The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-20

The Treaty-Russia Before and Since-Mer
Limits.
In order to comprehend the results Of the
treaty OF Paris and to show what has been effect
ed by the war, we must look back at the steps
taken by Russia within the last fifty or sixty
years to aggrandise herself at the expense of her
neighbore In 1900, Sweden was still dis
tiDguished Power, and with the memories of
herVasas and her Charleses, kept all her enemies
at bay. The frontier lire of Russia on the north
was then about fifty miles in advance of the
White Sea, including Olonetz, q territory lying
between Petersburg and Archangel, and ap-
preaching within twenty miles of the Lake of
Ladoga, which empties into the Gulf OF Fin
land by means of the Neva. 1t was in that day
that Sweden had command Of two-thirds of the
gulf, and possession OF the ports OF Abo and
SveabOrg, the latter being her great naval
depot, and lately become 30 celebrated. Ii
1905, when Russia was acting upon the princi
pie of an armed neutrality, aud was in fact 10
that attitude assisting Napoleon, she declared
war against Sweden for not excluding the
English from her ports in the Baltic. This
pretext was followed by the invasion and con-
quest Of Finland. Gustavus the Fourth, then
on the throne, an eccentric Prince, instead OF
defending his own territories, would hear Of
nothing but invading Norway; and when the
celebrated Sir John Moore arrived with $4,000
men at Gottenburg to assist him, he was treated
60 badly, and was in 80 much personal danger
from the King, who had ordered his arrest,
that he had to escape to the fleet in disguise.
He took his army back without having landed
Q man. In addition to this, the King actually
disbanded four thousand Of his own guards,
on the plea that they were not sufficiently
jealous against the Russians. The end OF this
was his deposition from the throne; the Duke
of Sudermania became King, as Charles the
Thirteenth, peace was made with Russia, aud
the English were prohibited from entering the
Swedish ports. This arrangement favored the
views Of Russia, and Finland became hers.
Her policy Of gaining new outlets to the North
ern Ocean was successful, and Sweden sank
into q second rate Power, stripped Of her best
ports and her most valuable territory.
In 1917 Russia had pushed her northern lin
its much farther. They reached the river Tor
nea, on the Gulf of Bothnia, and she now also
possessed the isles Of Alard, coded in 1909.
In this way Sweden, no longer Independent,
lived at the mercy of Russia. What has she
gained by the treaty Of peace? One thing is
certain-a once powerful Protestant nation
has been abandoned by England, and one Of
the greatest political, religious and physical
barriers against the progress Of Russia west
ward, has been left in its ruins, to moulder
away and be absorbed at no distant period by
that empire. At the beginning of the war we
were distinctly told by the British press that
Finland was to be restored to Sweden. The
prediction has utterly and miserably failed
What else was promised the world, or what
else was to be demanded as q preliminary to
q peace with the Gear?
The restoration of Bessarabia to the Porte,
by which the Russian power on the Dneister
might be held in check. This territory lies be-
tween the northern mouth OF the Danube and
the Dneister, and is bounded west by Media
via. By the treaty of Bucharest in 1872, Rus
sia gained Bessarabia, and extended her from
tier from the Dneister to the Pruth, descending
with it to its confluence with the Danube, and
also the fortress of Choczin, Bender, (where
Charles the Twelfth took refuge among the
TurksO Kilia and Ismsil, stormed and pillaged
by Suwarrow. By this treaty Russia agreed
to surrender several fortified places on the
Black Sea to the Sultan, but never did 80. On
the contrary. abe secured this territory by the
treaty Of Adrianople.
By article 20 the Bessarabian frontier is rec
titled, but only in part-a large slice being still
left the Russians-and Russia, as one of the
contracting Powers, retainsa full participation
in the commerce of the Danube, its mouths and
It's tributaries. The recti6cation does not in
the least prevent the Gear from at any time
connecting himself with Austria and Prussia
by his frontier bounding on those coun-
tries, reaching downwards to the Pruth.
So, too, it was proclaimed that the frontiers Of
Russia and Persia were to be contracted to the
limits of 1900. Then Russia ran her line
along the river Cuban, or Kouban, commencing
at the narrow strait separating the Orimea from
the Asiatic continent, and uniting the Sea OF
Azoff with the Black Sea. Then it continued
along that river to its source, passing in front
Of Georgiesk, then to the north of the noun
tains Of the Caucasus, and following the river
Terek to the sea. Since then Russia has claimed
the whole country between the Black and Cas-
plan Seas, outfanked the Caucasians, controls
the Caspian, and has mastered some of the finest
provinces of Persia
The treaty of Ghoolistan, in 1915, gave to
Russia Georgia, Immeritia, Aingrelia, Derbead,
Badkoo, Daghestan, and other important pro-
vinces and localities. 1t also prohibited the
employment Of Persian war ships on the Cas-.
plan. What was not gained by this treaty has
been attempted by force, and for years past the
resistance of the Circassian chief, Schamyl, has
been marked BY prodigies Of valor. By these
operations Russia was gaining ground towards
Rritish India: and. indeed. since l772 has come