, 1860-08-17
Russia.

lneTe Is proOaDly no nTStCIaSS power on
the globe with which the American people
are generally less acquainted than Russia,
= while it, perhaps merits as great an
amount of attention MS any other, particu.
5 Iarly as the policy of other European States
is greatly affected by her movements Lo-
: Gated in the most remote section of Europe,
and with comparatively restricted CONNER
cial advantages, Russia has been greatly
moderated in times past and it is only
when the combined strengthen two Of the
greatest nations of the earth, assisted by
smaller States, is required to stem the tor
r rent of Russian power that we begin to re-
alze her remarkable Importance. The two
years war with England France, Sardinia,
and Turkey left her stronger than ever, de-
spite the fall of SebastopOl and the destruc-
; tion of her feet at that place She has
learned lessons Of wisdom which the Gar
has since been practically engaged in car.
rying out, She has extended her empire
, over additional millions of people and im.
mense tracts of country.
Although engaged in sangunary conflict
with four different powers at one time, two
of which were of the greatest maritime con-
(Ysderation, she yet managed TO secure terms
with Japan equal to those obtained by the
United States While carrying on a dead
Iy conflict with England, France, Turkey,
and SARDINIA, she still employed formidable
armies 10 overrunning Manchurin, northern
China aud Circassia Although her fleets
were driven from the ocean, she nevertheless
established her possession of the Amoor
country and the important advantages it
offers for lucrative commerce.
Within the past three or four years Rus.
sia has greatly increased her whaling busi-
ness, as much because it presents the best
nursery for her seamen as from the actual
profits Of the enterprise. Her dockyards
have been the SCENES Of extraordinary ac.
tivity. Silently, unostentutiously, but rap.
idly, her ports in the Black Sea and the
Sea of Azof have been heavily fortified and
improved, while ship building has been pro
crossing on large scale in them, in the
Baltic and Finland.
The Gar, with admirable foresight, has
emancpated the serfs and given them an
active, living interest in their country. He
has effectually destroyed the cold, slavish
apathy of the class from which his soldiers
were drawn, and hereafter, instead of fight
| ing for mere life, rendered valucless by the
most grinding bondage, they will contend
for those great blessings which make life
acceptable, and will meet the armies Of
France or England on moral aud social
as well as on purely physical equality.
With consumate tact, be has secured a
valuable port in the Mediterranean, the ad-
vantages Of which can scarcely be over-es-
tipated. He has concluded a treaty with
China on equally favorable terms, even i'll
not more advantageous than those effected
by France and England, and by peaeeable
means. There is every reason TO believe
that the full merits Of this treaty have not
yet been revealed to the world; but enough
is known to satisfy both England and
France that Russia has complete ontgen-
eraled them. The frontier between the two
empires, China and Russia, has been fixed
with great accuracy, and in a manner re-
markably advantageous to the latter. From
the mouth Of the Oosseori which empties
into the Amoor in AS degrees longitude
east Of Greenwich, the Amoor forms the
boundary. But from the point mentioned
the line runs to the canal of Tartary, by
which not only both banks Of the Amoor
but the whole tract enclosed between that
stream and the sea, and which would have
been its natural outlet bat for the singular
bend it makes to the north, has now become
Russian territory. Had it nat been for the
eccentric bend made by the Amoor, that
river would have emptied into the ocean as
far south as the 46th degree, whereas it
now disemboglies over seven degrees north
of that parallel. This unfortunate north
ern inclination carries il into a cold and in
hospitablc region, whose rigorous climate
blocks the mouth Of the Amoor with ice for
nearly nine mouths in the year, besides
which lis navigation is further impeded by
shoals near Nickolayersk, the present chief
port Of tue Amoor country These OBJ
Stacles, however, have all been overcome
by the late treaty, as the port will now be
tranferred to Castries Bay, a superb nat
ural harbor in the Gulf OF Tarlary, open
nearly the whole year round, and from
whence it will not be difficult TO construct
a railroad to Maryinsk, second settle
mcut only forty miles distant, and which
would save two hundred miles of river
travel. The last accounts inform us that
whole caravans were crowding from Siberia
towards the new acquisition, and large de-
tachments Of troops were being moved
down the river to garrison the new forts to
be Immediately erected. 1t will be seen
from these strickmg facts that Russia is
bending every energy towards the growth
and extension Of her commercial interests
Wherever new seaport can be obtaiued,
or an old one made more useful, there she
bestows her forsteriug protection and solc
itude.
1t is not a little astonishing, that the
news Of peace with China, and the treaties
entered into between the Celestial Empire
and the great powers Of the world, should
have been made known to the English and
French governments, through that Of
) Russia.
The internal policy of the Gar has not
been less progressive or less remarkable