Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1862-12-05
The Growth of Russia.

carly history of Russia--as all history
of thousand years ago--is involved in
obscurity. The Greek and Roman wri-
ters speak of the Scythians in the un-
know North, and the Greeks held COM
mercial relations with them and estab-
lished colonies in southern Russia. In
those early times the waves Of Asiatic
population poured in upon the west, and
Russia received the Avars, the Bulga-
rians, and the Salvi or the Sormartians
appeared founding the towns Of Novg rod
and Kiev, the capitals of tho independ-
ent Salvic empires. Here the hostile
tribes warred-the Salvi and the Fins on
the one side, and the Vagarians, the wan
dering tribes of the North on the other,
the latter with success. Then as in .
hundred other instances, the defeated
party called in foreign aid, offering to
submit to another sovereignty to be reliev-
ed from their hated conquerors, Now,
just one thousand years ago, went for
eign chief, Ruric, and his two brothers,
Sindf and Truwor, with many followers
to take part in the war. They were CAL
led Russians" from the other side of
the sea-" that is, from Denmark, whence
were the Normans and other tribes, whose
blood, mingling with the ancient Briton's
we have in our own veins. The Russians
are therefore the blood relations to tho
Anglo Saxons, though the relationship is
distant, and there have been so many in
fusions on each side, that we might a.
we'll claim it by way Of Noah and Adam.
Ruric was simply one Of those Mortimer
or Norman, or as VIC term them, Dlnish,
pirate chiefs, who, sailing up the gulf Of
Finland, took part in domestic insur-
rection. or civil war, in S62, and so made
himself master of Novgorod, assuming
the title of Grand Prince; and after the
death of his brothers he added to his
posessions the estates and territory they
had acquired, founding the empir in what
Is now Northern Russia. He held the
same relation to the country that Viii.
liam the Norman did to England. Tho
conquerors became the nobility, ruling
he natives by the sword, and dividing
the country among their friends, who con-
tinually came over to strengthen them.
This went Oh for more than q century,
till the conquerors had intermiDgled with
the natives, when the Prince dismissed
his Danish body guard, assumed the Ian
guage and religion Of the country, and all
became Russians.
1t was not long before the Greek relig-
ion was introduced and adopted from Con-
stantinople, for very soon they reached
the Black sea, and soon after they inter-
married with the royal Greeks, introduce
ing the arts and learning of the Eastern
empire with the new connections there
formed. Then the Russian capital and
its chief cities took precedence in fashion,
literature and religion, and the youth
from other countries went there for edu-
cation. when London and Paris we're Of
Importance. Tnc Russians were a pro-
gressiyc people, and by frequent wars
annexed the surrounding territories !;
their prince in course Of time assumed the
title oil Gar of the all the Russians"
and Moscow, their capital, which was built
in Hi, might have become the seat Of
empire for all Europe, but for the Tartar
invasion and conquest Of the country in
the 18th century.
1t was in 1224 that the Mongols
poured over the west, not for the purpose
of settling, coloniz;ng, but for pluuder
The Princes of Russia met them in bat
tie, and were totally routed. This vir-
tually ended ancient Russia for from
that date, for more than two hundred
and fifty years, Russia was dependen-
cy of the great Mongol empire in Asia.
During this period the civilization Of the
empire wasted away.
1t was under Ivan, who came to the
throne in 1472, that independence of the
Tartars was gained. When he received
dispatches from the Mongol court, instead
of riding out to meet the messenger, in
token of his submission, he took the pa.
pcrs from his hand, and without reading.
tore them in pieces and trampled them
under his feet before his mobiles, whom ho
told to prepare for war. War followed,
and with it came the end of the Tartar
rule. OF the present Russian empire it
was Ivan who was the founder, less than
four hundred years ago not Ruric thous-
aud years ago for under Ivan there was
an entire reorganization, and then the ba-
sis Of that despotsm which has continued
with few alterations to this day, was laid.
lie made the indvisibility of the realm q
fundamental law. He introduced fire.
arms into Russia, and commenced tho
modern civilization of the empire. His
,cond wife Zoe Sophia, the niece of the
last Emperor of Constantinople, which
had surrendered to the Turks; and thro'
her the double-headcd eagle came to the
Russian arms. She was followed to the
court By suite of Greeks and Italians.
through whom the useful and elegant arts
were introduced, and the commencement
made of that system of Improvement
that was afterward so energetically car.
ried forward by Peter the Great.
We do not care to follow down the
history of the country. From its release
from the Mongol rule, its progress ha,
not ceased to this day, when in extent Of
territory it surpasses any other nation on
the face of the globe, and in population
it is the first of civilized peoples. 1t now
covers in Europe, Asia and America an
area of S,3333, Ssh square miles, which j.
one seventh of all the land on the globe,
and double the whole of Europe. The
! United States is about one-third as big