The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-02-05
OUR RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA.
BAYARD TAYLOR,s LETTERS.

We were f:rtunate during the time
that Mr.. @. M. CLAY was absent from Rus
STA, in having well informed gentleman
at the Russian Court, in the person of
Mr.. BAYARD TAYLOR. We quote from
his correspondence with the State Depart
ment, recently made public as follows:
MR.. TAYLOR TO Mr.. SEWARD.
Extracts.
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATEs(
ST. PETERSBURG, October 20, 1862.
SIR have the honor to report to you
that Immediately after the receipt of your
dispatch No. IA, of September "a, appli-
ed fer an interview with Prince Gortcha-
coff, for the purpose of delivering into his
hands letters of his Excellency the Presi-
dent to His imperial Majesty Alexander
II. My request was at once granted, and
at an early hour the next day I was ap-
pointed; but the Prince having, in the
mean time, been summoned to the town
of Gatschina, some thirty miles from here,
to confer with the Emperor, the interview
was postponed until to-day.
After having received the Presidents
letter, which he promised to present to his
Imperial Majesty without delay, the Prince
entered upon conversation concerning
American affairs, which deem so impor-
tant that | hasten to report it, while his
expressions are yet fresh in my mind, and
can be communicated to you with the
greatest possible exactness.
He commenced by stating in the strong
est terms, his concern at the course events
are taking in the United States. "Your
situation, said he, "is getting worse and
worse. The chances of preserving the
Union are getting more and more desper
ate. Can nothing be done to stop this
dreadful war? Can you find no terms of
arrangement before your strength is so
exhausted that you must lose for many
years your position in the world?" an
swered that the critical period in the for
tunes of the war seemed now to be passed
our arms are again victorious, and, could
the military strength Of the rebellion be
once fairly broken, it would be almost inn
possible for it to maintain itself longer.
cit is not that alone" said he, "but the
fury that seems to possess both sides-the
growth of enmities which are making the
gulf continually wider between the two
sections. The hope of their reunion is
growing less and less, and | wish you to
impress upon your Government that the
separation which fear must come, will
be considered by Russia as one of the
greatest possible misfOrtunes.' -
"To loyal Americans" l answered,
"separation seems nothing less than ma
tional ruin, and particularly for this rea-
son, there can be no negotiations at pres
ent with the rebel authorities. They
would listen to no terms that did not in
clude separation, and hence the war is still
a terrible necessity. I have hopes, how
ever, that change may occur before the
term of grace allowed by the Presidents
proclamation expires Have you noticed
that the State Of North Carolina is al
ready taking some action on the subject ?"
eyes" said he, &c have seen it. *
Russia alone has stood by you from the
first, and will continue to stand by you.
We are anxious, Gerry anxious that some
means should be adopted-that any course
should be pursued, which prevent the di-
vision that now seems inevitable. One
separation will be followed by another
you will break into fragments -
eve feel this" replied "The North
ern and Southern States cannot peaceably
exist side by side as separate republics.
There is nothing the American people de-
sire so much as peace; but peace on the
basis of separation is equivalent t. cOntin-
ual war. We have only just called the
whole strength of the nation into action.
We believe the struggle now commencing
will be final, and we cannot, withou. dis
grace and ruin, accept the only terms upon
which the rebels would treat until cur
strength has been tried and has failed"
"You know the sentiments of Russia, %
the Prince exclaimed with great earnest
ness. eve desire, above all things, the
maintenance of the American Union as
one indivisible nation. We have no hos
tility to the Southern people. Russia has
declared her position and will maintain
it. There will be proposals for interview
ton. We believe that Intervention could
do no good at present Proposals will be
made to Russia to join in some plan of in
reference. She will refuse any invitation
of the kind. Russia will occupy the same
ground as at the beginning of the struggle.
You may rely upon it, she will not change.
But We entreat you to settle the difficulty.
I can not express to you how profound an
anxiety we feel-how serious are our
fears
We were standing face to face during
the conversation, and the earnest, impas-
stoned manner of the Prince, impressed
me with the fact that he was speaking
from his heart At the close of the inter-
view be seized my hand, gave 1t strong
pressure, andsexclaimed "God bless you!"
I felt that any further declaration of the
grounds for encouragement which l see
in the course of events at home would be
useless. His Excellency had evidently
been disappointed in his hopes from the
representations heretofore made to him.
l thanked him for his frankness and for
the renewed declaration of the attitude of
Russia. l had purposely abstained, in
former interviews, from referring to cur
rent rumors of intervention, in which