Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-11-25

North America. When all men are Of one faith,
and the Christian religion prevails universally,
where viii be the red men Of America
Pass we now to Russia. Wecannot yield our Gre
dence to the religious pretext which represents the
Gar as moved the present war by desire to protect
from Mussulman oppression the fifteen millions of
Christians numbered among the thirtysix millions
of subjects composing the Ottoman empire We
have too much respect for the Gar to suppose that
he ever believed such pure unmixed pretension
would be accredited in the world Itwas intended for
real effect, and had real effect only within the bounds
of his own empire, where, with at least fftyfve
Of his sixty million subjects bigoted religious fana
tcism is the only common sentiment capable of being
appealed to to rouse them to vigorous united action
The Emperor doubtless thought the moment op-
perfume to advance another step toward the accom-
plishment of that traditional Russian policy which
looks to nothing less than the absorption in his vast
Empire of the whole Sclavonic race, the whole of
Turkey in Europe the possession of the Dardaneles
and the establishment of Consantinople as his de-
fnitive capital, or the capital of an empire for
scion Of family The sagacity Of the Czar was de-
ceived as to the amount Of opposition to be met with
lin his contemplated advance. He feared Turkey
little, Austria less; and did not anticipate as pos
Ihle (who didD that alliance Of England and
France whose mere moryi effect has Fasseady been
to stop his advancing legions on the banks Of the
Danube, cause the evacuation of the Provinces so
haughtly seized, and favor the array by Austria Of
q most threatening military force upon his own
western frontiers; an alliance which has thrown
into his own Province of Crimea a wellappointed
invading force Of nearly one hundred and twenty
thousand men, now engaged-and it will probably
succeed---in wrestling from him hisnaval supremacy
in the Black Sea and the elements Of future az
grandizement, by the ruin Of Sebastopol and the
destruction of his fleet. Had this formidable al
lance and its gigantic efforts been foreseen by the
Czar it is hazarding little to assert that he would
have adjourned to more convenient season the
cution Of his schemes against Turkey.
But we are not among those who are disposed to
regard the greatest evil that could befal modern
civilization and the grand material interests Of the
world at large, the establishment of the Czar at
Constantinople, even in the plentude of his power
in full realization Of his ambitious dreams Per-
haps those interests would be better subserved and
secured by British or French dominion. But can
it be doubted that the Russian sway would const-
tute an ameoration, an actual progress ineompari-
son with the existing state of things? We see plainly
why England, in watchful consideration Of her own
special interests, should contemplate with alarm
Russian occupation of the Dardanelles and Con-
stantinople. A rival competitor for influence in
Asia would find his power vastly increased, and
would be in possession of capital intermediate po-
stion, from which he might occasionally embarrass,
if disposed to do SO, Engand's communications with
her East India possessions. Perhaps these con-
siderations had some little effect in inducing Eng
land to accept the alliance with France and Turkey
for the prosecution Of the present against Rus
sia. We perceive plainly, too, danger to the
special interests Of France effected by the establish
ment Of the Czar on the Dardaneles and at Con-
stantinople. With England at Gibraltar and Rus
sia on the Dardanelles, the Mediterranean would
hardly ever become what the French so complacent-
y contemplate, ga French lake" France, pent up
and hampered by the occupation, would rather de-
cline as a commercial and naval Power, while the
ceive an impulse that would promptly make her the
rival the equal and before long probably the superior
of France. Magnanimous and chiralric France
would, we know, Indignantly repel the insinuation.
Perhaps it is unjust, but cannot help suspecting
that these considerations may be all unconsciousy
to herself-quickened her resolutions when she so
generously buckled on her armor and crushed to
the defence of the weak against the strong of the
feeble Sultan against the threatening Gar. The
suspicion, injurious as it is, derives confirmation
from the fact that Poland, Hungary and Italy have
all implored help in vain from France. Their need,
too was pressing being the weaker parties engaged
in an almost hopeless struggle with the strong,
But they had not the advantage Of possessing the
Dardanelles
Nor would the Emperor of Russia, we believe,
though despotic by the form Of his Government and
meaning to remain SO, Systematically exclude from
his dominions, if established, in European Turkey
the light Of modern civilization. On the contrary,
immense regions now closed by Mussulman bigotry
and prejudice would be opened, and largely, to the
literature and science, to the material and moral
ameliorations Of Western Europe Russia is des-
potic so is France, and perhaps quite as intensely
SO BY despotism we mean the concentration of all
political power in the hands Of the Monarch But
Russia is an intelligent despotism. The Emperor
feels that he is at the head Of young robust, still