New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-30
EUsssAN pROGBEss I'm ASIA.

notice is taken of equally important affairs oc-
curing elsewhere. Just now the gaze OF the
civilized world is drawn irresistby to the re-
volt of the American Shareholders, just as
within u few years it has been drawn succesS-
lively to the Crimean War, the Sepoy Mutiny'
and the Italian Revolution. With its eyes liked
on these events il has given little heed to CO.
temp0raneOus transactions in the remotest and
least known region Of the earth, which, IN
the magnitude OF the area they afect, aud OF
their probable consequences on the destiny OF
mankind are, TO say the least quite "a mo-
mentouS as the achievements Of Napoleon Ill,
of Garibaldi, Nena Sahib or even Of Jefferson
Davis. We allude TO the recent acquisitions of
Russia in the region of the Amo0r.
That great river runs for upward of 1000
miles through the heart of Mantchooria, the ma
tive country OF the present Tartar rulers Of
China. and falls into the Pacific opposite the
Island of Saghalien in latitude 81 n. In iss
course, however, it makes prodigious bend
70 the South az lar as the parallel OF AZ,
tbrouph n region as favorable to cultivation
and population as Canada or our States OF the
Northwest. The extent of the basin which 1t
drains is 10000 square miles, an area equal
to that of the whole of our seeded States,
INCLUDING Texas-an area ak times as large as
the British I.lands, aud three times as large as
Germany. The soil of this region produces
barley, oats, wheat, rye, hemp, flax, and to-
bacco. aud there are magnificent and mex
haustible forests of maple, walnut, ash. elm.
oak. and variety Of eyergreens. Coal and
iron have been discovered, and gold is re-
ported 10 exist. Immense pastures feed mil
lions of cattle, fur-beariDg animals are abun-
dant in the forests, and FISH nre found more
beautifully on the coast than anywhere else IN
the world. The country, in short is rich in
commercial resources, in wood and water,
in fertile soil and precious minerals, and in all
that adapts land to contribute TO the susten-
ence and convenience Of human Inhabitants.
But il is not merely in the Valley of the
Amoor that the Russians have made important
acquisitions to their Empire. Their system OF
annexation in that valley was inaugurated by
Count Mourayieil, the able, apbitious and ac-
tive Governor-General of Eastern Siberia,
who, in 1873, sent an exploring party down
the Amoor and ascertained its fitness for
steamboat navigation. Two years later he es-
tabshed posts a! the mouth of the river and
along tie adjacent coasts of the Gulf of Sagha-
lien. and in 1854 himself descended the Amoor
at the head Of an expedition to carry supplies 10
the Russian fleet in the Pacific. This was dur
ing the Crmean war, and Oh the restoration OF
peace Mourayieif perseyered in bis efforts to
settle the country, aud finally obtained from the
Chinese, by the treaty Of Aigun, the cession OF
the lett bank of the Amoor down TO the mouth
of ts aflluent, the Usuri, and of both banks
below that point to the sea, including several
fine harbors on the coast. This carried the
Russian dominion down to tho parallel of 47o
and annexed an area of Icveral hundred thou
sand square miles.
Moura,el, to whose skil! and energy these
great acquisitions were due, was rewarded for
his services with the title OF Count of the
Amoor and now styles himself Mourayeil.
Amoorrhy. But his ambition was not vel
satisfied, and under his influence another treaty
was negotiated in November, 1860, by which
China transferred to Russia vast territor,
south OF the AmoOr and the entire seacoast o.
MantcLooria down to the frontiers of Korea, il
latitude 40 N.-that ia, to the latitude o
Massachusetts, to which the regions thus ctde,
are very similar in climate and productions
| BY this prodigious stride not only have tn,
standards of the Car been advanced to within
/ i've hundred miles Of tue crumbling walls o
Pehin, but splendid harbors, free from ice a.
tho year round and capacIous enough for tn
mightiest nayies have been opened to the com
MERGE of tho world and to the service Of the In
peral fleets in the Pacific In case of a secon'
conflict with England, these ports and tho vas
ship-building resources Of the Amoor viii give L
the naval forces of Russia very different dc
gree Of power from that exhibited in the wa
of the Crimea.
The most recent intelligence from Japansln
dcates still another onward step OF the Rus
SLAMS. They have taken possession, 1t J
said, not only OF tho great Island of Saghnien
which stretches for nearly six hundred mile
along the coast of their new possessions i
Mantchooria, and is rs large as PennSyiv wanna
but tho principal port Of tho still larger an
far more valuable Japanese Island OF jesse
which is about the size Of New-England, an
lies in precisely the Same latitude, with YER
similar climate. And, what is still more In
portsnt as we learn from official Japanes
documents which We published not long ago