= corsairs," applied by Capudan Pacha to her
Imperial Majesty ships, that was grave of. |
renee, 1eI which must be answered for hereafter |
edge Schaim Ghiray as the rightfuI Khan
and that point gained, comparative TRANQUIL.
lity prevailed till 1882 when the Tartar tragi
comic force was played out Large bodies of |
RUSSIAN troops having been quietly drawn to- |
gether, and judiciousIy posted, the Prince Po-
temkln issued proclamation, setting forth
that Schaim Ghiray had solemnly abdicated
bis khanship, entirely of his own free will, in
favor of the Empress Of Russia, to whom
therefore, all Nogay Tartars were bound and
required Immediately to swear allegiance. To |
facilitate the due performance of this solem-
nity-at which euvOrOv and his soldiers were
OF course to assiEt-a grand feast was provided /
in the open air for the Nogay chiefs and their
dspendants; where after they had devoured
LOO oxen and 500 sheep, with 81, 900 pints of |
sago brandy, the oath was administered to
them collectively; and Suvorov Immediately
dispatched special courier to inform Prince
Potemkin of the completion /" of that act of /
faith and homage" by the intoxicated Tar.
tars.
Doubts however, were not long in suggest
ing themselves to the mind Of General Suyo /
rev as to the degree of binding force which an /
oath however solemn in itself, or impressiyely
a, administered, could be expected to have upon
the conscience Of men who, he was erieyed
to discover, we're entirely destitute of reli-
glous reverence" the result of which was an
understanding between him and the Prince
Potemkin, that all the tribes Of Nogay Tar
tars should be gradually removed to the wilds
OF ural, and that the meantime they should
be, as opportunity offered, as quietly as posi-
bic, and under plausible pretexts, disarmed.
This scheme went on prosperously for some
time; but at last large body of Nogays, on
their way to the Ural steppes, suddenly re
fused to move further in this direction. over.
powered and broke away from the escort, and
fled for shelter to the southwest bank of the
Kuban, in the plains of Caucasia Suvoroy
pursued them thither, with the determination
OF taking signal vengeance upon the q oath
breaking infdels'-a promise which he tho
roughly redeemed By daybreak on the
morning of September IL, 1882 large en-
campment of hogays was Observation-Disclosures
the precise delinquents he was in Quest Of the /
general did not stop to inQuire-and presently
the Russian sQuadrons burst upon the sur.
prised and defenceless tribe, and 90 the massa.
ore," we read, continued till noon''-till, in /
fact, there was none left to slay; aII-men
women, and children-having been DESTROYED
by Suvorov's express orders, "they being god.
less heathens, who did not respect their oaths!"
This terrible example, if we may believe the |
Russian historians produced the desired effect |
and the enforced migration of the Nogays en-.
cOuntered no further opposition. Catharine
soon afterwards sent the su ,cessful general
the Grand Cross of the Equestrian Order of |
St. Wolodimir, " as public testimony of our |
appreciation of the seal and activity you have |
displayed in our service, and particularly in |
the commission you have borne under the |
direction of our general, Prince Potemkin, for
the reunion of the varieus nations Of the Rus
sian Empire" Suvorov returned to ST. Pc
tersburg in 1876, after having thoroughly /
"pacifed'' the Nogay Tartars, one of whose
chiefs, Mlrsa Bey-a great eater, who drank |
pure sago brandy with his meals, and was |
always carried by his servants to bed-the |
Russian general regarded with great attach |
ment and esteem, and took leave of with many
expressions of affectionate regret.
OLD, BUT GooD.-A certain old gentleman