, 1863-12-19


The following is an extract FROM very In
tcrestipg letter written by Il gentleman, one
Of our most prominent citizens, while travel
ing in Russia:
My trip to Russia was more interesting
than any journey have taken in Europe.
The contnsts were 60 great between the
high end the loW1y-the royal palaces with
the accumulation Of wealth and sp1cndor for
ages, the result Of absolute will and power,
ard The squalid sert villages, with their wool:
skin dressed occupants, scarcely q remove
above the plantation lands In the Southern
States. And yet step has been taken which
makes all Russia feel that new nra has
daWncd.
The eerfs arc free1ncn and the owners Of
patches Of land, and although the Emperor
met with the resistance OF those whose inter
csts were so seriously affected, he triumphed
over all, and to-day III Russia he Is little less
thnn a Deity. Stern opposition yielded to
absolute will: and that opposition Is already
convinced that to a large extent their own
good. and in every respect thc good Of the En-
pire, has been promoted. Some .are ruined,
and still grumblcd. Formerly most Of the
proprictors spent their time in the luxurious
capital or in foreign travel, never seeing the
Int md the hoyel from which their Income
was derived.
palaces Of mobiles in st. Petersburg unoccn~
cupied, besides any number Of smaller estab-
lisImcnts. They count already ten thousand
additional schools established by the peasants.
The Emperor has established tWcnty:ouc
hundred On the crown lands alone. 4 sys-
tenn Of railroads Is projected and being car
| ried out, connecting the Black sea with tue
Baltic, and binding The east and the west
icgethcr, and opening tho country to the
world. Prince Gortschako1f, the minister for
foreign affairs, said to nc "come here two
ycurs hence and I will show ron a new ma
tion," and such is the feeling all through the
empire among all classes.
Not only has the Emperor made frcemen
Of %, ,o00, geo Of eou1s, but he has seized the
corrupt administration of Justice, and adopt
Cd decree destroying the old system and
establishing IN Independent Judiciary, with
corrupt delays that enriched the Judge: and
Impoverished the suitor. The trouble now
| is to find persons capable. Of administering
tho laws, Us the whole thing is to be Learned
| anew both principle. and practice. But tho
came Win that eubdued the mobiles will sub
t due the lawyers.
In Russia and many Of The Kingdoms Of
Europe, the rooms, the furniture and the jew
| els Of deceased royalty arc not used by their
! SUCCESSORS, but arc kept foz show; and you
| can imagine what horde Of treasures are
exhibited In their palaces. The eyes are daz-
mass. It is kept IN rooms gorgeous with
| gold and silver md precious stones, maguia-
Cent and Injurious. The riotins Of the few
| ct the expense Of the many, is the first
thought Of q republican:
| St. Petersburg is q city Of palnces, and no
! city in Europe presents such square is the
| one on the banks Of the NcTa, and around
which are situated the admiralty-the winter
palnce, and the her1altagge (palac tho pub
lie Offices, which occupy palaces;-and the
Church Of 1eaac. It Is said a hundred thou
eand troops Gun be paradcd in the square.
l 4t~$y14 141,+t 1a%0 f&~ 1fn1 3t
tile winter residence Of royalty and to Ut
tempt description would only be an emu
-farniturc & malachitc, Jasper, topaz,
and NIL the diilerest productions
TINT Siberia and Its mines, and the Ural
| these as high as your leal-tables with NO.
saic tops, as large as any parlor table you ever
l saw, and the stone work 30 wrought as to
! equal oil paintings, There are jewels tabu-
lors in price and aize; and every where pic
| lures by master hnEds-
the rooms Of tue Emperor Nicholas and the
| Empress We went through her apartments,
on which everything that wealth and tasto
could accomplish had been lavished to sur
round her with luxury. From; thence We
went down one flight Of private back stairs
to the Emperor's rooms, two in number, anfa
pallors.. plain, simple maLogany furniture
.Tas al there ,sas to, be socn. Tho cot on
which he, slept and died, with Ill the bed
clothes, would not bring ten dollars u Chi
cago. In this little room, confidential lffienda
ard miDisters were received. The wfndowa
! The Hcrmitago IL the depository, Of the
works Of art, and everything that money
could acquire to testify to the, 1nagnl1eance
OF the owners: 10 convey anything Of Q cor
i, rcct impression. y letter should be guide