The New York herald., 1863-12-10
The Tartar NIaAfas

Tue fact mentioned in our Washington
despatchesT Monday in regard to the Russian
Legation lias excited good deaf of surprise arN
mortliicat.on in our New York community
The idea oil our having been toadying add
1et'ng the naval officers of Power whose dr
plomatic agents have been all along undis-
guisedly favorable 10 the rebels is Aumiliating
in the extreme, and it is the more wounding
to our selfrespect from the consciousness that
the objects of all this sdulation were no more
socially than they were politically entitled 10
it In the whole of the Russian dominions -
and that Is saying great dealt would be
difficult to find a more awkward or uncultivated
set of Doors.
Judging from the class of men that he sends
| among US, the Emperor Alexander does not
| hold American institutions and manners in
very high esteem. The selectioH of his repre-
| sentatives here is made on the broadest demo
cratic principle, speaking in the European sense
At tho European courts his legations are COM
posed OF men OF high breeding and of the most
winning aud courteous manners. In London,
Paris "aRd Vienna none Of the foreign diplo-
matte agents are more cordially welcomed 10
side. They take rank with the highest, are
gracious to their interiors and are princeiy in
their expenditure, while in general acquire
ments their superiors arc not to be found. Bus-
sian diplomacy is we'll aware how essential are
all these qualifications TO the success Of its
policy at the European courts That it should
deem them unnecessary in our case is proof
that it regards us, in good breeding and cultiva.
ton, az but very little superior to its own Moud-
iicks
If we LOOK back at the mon who have been
selected to represent the Car at our republican
court for the last quarter of century we will
see bow just is this appreciation Of Russian
notions in our regard. There has not been
minister among them who has occupied either
a first class political or social position in his
own country. Men of small fortunes, small
diplomatic experience and inferior tone, they
have failed to leave behind them those favor
able Impressions which in European circles are
usually made by Russian diplomats. 1t re-
quired some extraordinary combination of cir
cumstances like that presented by the analogy
(ostensible more than real) between the politi-
cal situations of the two countries 10 arouse
anything like a. feeling of cordial friendship
towards government which treated us as
community inferior in cultivation and refine
ment to its European compeers.
When Americans allow their feelings to get
the better of tbeir Judgments they generally
carry matters to extremes. The nmberless
bitter Lessons we haTe'received from thsinGati-
tsds Of the foreigners ON whom ne have
lavished our hospitality has not cared US Of
this tendency. The reception given to the
officers Of che Russian squadron during their
late visit to our port shows that we are az ready
as ever to rush into these extravagant demon
strations Of regard towards strangers for whom
we really care nothing And cui bOnos To be
told that the diplomatic representatives of these
very men have been all along openly svowing
their sympathy with those who are struggling
| to destroy our institutions.
II, socially, we had benefited anything by in
tercourse with these people, The regret inspired
by our folly might have been deprived of the
sting Of humiliation. But we have not evea
the consciousness Of this to console as. We
have received in our houses and admitted to
the intimacy of our families Set Of uucouth
creatures, who, under other circumstances,
could never have obtained entrance there.
We're we as ignorant Of social refnements and
convendnces as Russian policy assumes US TO
be, the contrast presented to these men by the
English, French and Italian officers who par
take of our hospitalities would soon open our
eyes to their real characters and position.
While these latter are men of high tone and
varied accomplishments, and in general belong
to the first families In their respective coun-
tries. the former have either the manners OF
rustics or the frisly smartness of tailors.
We SEQ that the government officials in Wash
ington are making even still greater fools of
themselves than we did in dining and feting these
semi-barbarians. This is objectionable; for
they cannot plead ignorance as to the conduct
of the Russian Legation in our regard. SINH
larity Of tastes and habits is, however, apt to
beget sympathy. The ignorance and vulgarity
of the one class of men accord we'll with the
vulgarity and pretensions Of the other.
THE COUNTRY RAPIDLY RUNNING INro BAR
BARSM.-If we trust accounts published in the
radical abolition prints about the treatment of
our prisoners by the rebels, it is apparent that
the war has reached point of maignity and
atrocity only equalled by the religious wars
which devastated Europe in past centuries
| The wars Of Mahomet were bloody aud terrible
and were conducted with all the blindness and
/ fury Of fanatical zeal The wars Of the Refor-
nation were as ferocious and more intoerant;
for then civilization was beginning to develop
itself, and thousands were tortured and killed
for the difference Of opinion on religious dog
mas. 1t was hoped that this terrible sentiment
Of malignity bad been banishsd from the human
mind as tho world became more and more
enlightened and civilized; but it seems that it
has not The war about slavery has revived it,
and 1t is now assuming all its ancient aspects
| OF horror The war originated with abolition