Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-05-26
A SUGGESTIVE AND SIGNIFICANT VIEW OF THE
OBJECT OF THE GRAND DUKE CON5TAETiNEs
VISIT TO FRANCE AND ENGLAND.

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clerical, for thsre squres OF all snrts-and when
the ladies have left the room, by the warmth OF an
April IRE they talk over their covers their preserves
their stables their kennels, their armorie- and all
the sweet auIares and furniture Of sport. On these
occasions bosoms are unlocked, and the observations
and meditations of half year reveal themselves.-
The favori,e hunters forel.ss and his rider 8
weight are canddly considered " You won
ride that brown mare another season :" such a
pointer ia getting idle, and such greyhound cunning
such gun kicks, or hangs fire, is too heavy, or
won't carry far enough for this country, where the
birds are very wild. "What shot do you use tor
groussl" What do you find the best waddngl"--
"What do you give your keepers!' "Do you ever
give your hunters carrotsl" Then come in shooting
Jackets and boots and pouches of all sorts for all
purposes. Then the best breakfast to hunt upon or
to walk 81 miles upon, or to set ones self up with
when rather "done up The subject has endless
rami6cations, and in an age of mprov ement. with
such succession of new minds brought to bear upon
it, is on every point neKhaustbs. The curate sits
BY munching the brandy cherries or yielding his in
ner soul to the contemplation of a gay new altar
CLOTH encaustc tile, quaint poppy head
For hours and hours evening after evening, this is
country life in England; and for this the merchant
pines to leave his counting house, the lawyer his
desk, the official his post, and every man his work,
whatever il may be. There is good deal to be said
for it, and not much against It. At all events, ii is a
common object, pursuit, war, against common
foe not one of ourselves. 1t Is not everybody who
cares lot concerns tnOs6
who do care for it, not those who do not Perhaps
they prefer human gane the pursuit is interest
ing, perhaps, but not 80 harmless or sOciabe. II
certainly 10 matter for cougrauation that when the
brother Nimrods are discussing these grave affairs,
the intended prey silly brutes or worthless
min. The guns are not to be pointed at our neigh.
boris windows; the shot is not for their bodies The
rival sporlsmsn are feow.sportsmeu also, and the
competition is not suicidal
The great sport.men Of Europe have had gloriou.
l,tg,. Inc i
shooting 10 the Black Sea, and rather mild sport
ia the Baltic The return Of game ia considerable,
and the improvements In guns, shot and all the per.
.onal as we'll the material of the amusa
ment immense. We have finished for the present.;
iudeed the preserves are almost bare and horses
dogs, and all, fairly done up SO now is tns time for
that aftsrspot We have attempted TO describe. The
Grand Duke Constantine is come u visit HE sporting
neighbors, Napoleon and Victoria. He seems to be
making rather long stay with the ormer the latter
not being quite ready for him Just now They are
doing their very best 10 anuse linn across the chan.
nell and have carefully hunted up the preredents Of
Peter The Greats visit to Paris Immediately after the
accession of tho House of Hanover 10 this throne,
and of Pauls few years before the French Rsvou
ZION The Grand Chamberlain. the Masters Of the
Ceremonies, Admiral.. Field Marshals, Protects, au
thortes and constituted bodies of all kinds. are doing
their best tn show of France-her splendor. her pow
er, her gsiety, and her poeness Public IN.
tres receptions, bals, operas, reviews, hunta
and everything that Princes are supposed tn de-
light In, are prepared with zeal that to France
is 90 usual and characteristic as TO require m
explanation and admit Of no comment But the
Grand Duke 10 q man Of business, - keen sports
man." and "bueiness before pleasure, It you plesse
His soul !, in the arsenals and the dockyard'. Your
real sporting neighbor has never done with your
horses. your dogs and your guns and the Grand
Duke returned again and again 10 the toundres and
vorkshops On second visit 10 thu dockysrd Of
Toulon, after examining the new gun'boats and q
model triyate he broke out III am impatient to have
done with Theses official receptions, in order that we
may more carefully examine togeihe! your ships and
your dockyards." The floating batteries he eSaminsh
with intense curiosity To the conductors he impaired
his confidential opinion that they would hs failure
against any heavier ordnance or closer fire Than al
Kinburn and hearing that some under equipment
were intended for China, he pleasantly observed.
