The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-09
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1860

We publish elsewhere letter from the CORE
spondent of the London Times, who writes from
st, Petersburg, under date of July 10TH describ-
ing the manner in which the Russians of all
classes received the news of the massacre of the
Syrian Christians by the Druses of Lebanon. If
there is no exaggeraton in the report, the excite
ment into which the Russian population has been
thrown shows how completely the policy incul-
Gated by PETER the Great, and sedulously carried
out by CATHERINE II. and her successors has he
come part of the sentiment of the people. The
ancient guide-board on the Crimean steppes in
scrlbed with the suggestive words, ''This is the
road to Constantnople,n could not indicate
more plainly the fixed and unalterable resolve of
the Russian Government to found new seat of
Empire on the banks of the Bosphorus, than does
the feeling of almost flnatcal hatred displayed
towards the Turks throughout the whole extent
of ancient Russia That this feeling has been
fosered and encouraged for many years is matter
of history. war looking 10 the conquest of
European Turkey would be as popular with the
Russian people, as war with England and the
organization of an invading hotilla at Cherbourg
would be to the great bulk of the people of France.
We are told that in Russia, at this time, all
classes of Russians display an Irritation against
FALL Mussulmans, but particularly against the
Turks that is carried to the extreme of fury -
that the MOBILES clinging to their national tradi-
tons, ''execrate all that is Mohammedan:'' that
the clergy, the merchants, and even the peasants
'are unanimous in tigmatzing-cursing is the
'word-the crueties of the Turks The soldiers
have lost their languor and careessness, and have
recovered all that fire and spirit which appeared TO
have deserted them since the war in the Crimea
and the reception of the Gar "always warm
''and sincere, is now enthusiastically fran
"tic." In Moscow, the centre of the old
Muscovite party the feeling is represented as being
still more intense. The orthodox population de.
mand why troops are not already on the march
against the miscreants? y whilst the sermons of the
clergy are filled with illusions to Turkish atrocities
and the prayers offered up that the Divine ven
geance may not fall upon the politicians who close
their ears to the cries ofhe victims inundated by the
scimetars of the Mussulmans. That government
usually so strict in REFRESHING all evidences of pop
ular feeling should not rebuke these fanatcal de-
monstrations, would seem to justify the impression
that it contemplated resuming the display of its
old aggressive spirit towards the Turk. To those,
also, who believe that on the question of the uti-
mate course to be pursued in relation to the Otto
man Empire, Russia and France are already
agreed, the conviction entertained by the Rus
sian soldiers that they are on the eve of new war
will be seized upon as strong proof of the truth of
the rumor which, for some months past has been
frequently caughtupand repeated and as frequently
discreditel. 1t is nevertheless apparent that the
Gar has but to proclaim Crusade against the
lnfdel to rally more followers to his standard
than were assembled before the walls of Ascalon in
obedience TO the celebrations of Peter the Hermit
war with Turkey is even now styled ''the HOLY
war" This cry, in the ears of people possessed
" OF superstltious faith, and believing as pro-
oundly as the old Crusaders that it is their reli-
gious duty to exterminate the inidels who have
kept possession of the Holy Sepuchre for so many
centuries, might be made to resound through all
parts of the Russian Empire until every hill poured
forth its myriads to make war upon the Turks as
the countless hordes of Europe rushed to do battle
IN common cause under the conceded leadership
of RICHARD C@ur de Lion. There is a marked SINH
lariy existing also between the social condition Of
Russia at the present day and that of Europe in
the middle ages The mass of the population in
both instances were serfs. In BOTH the feudal no.
bles were expected to furnish troops at the call of
their Sovereign from among the veins of their re-
spectlve estates-in both, too, the religious element
was stronger than the intellectual and both were
slowly emerging from the darkness of ignorance
and barbarism, to the light of q higher and more
perfect civilization. Of course, there are other
points in which the comparison would not hold
good but that susceptibility to religious impress
sions which led TO the organization of the Order of
Knights Templars, and of that of st. John and
many others, exists now in Modern Russia as
strongly as it did at an earlier Gay in Medieval
Europe Wherever this spirit of religious fanati-
cism can be successfully invoked, it lacks but an
able leader to make it almost irresistible in the
presence of the enemy. But ALEXANDER II. has
yet to deal with the question of serfdom in his
dominions and the difficulties which he has
already encountered from the Boyards, who
have sought to Illustrate his plan of complete
emancipation, and the disaffection which. on the
other hand, is spreading among the serfs them
selves, who are impatient to realize the freedom
which has been promised them, will of necessity
compel him, at least for Il season, to be chary of
undertaking an enterprise in which he would, in
all probability, be brought into collision with more
than one European Power