The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-09-15
OF Otber lanos,
FINLAND.

Until 1850 the Firms. in spite of the sterili
ty of the soil, were q thriving peoplo. TIL,
Province was not included in the line of I'M
port duties of the Empire. This enabled
them to purchase at natural prices both tn,
wares OF foreign countries and tho raw pro-
ducts OF Russia: while their expectations tc
Esthona went on with little real intcrr,lptor
from the custom-house authorities, who
were no match for the daring mariners OF
the gulf, and quite too weak in point of mum.
bers to guard the numerous and dangerous
inlets cast of Revcl. All this is altered now
Provisions are dcarer in Finland and import.
cd wares i'll Esthonia, while the smugglers
are enlisted to man the Baltic fleet of Russia
Duties and sailors have been gained by the
Government, but tlle people have not rea7ed
the profit of the change. The blackade OF
the last two years must have aggravated
their evils; indeed, it is difficulty to under
stand how the country has been able to sub
sist with such an almost entire destruction Of
its coasting trade. Not a fishing boat sue
ceeds this summer in GLIDING the vigilance of
the squadron. The southern Provinces arc
thus absolutelyicut off from the exportat on
of agricultural products the main source of
their wealth. The land carriage from Riga
to Mcneil has been enormously high
The crops this year have not been full;
nevertheless many fields have been suffered to
lie tallow because there was no hope of clear
ing the coast Of cultivation. The timcer
trade of course is still more depressed than
that of grain. Thus the landed proprictors
are on the verge ofbankruptcy; no wonder
they form the Peace Party !" Nor can the
country be relieved, as the other Provinces of
the Empire, by drafting large levics for the
army. The Protestant peaantry here have
no interest i'll the '.lloly War" of the Russian
Church, and sngl c cannon ball would route
a battalion ofthcln. There would be great
danger. on the contrary, of n massacre of the
landlords. The Russian troops are therefore
quar- cred upon the citizens, while Moscovite
mobiles gradually fill the places left by the
broken down Livonialls The influence Of
Moscow gains daily by thewar.
10 this, of course, the destruction of Swea-
borg is an exception, though by no means an
affair ofsuch magnitude as The English papcrs
are disposed to make it. The place numbered
but 5000 inhabitants beside The parrison.-
1t IS OF no Importance whatever except as a
loltlhcal'of. As such, again, it is but an out
work Oh iiels'ngtorS, Which a fortress itself
Unless followed by the reduction of the lat
WI thei eioIc, IL VIII not even supply the IN
vadlng ilcet with roadstead for their ships:
and the reports are as silent about H,lsincfors
as II it were hundred miles away. Even if
taken the capture will not be important in a
stlateglcal point of view: for the interior of
Finland is almost desert and, as the Allies
themselves inform us, so assiduously fortife d
that all the highroad5 are commanded by can
non. There would be no more possibility of
getting from Ildlsingfors to st. Petersbnrgh
by land than of capturing New York by land
ing at Halifax. But if the possessions af Hell
SinStors could be so improved by the Allies as
once more to wrest all Finland from the grasp
of Russia, the political consequences of such
a triumph would he of the greatest moment.
now the Governor General; and
it woold be a singular fatality if the capture
of his province should atone 70 the insolcncc
with which he provoked the war at Constan-
tlnople. The rulers of Finland have always
ruled the Baltic. Finland, if restored to
Sw eden, would at once secure the accession
of that Power to the Alliance, and relieve the
invading fleet from the fatal necessity Of cyac-
uating the scat of war at the return of every
winter. Russia would lose the nursery OF her
sailors, and st. Pctcrsburph, instead Of ter
rorizing all the West, would again be mere
window lor,the Car to look out upon Europ,-
an trade and IOlitics-PhT PuHcfiU