The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-16

u
first been pronounced them by the Chaplain General
who, IN short address the troops forth the obga
lions tney were under TO their sovereign and country,
ana called upon them 70 defend the favorable insignia
now granted them 70 the last drop OF their blood His
discourse was received with the utmost enthusiasm and
the soldiers then dened dense masses before the
dows OF inc royal palace making the wekin ring with
their acciamatons. few days before the King had
sembled his generals and the body officers Of the army
he expressed his confidence in their DEVOTION and nt
mated that the time might soon come for putting to
s sne es da I no no. deceive ourselves no
threatens u.s. u viii be one IN which we must either
conquer or perish" This, at least is the report
informed in all matters connected with royalty. In
short, the whole atmosphere redoeut Of gunpowder
and the public are waiting in breahess expectation for
the curtain 10 rise and the sangninary drama 10 COM
mence.
is scarcely necessary to mention that the events
transpniDg in America viewed with the most poign
ant regret by the friends Of liberty In the Old World;
but may be allowed to observe that their unhappy
suits viii be more Immediately felt by tho Americans re-
siomg or travelling IN Europe. As long as the latter
were citizens OF one great republic the consciousness that
they were under the protection Of the glorious
impaired freedom and security to their movements,
and rendered foreign governments careful how they In
terfered with individuals who, humble though they
might seem, h,d mighty nation behind them, ready 10
avenge an insult or exact reparaon for injury Now,
however, II the Union is broken mp two perhap
even shattered Ito several smaller fragments the
inspired by II VIII vanish, and citizen Of New York
South Carolina, OF Iowa California VIII DO no more
respected than native Of Ecuador or Guatemala. Il
would be highly desirable therefore, that the disrup
ton should DO inevitable some arrangements made
to continue the joint representation OF the States abroad
as to enable their sons TO enjoy tho privileges
and mmunes that were Afforded them In their capacity
Of American citizens, and the withdrawal this would
be equally fatal " their comfort and " their interests
Oar st. Petersburg Correspondence.
ST.. PETERSBURG, Jan. IL, 1901
Ntlo Tear's in Rassia-The SeJ Emancipation Question:
Rsssiaa P0liey-Rassia and Gtina-7ae Russian I,ea
y, dc.
Tomorrow is the Russian New Years day. year
commences with it that viii be sgnazed by great and
important change-I might almost say revolution-in
the social state Of this empire The emancipation CUES
tion has reached STAGE the special committee
having terminated s bors. the result, of which has
been submitted to the Supreme Council and the Emperor
has firmly determined that the oukase announcing tho
fnal abolition of serfdom in Russia shall be published on
the 3D. OF Marchhe anniversary Of his accession the
throne There s report indeed that its provisions
not to BIO put in force till the fall not to interfere
with the labors Of the harvest but it Is tho general
opinion that any further delays would BIO danger
Gus, az tho peasantry are beginning TO lose
patience, and serious agrarian disturbances have
occurred In several parts Of the country. In
the province Of veror the scrs of nobeman, who had
made himself obnoxious by his severity against
their master and drove him off his estate and the
Governor obliged to despatch detachment Of Cos
sacks to restore order similar s reported from
smoensk, where landed proprietor who had promised
to enfranchse his vassal their paying certain sum-
and who afterwards tried to back out from his
ments was subjected to personal violence. In former
times such things used TO happen very often but since
the prospect Of emancipation has been held out to the
peasants they have been waiting very quietly for its
realization and the Of such at the pre-
sent moment shows plainly that they getting tired
and not inclined TO walt any longer II remains TO
be now how they viii receive the imperial ouGsc
and whether win not fall short Of their expectations,
which appear 70 be OF rather too sanguine character
mnny Of them believing that the lands Of the obles will
be divided among the peasaatry, that they viii have no
taxes to pay recruits TO furnish &c. AT any rate
government not without fears for the maintenance
pnblic tranquility, and 1t "a fact that the Minister Of
War taking measures to call out 100 900 men Of the
troops VI reserve who have been urough since 1856
This STEP however, may not be entirely owing to the
internal situation but aso to the aspect of foreign affairs
When oil Europe Is armng Russia cannot remain on the
peace establishment, particularly there has boen nc
CONSUMPTION for nearly Ave years, and the numerical
strength Of her armies has, therefore, bcen greatly
reduced that 1t scarcely exceeds the figure 1t had at.