$50 you ere going TO take the cheatnuis out of IN.
fire there to-. But nothing came aniss to his useful
and vigilant curiosity. Water tanks, sail stores,
oil stores small srmories, iron and copper works
everything that contributes to perfection ia the
.pori-he went through and inspected, with yard
measure in hand. As he always reduced the
French measures to ours, II ls evident that the
British Navy has been the earliest and the most
favored object of his official studies. The Grand
Duke Is quite model for tourists This is turning
travel TO account. When his grandfather, his father
and his uncles came to this country, they also
brought with them engineers and sdrdhs. and took
home all sorts Of peaceful Inventions But the Grand
Duke AZ We have said, is a man OF business, and he
returns TO the example Of the fou1der of his empire,
who welded not only yard measure, but an adze,
in our dock yards. As a nation of keen sporsInen.
of people who must have an object, and who adapt
the means to the end, we cannot but respect the
Grand Duk g way Of seeing "f0reign parts We
cannot help aympathizlng with him IN his pursuitf;
nor it arpear., the French. He has won his way
to their hearts Indeed, it quite delightful to see
The Hsg. of all nations blended, national airs alterna
ted captured cannon, balls, and other trophie, mag
unanimously hidden to bs uncovered. and all cora oil
racoections of certain recent occurrences fondly
brought up while Russia, France, and England, soon
to he added 10 the group, are examining one an
others weapons with scientific and afeconate nte-
rest. and interchanging hints. or wrinkles," as
sportsmen now call them, for future USE Is NOT THIS
the lion and the OK, the wolf and the lamb, lying
down together! But an odd thought strikes one
Where is the game for this SPORT What's the .coun.
try" brohe: sportsman that you seem 30 busily and
amcably polishing your weapons and taxing sweet
counsel for For the noblest possible prey-ior one
of themselves. Two are 10 chase, hunt down, shoot
snare or destroy the third and which the sportsman,
which the game, time alone can show
This consideration imparis particular interest 10
the Grand Dukes approaching Vsit 20 ms country
When brother sportsman examines Jour lowing
pieces your dogs. or your fishing tackle, you may or
NAV not feel anxious to hear that he has bagged more
birds or landed more fish than you have. In TINS
case the object is TO bag you and, OF course you are
Interested You are the vsrTnn, and your guest has
fancy for your meat your FUR, or merely your orusn
to present to his lady sweep the dust from nd an
ceslral hall. 30 he wishes 10 study your ways your
haunts your track, where you burrow, when you
come out to feed, how you run, how you double now
YOU defend yourself If you can, the thickness OF
your fur or your feathers and what shot Will do lot
you. Small shot, IL Founders, Tor example VIII
glance of your feathers, and the Grand Duke hnds
he must have heavier metal to do the WORK. But,
like all spor,men he quite fair. and teaches wh'e
he learns He lets us know the thickness OF bis own
fur and the weight of metal he can stano WIN l'h
punify. Nevertheless this Is no VISIT OF cere.i.ny
feet the sternest of the Russian Princes no mere
'.fue, frank hearted sailor" but man who goes
about with yard wand, and makes three visits 70
gunboat or dockyard
"a chiefs anang ye takin notos,
and if he does not publish them. which VIII not 3D.
swer bis purpose hs will put them 10 oetter use.
However, as far as wa are concerned, the Grana
Duke CONSTANTINE 10 most heartily welcome to see
everything that is TO be seen in this country; ne
will not see 40 splendid capital as our ne'gnooro
have to show he will not have SUCH teses Id MS nono'
and possibly not be assisted with quite 90 much aac
rity 10 his naval measurements; but there Is not all
invention of peace that England will not be proud 10
show him That in fact, 10 our great art OF war IL
the Grand Duke wants to know how It Is thar We car
ried on the war with so much vignr ana SUCCESS,
leaving off stronger than We began ne VIII see 'Ia
our military and naval resources lie rather IN Tue
prosperity Of the people-iu their perfect freedom
and their unstiered enterprse-than IN any aggres'
rive or defensive organization. He will See that we
are really military power, because we seek pence
rather than war, while the weakness OF n's County
has lain in it's aggressive spirit and expressly military
organization We amused With the Gtsnd Duks os
visit to the Dock yards and the Court OF France w
course We are aware that Russia woud rather ph'e
France for an oily than foe, and that on the mos,
common ground. Of policy France will do her best
40 he civil to her Imperial visitor. Indeed, We
take it all as matter OF course. We feel however.
that wha, We have to show Russia is neither naval
establishments nor royal magnihcence. we neither
dread Russia as foe, nor particularly desire her as
an ally; but we do most earnestly desire to see her
entering more cordially and unreservedly into the
race Of civilization. We wish TO interchange win
her not the ideas and materials Of only military sac
cess but of peaceful progress. In this sense Russia
will fnd England much more Of sister and an any
than even France, which IL still swathed ana Graded
by jealous and prohibitory .ystsm. we want 10
Russia neither foe nor an ally, but simply nt!sn.
Dor; and if Russia desires to be worth moro n'.y
years hence, as either foe or ally she will 90 wen 10
ia, dvio