New-York daily tribune., 1856-02-12
THE CONDITION or RUSSLi.

With an extensive territory and scattered pOpu.
aton, Russia was, half a century since, an almost
purely agricultural country, IN which, for want OF
diversity in the employments of it, people, the
power of combination scarcely existed--as a natu-
raj consequence of which the various faculties Of
the individuals of hch its society was composed
were scarcely at all developed, and man was
everywhere the slave of his fcllowm man. Manu-
factures we're then almost unknown aud the cara
vans trading 10 the interior and supplying the
wants OF distant tribes in Asa went laden with the
products OF British and other foreign workshops.
When the present Emperor mounted the throne in
lS25, the country could not produce the cloth
required TO uniform its own soldiers; further back
in 1900 the expectation Of colOred cloth was pro-
hbitcd pndcr severe penalties; hut since then all
has greatly changed.
Russian produce then sought the markets Of the
world in its rudcst form, burdencd with enormous
charges for transportation, and yielded, cOnse-
quently little to its producers who therefore had lit
tie with which purchase The produce ofotber coun-
tries. The foreign trade was, consequently, trivial
in namOunt, the exports amounting to but 10, 6,OOO,OOO
Of rouLes and tho imports to only 63, 900, or
but about S46 COO coo, being less than one dollar
per head Of the population. Small as this was 1t
included avery large proportion of the clothing and
machinery consumed, "a the country then pos
sessed but little Of the skill required for convert
ing ts wool into CLOTH and still less of that demanded
for the construction OF agricultural implements,
while the power to make a steam-eAgine did not
exist yet on the soil Of Russia. Under such cir
cumstances il was not extraordinary that the
people remained in state OF barbarism or thst
slavery was universal throughout the land
The continental system gave TO manufactures
considerable impulse, but late as lSl2 there were
but 265 establishments OF any kind, large or small,
for the production of cotton or wooden cloths for
the consumption Of more than 81, 900, 900 OF peO-
pie With the closing of the war; however, there
came q change. Alexander having been educated
under StOrch free trader, wss disposed to
carry out in the administration of the Empire The
lessons be had learned in the closet and usual un-
der such circumstances, the result was most dis
astrous. British goods flowed in in a constant
stream and Russian gold flowed out and the Gov
crnmcnt was paralyzed, while the manufacturers
were ruined. In this state Of things it was that
Count Nesselrode issued circular preliminary TO
change of system, in which it was declared that;
Russia finds herself forced to resort to system Of
ndept ndcnt commcrce that the products OF the Empire
longer find markets abroad; that the manufactures
of tie country ruined or on the point oi oeng So
that all tie coin of the country flows out Ia Foreign
nations and the most solid mercantile establishments
dnd themselves on the brink of ruin.'
The year 1924 witnessed the Inauguration OF 8
new system-one looking TO an increase in the
power of association and combination throughout the
Empire-and the one whose policy has recently
been vindicatcd by Mr.. Chevslier, one of the most
eminent ree-trade writers Of France in the follow
ing words
"U is not M abuse of power the par Of the
Government; the contrary. - hc accom- 2lishr7c7
or posture dKtV 10 oct ~ each cD9cA IN ne progress
OF nation as 70 fGrOr ss fGkt7g pOssess0E or al ne
6raackcs of industry EAOsc GcqEist0H IS GH!R0ri-ct
by the nature Of hiESs. Governments ara in effect
the personihcaton of the naon and Is required that
they should exercise their influence IN the dire 'ton
Nscated by the general interest properly studied aud
fully appreciated. Thus, shall carefully avoid slsm-
ing Colbeu in France, or Cromwell in England tor the
effort 10 establish IN his own country powerful COM
nercal marine | regard "a excellent the desire of
some OF the eminent men of the principal nations OF
Europe 10 establish around them the yanOus branches
Of manufactures. although | may not praise without
distinction al the measures by them adopted FOR the
accomplishment Of their object.
irotecuon beng thus eslaoIShed' bchencla re-
suits We're soon exhibited A early 1884 Russian
cloth was taken by the caravans to kiachta; and
al this day the markets of all Central Asia are sup
Piled BY the fabrics of Russian looms, while in
AfShsnistan and Chins are crOwdine British cloths
entirely out Of sale-notwithstanding the latter
have the advantage in transporsaton-whie in
Tartary and Russia itself British woolens are now
Il. L \ r = -. Il
number Of manufacturing establishments in the
empire nOre than trebed, and since then they
have increased in much greater ratio, though
from the absence of official statistics We are unable