tanned when the empire had not than half its present
population. The complications that arising
in the Eastern question, the agitation that re.gns
in the DanubSn Prncpalities, in Hungary and
even In Poland; the difficulties between Germany
Swedena this renders IL ectssary for Russia 10
shall her forces and 10 prove herself In readiness for
contingencies OF the future.
With tho commencement OF the new year We may
also look forward TO considerable changes fife personnel
administration. Prince OrloG is still alive he
is dying by incnos and will nevcr BIO able TO attend 70
business again AS President both m the Council OF the
Empire Of tho Cabinet Council he occupies the high
est position atainablc by Russian subject, and 10 Is ma
tural therefore, that the public curious TO who
win draw great prize The Supreme Council Of tho
Empire IL deberative body composed of tho first
civil and military dgnitares OF State, and which per-
hape contains tho germ of a Russian Scnato-not
such q Senate as we have already got, and
which Ia merely kind Of court OF appeal in judicial
cases but something like that Of the United States II
is divdcd into Ave denartmentser Iecisation war c
vii and ecclesiastical affairs, economy and finance, and
the Affairs Of the kingdom Of Poland lat Warsaw each
under President the senior Of whom acts Vice Pre-
the whole Council. AT present Count Boodon who
presides in the Department Of Legislation, 10 the Sc
nior OF these Eve secondary Presidents During the III
Of Prince Oro6 he has occupied his place and II s the
opinion Of many that he will be ultimately appointed HIS
would be succeeded IN bis present post by Count Psun
who has been Minister OF Justice for twenty years
and whom would be desirable for many reasons 70 re-
from that Office. lie In the only Of the Empe-
Nicholas ministers who still retains his portfolio,
except Count Adsrberg, Of whom there 10 chance Of
our being relieved I'LL he shIf1es OF this NOR
growth OF and ncphews (he Baranof) TO succeed
him ad intnia According to other versions the Vice.
roy Of Poland, Prince hchael Gortchakon, formerly
commander In chief in the Crmca, will be selected for
the Presidency Others again think Prince Peter of 0den
burg will be the man, who, though Protestant, has
been for twenty years President of tho Department OF
Civil and Ecclesiastical Affairs, tho supreme authority OF
the Russian orthodox church, without any In Russia
finding fault with It, any out Of Russia giving
credit for liberation Another important Office, that Of
Secretary 70 the Cabinet Council, has become vacan,
by the demise Of Mr.. A. SukoGkin, Of most IA
Tented Of business who died lately at the age Of
yone and who, IL he had survived, would probably
have had brilliant IL 10 Understood that he viii
be succeeded by Privy Councillor Mlutn, ojort TO the
Minister OF the Interior, who In his turn win be replaced
by Count shouralo formerly Chief Of the Police Of st
Petersburg
We have intelligence Of highly interesting character
from China. On the 1sth November n supplementary
treaty concluded by Gen. Ignatie with the Chinese
Penipotcntary Prince Hung, by which the frontier be-
tween thetwo empires 10 defnitivey settled and ne v
and valuable privileges conceded 10 Russia In the
the entire coast from the mouth Of the Amoor down TO
the 42d degree of latitude, which includes the fine bar
bors OF Castree Posset, Olga, Vladimir &C. s aclnow
lodged Russian territory In the west tho line OF de-
marcation Ia dxed south OF the great lakes Dson and
Issik ku, the frontier beng formed by the Celestial or
ThionShan mountains and extending to the confines OF
the Kingdom OF Kokard leaving the whole OF ransen
STA TO Russia. Tho route from Mamatchen TO
paIln tn fhrou 20 tb~ Dnr Ne