Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-26
The United stntes and Russia

Berlin COrrespO'e Of the London Times, Feb. 2s.
Gen. Clay, the American Minister in
Russia, has attended another public din.
ner. This time it was the annual BANQUET
of the Naval Club at Cronstadt which
supplied him with an opportunity for pro
claiming that Russia and America are
friends, and are destined to become more
and more intimate as time progresses. AID.
mirals Leesofski and Popof, who COM
manded the Russian feet in the American
waters in 1854, responded to this affection
ate language with all their hearts. 1 find,
however, that the Vyest the paper repre-.
senting the nobility interests in the Rus
sian press, has published a critical article
upon the after dinner speeches of the
American Minister, which, were it only
on account of its marked difference from
the language of so many other Muscovite
journals, would repay the trouble of ex-
tracing.
"America and Russia" this influential
organ says: "Are friends becaus5 they can
not possibly be enemies. Their interests
are too diverse to clash, and their geogra-
phical situations too widely asunder to ad-
init of their coming into friendly contact.
We ave nothing at all to say against the
propriety of Russians dining with Mr..
Clay, and listening to his speeches, but we
wish to state our conviction that nothing
positive will ever come out of it. As lit
tie as America thought of aiding US in the
defense of SebaStopol, as little should we
have assisted her in holding her own
against England and France, had she en-
broiled herself with them. Such being
the case, it would perhaps have been bet
ter for sill parties alike had Mr.. CLAW and
his Russian entertainers, while exchanging
superlative compliments, r~efrained from
attacking other nations, and those the most
highly civilized nations of Europe. Gen.
Clay expressed himself in language which
may be appropriate in a public meeting
at New York, bat which is unusual in the
mouth of 3 diplomatist. And has Eng
land nothing better to boast of than phil |
anthropic phraseology, as Mr.. Clay ironi-
cally suggested Has not England freed
her negroes, and employed a squadron
against the slave trade2 Has not Eng
land, true to her monarchial and conser-
vative instincts, emancipated her slaves in
a most orderly and satisfactory way. nav
ing ransom for each and every one Of
them2 Republics, it is true, have another
mode of procedure in such emergencies.
America went to war in the
cause Of the slave, consumed no
end of life and property in de-
his rights, but alasl paid
not q farthing to the masters. We
confess we are no friends to sentimentality
n politics. We remember that General
Clay, when travelling in France coun-
~ now chiefly valued by him as the home
If a trufae-made q speech at Paris in
which ne advised the French to make war
lgainst England. Again, if assuring us
low that of all nations on the face of the
lobe Russia is the dearest to the Ameri-
an heart, how are we to reconcile this as
everation with another which in an off,
lal document has been lately made nv
DIR. Seward to the effect that the Amer.
ans felt more sympathy with the French
han with any other State? Is not Mr. !
the Minister from whom Mr. Clav :
his instructions and ought thew
OF IN consequence to profess the same
pinions in publie2 From all this the
sader will easily see what importance to
ttach to the friendly speeches of General
. i