The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-04

wait and bide her time. The greater the confusion 10
which the present settlement must inevitably lead the
greater is the chance of her becoming the family phys
clan of the sick man. to the exclusion Of the other doc
tors Turkey Is rotten than Mexico for
while there ID a bare chance of establishing government
in Mexico by force of arms there is in Turkey
where every improvement eyokcs the religious fanacsm
the believers In the Prophet in opposition 10 it, and
where the government itself is but the expression and
Embodiment of that fanatcism Whatever diminishes
the force and effect Mahommedanism weakens the heo
cratic government at Constantinope, aud whatever
strengthens Mahommedanism prevents, to the same ex
tent the spreading of higher degree of civilization
Those beautiful countries the Mediterranean will never
be civilized long they remain under Mahommedan in
fuence and they will remain under that influence until
the Turks driven out Of Constantinople And II is by
certain that the Mahommedans themselves will
rise and put down the present dynasty An attempt
to that effect has been made in Egypt and failed and
the events in Jedd,h in Alexandria, in Candia and in
short wherever Turk and Christian brought in con-
tact with another, show sufficiently the utter hope
essness introducing Turkey into the ranks OF civilized
nations The Turkish question will be the absorbing
political question in Europe but it may from the organic
changes with which Europe Is threatened receive ad
dtonal complications that may change the whole map
of Europe.
Accounts from the settlements the Amoor river have
reached St Petersburgh They very satisfactory and
show rapid increase in the settlements in population
well in their commercial prosperity Prussia Is about
to send consul there and the free city of Hamburg will
also be represented there by agent Goods
reaching the centre of eastern Siberia by the river Amoor
can be furnished at half price, and find ready market
The emancipation of the sers throughout Russia is rap
idly carried to successful conclusion and will, when
accomplished mich diminish the power OF the mobiles;
while it will add to that Of the Emperor. Rlssia in
few years will be stronger and organized than
ever Between France and Russia there appears to exist
the best understanding.
PARIS August 49, 1858.
Now that the effect of the demonstration at Cherbourg
is viewed from prospective distance Englishmen begin
to feel little ashamed of their fears and apprehensions
and to institute comparisons between the French navy
and their own with the evident purpose Of reassuring
John Bull of his vast superiority in all matters concerning
the manning and navigating of shpsof-war. Mr. Lind
says Manchester speech has produced fierce etorts
on this side of the channc which cannot fail to produce
irritation and resentment in the army and navy how
much the governments of the two countries may
each other of their respective friendship and good
will The question occurs, What Cherbourg built
for such an cost and consumption of labor
Certainly French does not require such pro-
lection Certainly France has maritime interests
responding to such immense preparations for defensive
and offensive purposes France and England have sign
ed maritime convention to suppress privateerng
is they have mutually surrendered the belIigerent
right of carrying guerrilla war against each
others commerce, and have thus referred all mari
time wars between them to the decision Of great
val battles between their respective fleets. Cherbourg
then built to harbor such fleet and the French
navy already than overmach for any European
maritime power, and only inferior yet, to that of
Great Britain the conviction is forced upon that
Cherbourg built to meet the contingency of
with England. Whatever may be the reasoning of
French English journalists the subject that is the
only rational construction to be put Cherbourg and
the people of both countries feel and understand it so
The English feel alarmed, the French assured by it ;
though is certain that the French people pay pretty
dear for that satisfaction Louis XIV, who first projected
Cherbourg, and who was in spite of his detractors,
very great monarch meant and intended IL as demon
stration offensive and defensive against Great Britain
Louis Philippe who ordered the works to be reconstructed
and improved exhibited on this anyoher OCCASIONS
his calculating policy years in advance present events
whiie Napoleon III, whose talisan of power consists in
the conviction of the French people that all he mcates
and does is for the interest and glory of France
has at last completed the gigantic work an
imperial scale, with every improvement in fortif
cation, artillery, and ship-building at his com
can make it available in time of France is now
great maritime rival poue in the British channel and
Fngland is Obliged to maintain channel fleet as she
did when struggling for supremacy with the Dutch
How far the demonstration will prevent re-
mains to be seen certain it is that the accumulation of
electricity not apt to be the best of preventing
thunder-stor One thing yet remains to be sad on
that subject France has distant colonies protect
and no extensive commerce. carried in her own ships
to pay or compensate for the outlay of money at Cher
bourg Neither Is she from her immense military supe
rioty in danger OF British Invasion Chcrbourg there
FORE constructed for defensive purposes but for
offensive while its geographical condition sufficient
to be made. And in conclusion, would observe that
as the ships which find shelter in the harhor of Cher
bourg would il properly manned require every sailor
which France conveniently dispose Of and there
is no merchant navy from which to recruit the fleet if
it be disabled in great naval battle, ii follows that
so shrewd man as the Emperor Napoleon has not
made these preparations for long continued maritime
war with her ancient rival but for single blow in
which the whole power Of France is brought to bear
her great opponent Such blow, if not followed up by
others could not destroy the maritime power of Eng
land because England finds ships in every harbo Of the
world and sailors to navigate them. An English feet
therefore, may be beaten and destroyed and another
got ready to take its place in longcontinucd maritime
war Not the French feet, which, If meeting with
decisive defeat would require years to be reorganizcd
and recruited. The blow, then, which France could