Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-20

cereals annually. We have seen this year
description Of the anhualfair held on the
borders of the Caspian Sea, at which are
displayed all the riches ofthe East by mer-
chants who come from China, India, and
Africa, to bring their silks, teas, gold,
cloths, precious stones. spices and corals,
to exchange for the muslins, leather iron.
beads, &C., of Russia. Beside thesespeeial
transportations, there are six thousand
camels employed in the regular commerce
over the plains of Tartary.' DUE 'iol"usiD
Peter the Great, asseverybodyl knows,
was the first to commence the eiyilizatiQp
of Russia. He wished TO possess the Bal
tic, in order to communicate with, western
Europe, and for this purpose mustconquer
Poland and Sweden. Thus he secured. the
frontiers, and the Caucasus Leagues, him
with Asia. a.. .....t....,. ,.., go, -. ..
What he began was finished BY Catha-
rine |, whose husband was a son of the
mother OF Peter and Charles Frederic. Duke
of Schleswig. She was born at Stettin, on
the northern coast of Germany. in 1729,
and commenced her reign in 1852, when
she was crowned at Moscow I'iJ5'd DiE
Her first acts were to regulate theprovin-
cial governments, increasing, rather than
diminishing, their liberties. She employ
ed men to travel through the whole empire
aides, religion, manners, legends and mon
uments, and sent ships to navigate all the
seas. She recalled exiles, and invited for
eigners to her dominiohs, Offering them
great Inducements. HlH.1pu l7Els- I'll
In 1865 twenty-three thousand emigrants
arrived from Germany. and settled along
the Volga, forming a hundred villages.
We have often met these German VOlga-
lists travelling in the fatherlaDd. In 1880
arrived thirty-three thousand Moraviap
brethren, who established commercial
houses in all the large cities, and built fac
tories in which are now produced the beau
tiful silks, Yelvets, and cOttons Tor which
Russia is renowned. Those who became
agriculturists had the land secured to
them and their children. She invited ali-
thors and artists from all countries, and
bought millions worth OF pictures in Hol-
lana and France. The commerce of Russia
quintupled during her reign.
st. Petersburg was surrounded by marsh
es, which she caused to be drained and con-
verted into model farms, and connected
with them an agricultural school. Every
noble could send one peasant, and every
priest two sons, to be instructed gratis.' Poi
| She divided the empire into fOrty-four
districts, and established court of equity
in each, composed of president and six
assessors, two of whom were mobiles, two
| bourgeois, and two peasants, with governor
| general for several districts united. In
each district was established an imperial
college, with apothecaries and physicians
| instructed to CORES Ond with each other
throughout the empire. She distributed 6
hundred thousand volumes in different
Libraries, and appropriated four thOusant
dollars year to the translation of foreign
books. She instituted savings banks
which few may be aware originated witt
her, and retreats for widows and the aged
The Sclavouic race Is remarkably pro
life, ten, fifteen and twenty children beinG
often seen in single family of the sam
marriage; but Notwithstanding this tn
population did not increase rapidly, be
cause of the poverty and ignorance of Tia
people. They died from cold, from eatinj
bad food, and from contagious diseases :
She invited foreigti physicians and estAb
lished manufc.ories of surgical instru
ments and medicines, and in each commun
school.
She established normal school for tn
education of teachers, and a school TO
Greek youth, who were received by tn
Russian consuls, and when educated be
came officers Al. the navy.
She had also agents in all parts of tn
empire JO seek peOple WIN lleeueu WOIh
and to provide it for them, Boys who hat
talent for the fine arts, or any profession
were educated at her expense. and whei
they had distinguished themselves shegav
them lands and titles. There were wis
men among her counselors, and some be
came also eminent for their good works.
1t is now Just century since all thes
works were commenced, and we do NO
suppose Russia has stood still, though sh
has not advanced with the strides of youn
America. The Empress Catharine reigne
30 years, and performed what onlya despo
can perform in so short a time. Franc
tried to cripple her by embroiling her wit
Turkey, and forcing her into an eXpensiv
war, but she came out triumphant an
more glorious than ever.
England and France thought to humbl
and check Russian power by destroying
Sebastopol; but ere long Turkey will be
come tributary to the Car, and balf ASH
will call him master All the other nation
of Europe are old and oYerstocked, bur
dened with debts and weighed down witt
taxes, and their vitality too exhausted t.
resist these destructive influences.