, 1862-12-13
RUSSIA AND The UNITED STATES


h1r. Bayard Taylor, American C;a:n.yy~ 1T st.
Petersburg, wrote TO Mr. Seward, under slatc
OF October e9, 1862, rs follows:
Immediately after the receipt Of your dis
T2tch oi seIt 2Ctli, applied for all interview
delivering the letters Of his ExccIIcncv the
President to Ills Imperial Majesty Alexander
! tEe SECOND. My request WIS at once granted.
ard IN carly hour the next day was appointed,
but the Prince having, in the ime, been
| summoned 10 Gatsclintc, some thirty miles
from here, to confer with the Emperor, the
interview was postponed until to-day.
| After having received the President letter,
| winch he promised to present to his Imperial
! Majesty, the Prince entered upon CONVERSE
ton Concerning American affairs, which 1
t deem unilnportant. He stated in the strong
est terms his concern at the COURSE which
events are taking IN the United States
Your situation said lie, 50 is getting worse
and worse. The CHANGES If preserving this
Union are growing more and more desperate
Can nothing be done to stop this dreadful
var: Con you find no basis Of arrangement
before your strength is so exhausted that yon
tion in the world:n
answered, that the critical period in the
fortunes Of the war seemed now to be passed:
our arms were again victorious; and could thd
the military strength Of the rebellion be once
ta1rly broken, it would he almost Impossible
Tor it to maintain itself longer
lit is not that alone,'' said he, ssbut the
Jury which seems TO possess both sides. tic
growth Of enmit!es which are making th. nn,f
continually wider between tie TWO sections.
;lEe hope Ut their reunion is growing less and
less, and wish you to impress on your yoy
ernmcnt that the separation which fear 1l;ust
come, will DC considered by Russia as one Of
the greatest possible msfortunes.''
$40 loyal Americans, answered, "St,aro-
ration seems nothing less than national ruin
and precisely for this rc3,sUu there can br rn
negotiations ut present with the rebel author
!tlss. They Eolid listen to no terms which
aid nGt lnclndc separation. and lencc the war
Is Sill terrible necessity. l have hopes.
however. that :. change may occur before he
term Of grace allowed By the Presidents nro-
c!"nsa:ion expires. Have you noticed that the
State Of Forth Carolina is already taking somc
action on the subject ~
from the first, and will continue to stand hy
you. We arr very, yer: anxious that some
means should be adopted, that any course
should be pursued, which will prevent the
division that now seems inevitable One
separation will IL followed by rnotLrr. and
yon Will break int fi:.@mcuts.'
w 1.e1 this" replied, 1.-THE Northern
anu Southern States cannot peacefully exist
s'dS ay SIDE as separate republics. There is
hosh1ng th,: American peopl. desire SO much
rs l'eace. But peace on tic basis Of separ:l-
ton is equivalent to continual war. We have
only Just called the while strength Of the
nation into action We believe the struggle
now commencing will br final, and we eanIiot
without disgrace and ruin, accept the only
terms upon which the rebels would trent
until our strength has been tried and las
faiied.'
s Yon know tle sentiments Of Russia,'' the
FRINGE exclaimed with great earncstncss.
we desire, above all things, the maintenance
Of thc american Union as one lndiEisiblc na- I
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have done. We hare no hostility to the South !!
ern people. Russia has declared her position
and Will maintain it, There will be proposals
Tor intervention. We believe that intervc,,- t
ton could do no good at present. Proposals !
5nterferencc. She will refuse any Intervention |
OF tie Kind Russia will occupy the same |
ground as ut the beginning Of tic struggle, |
You may rely upon it. She will not change.
hut We ent re:t so'. to settle the difficulty. +
cani!mt e*rrec* 10 you 1i"w profound are IT,,
anNietics We feel; how serious are ou- Ecars.'' |
We were sta1:ding face to Eace during tie i
conversation, and tile earnest, imnassionod
manner Of the Prince impressed me with tic
1sct that he WAS speaking from his heart. At
tsie elnsc OF The Interview he seized my hand,
bless YOU
i'lt Than any further declaration of tue
grounds of encouragement wllirI, sce in Inc
course OF events at ko1nu would hc stsel.ss.
1is eNeei''1ltv tlad cEldtn:ly hccn dlsapsr,int-
Cd III lis hopes from the Representations here
tuforc made to linn. thanked him for Ills
1rlrndlineSs and for the renewed declarutin,
If the aiti1 utlc If Russia
The proclamation Of the President, w2,icl. I
forwarded TO Prsi:ct: Gnrtscl,akoT as snon as
il arrive d, was translated and published Tic
next day in the -io";Wd Dr. st. IHt3x5"7u, to
:5tt1er with your circular which accom-
panied il.
since then, the same paper, which preserved
a aronlplete silence OIL American atI:lirs during
the period OF our rs.ycrscs has contained sew
crHl lungcnt paragraphs in the interest Of
The Union
Tie journal Of yesterday, f,r INSTANCE, las
the 1oliowing: As to 1he Democratic meet
ing which has been held in New York, for tie
purpose OF c"ndemning the emancipation
proclamation If H1r. Lincoln, anu declaring
1llat The Republicans vIolac the constlsu1ion'
il will suffice to :;lyca just lncasrre Of y:,l,1.
ct this demonstration, il We recall ihe fact
LAT before til. War commenced The friends of
slavery i'll the United States were tlcsign;tt, /!
" the nals:e of 'Demoert~,F while tint Of
.krIutllcai1s' was given to the :l.iyursarits Of
the peculiar slnstitl1tion.'"
lhe proclamation has not excited mach sur
prise at this court. So FIJI Us lave been able
to ascertain the Impression Niliv}, ii la; 1,ro
tlured among intelligent Europeans, it is con-
silered 4 jnstitiah!e measure
Apparent inaction is considered almost
equivalent to defeat, aud even that better
knowledge of an American, which supports
his own hope and confidence, is partly neu-
tr1lized oy the disappnlntments Of His year.
1 have thc honor 10 be-, with the highest re-
spcct, Your ohetiielis servant,
.BA1ARp TAILOR, Charge d 'Afflircs.
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