The New York herald., 1863-11-12

Close % tho Russian Fsses, or RasAsr
Farces. s
| At last we oan announce the close Of the Rus
sian Jetes, or farces Glad a. we are that all the
fuss and parade Ia over. we cannot allow the
occasion to pass without few sensible words
In regard to those who have made themselves
80 entirely ridiculous during these farcical per-
formancss. The great Napoleon, when con
6aed upon the Island of st. Helena, uttered tho
memorable proverb that il you scratch Rus
Sian you will find Tartar beneath. Napoleon
never said anything more true, and ws have
found 1t 10 during our recent experience in en-
tertaining the officers of the Russian deet now
| In our harbor.
We are young nation, and We display q
great deal moro youthful enthuaiasm than
manly common sense in our hospitality towards
foreigners. Trollope, Dickens, Captain Mar
ryatt. Bull Run Russell and half hum
| dred other European soribblers have been
received here with the utmost possible
kindness, which they have returned by slander-
ing, caricaturing and abusing US as soon az
they again set foot upon their native soil.
Mortified as we have been by the conduct of
these ingrates we have not yet had sense
enough to avoid giving opportunities for SINH
lar sneers. We entertained the Japanese princes,
or bootblacks-we are not certain which they
were-in truly royal style, and they have re.
taliated by numbering all Americans on sight.
When the Prince of Wales landed here we as
tonished that young man and bis noble attend
ants by welcome which extended from one
end Of the country to the other, and in which
all classes and conditions OF our people heartily
joined. The English have rather astonished us
with the manner in which they have recipro.
Gated our attentions by supplying the rebels
with navy, Offering us cannon balls for our
soirees dansantes, and burning our merchant
| vessels as response to our torchlight process
sions and illuminatiOns. But why 60 over the
| old, familiar story Suffice 1t to say that we
have now capped the climax Of absurdity by
| feting lot Of Russians, who neither care for
nor appreciate our hospitality. and who laugh
! simplicity.
Upon the arrival Of the Russian feet in our
| harbor we were seized with Russian mania.
| Our citizen soldiers paraded the streets, mud
| died their trowsers to show themselves to the
Russians and were quietly ignored at the Rus
sian dinner This dinner was gotten up lavish
| ly-although lard, and tallow, and train oil
would have done as we'll as game, apd pastry,
| and champagne--but the speeches were ex-
ceedingly farcical, especially in those portions
| which essayed to draw a comparison between
the Emperor Alexander and President Lincoln.
Then came the ball, which was. as we predicted,
. farce and failure. So ends the history of
the Russian festivities; and what have we gained
by them! Is it the sympathy Of the Russian
Gear? We had that before, in diplomatic way,
and it really amounts to nothing. Russia sends
her navy here to keep it safe in the
event Of q war with France; but
we doubt If she would send II here
II we needed 1t to aid US in fighting England.
Her navy, in fact, is not worth the sending.
One of our Ironsides could blow it out of wa
ter, with ell the barbarians on board, in q
couple OF hours. How else can Russian SYM
pathy avail US! What assistance il her barba-
rian legation or her barbarian diplomacy to
people able to take care of themselves? IF she
has any sympathy to spare let her expend it
upon the Poles, who have groaned for half
century under her iron yoke. and have been
deprived of all their natural and national
rights, except the right of being sent to Sibe-
ria. For free America to become cheek by
jowl with such despotism is contrary to all
the traditions, all the sentiments and all the
principles Of this republic. We may have for
gotten this during our recent excitement. Let
us remember it now.
Neither does it at all alter the case that we
are contending with rebellion, and that Rus
sia is in the same predicament. The
saying that misery loves company il not
applicable to our situation. Our re-
bellion is the attempt Of few ambitious poll
ticians to destroy the government in order to
retain power. The Polish rebellion is the strug-
gle of brave people for that right of self-gov-
ernment Of which they have been robbed.
There is no coincidence, no similarity, between
the two rebellions, any more than between the
two governments against which the rebellious
are contending II Clay, Webster and Calhoun
had delivered the speeches at the Russian din
ner, instead Of the petty spouters who made
themselves silly upon that occasion, we might
have been forcibly reminded Of these and kim
dred truths before; but our orators lack brains
as well as eloquence. We want no sympathy 4
from Russia, no sympathy from France, no
sympathy from England, no sympathy from
| any European government We shall settle
our difficulties for ourselves and in our own
time and way; and our tremendous display of
military and naval strength, and our unparal-
leled resources, and our unanimity of national
feeling. will compel the respect and fear Of the
world. The genius Of Liberty and Of America
Is supremely ridiculous when she appears at
ball, and trips about on her toes like ballet
girl, in order to obtain little worthless ap-
plause from foreigners, who are far more likely
to laugh and jeer than to fall in love with her.
Let her preserve her dignity, and rely upon her
| iron clsds and her armies, and both Russian