The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-10
The Russian Iumbug.

The Russian Humbug.
EFOps he Tribune.
Mr.. Stewards geographical discoveries con-
tnue to be telegraphed over the country, and
Bvery man who has known another man who
has ever been in Russian America is produced
TO give description of the country On paper
there is no place like Russian America. The
climate is delicious, and quite warm in
winter; yet the ice fields are inexhaustible,
and in the burning heat of the Arctic summer
the Esquimaux take refuge in their shade.
The country is covered with pine forests, and
vegetable gardens flourish along the coast
Whereon the walrus are also found in vast
multitudes. Wheat, seals, barley, whlte
bears, turnips, icebergs, whales and gold
mines are found as far north as the slXtletn
degree. All the luxuries and necessiues Oh
life are grouped together, so that IN coniParI-
son of Mr.. Stewards documents we hnd the
Polar bear reclining among roses, barley
ripening on icebergs, grass OF luAurIanC oS .i,
growth over which the EquimauX shuiie with
snow-shoes: and Winter everywhere sleeping
in the lap of May. 1t is the lsothermal line
which works these wonders. 1t can be
oiphered out, as Mr.. Seward shows, that the
peculiar influence OF the isoIherlnai inc
makes the climate of the most extraordinary
kind. so that while the Russians and Esqui-
maux have always shivered the year round
in their fllrs, the American settler in loose
linen coat will be compelled to carry an UNI
brella to protect him from the sun. Let if
he would be cold, he may be. Ice is always
handy. Would he roam through grand
and solitary waste, where the Polar bear is
monarch of all he surveys, he has only to
step out to his front door. VOLTA cries the
delighted Secretary of State. Would he pre-
fer thickly settled country, with farms and
gardens, peaceable EsquimauX, and Arcadian
Indians, then he has only to step out of his
back door. All tastes are gratiied in Mr..
Stewards land, which is not Russian America,
but Utopia. On paper it is a wonderful
country; on ice it is what is generally called
big thing.
But the rose colors in which Mr.. Seward
drapes his kilograms will fade long before the
unhappy immigrant reaches the Zero Islands.
Martin Chuzzewit bought town lots in the J
fOuIishing city of Eden, and found his front |
door in the middle of q swamp. The poor |
settler who goes to Sitka-on which little |
island the Russians have with difficulty made
a settlement--to raise wheat, or barley, or |
oats, will find that his fields are ice fields and
need to be cultivated with snow -ploughs.
We have heard of people going to Russian
America, but never heard of anybody staying |
there, except those who were frozen in the !
snow; nor is it probable that the enthusiasm |
of the Secretary of State will result in his
immigration.
The country is so delightful, so rich in furs
and fish and timber, that the Car thinks it
entirely too good to keep. He is not worthy
of it,. 1t would hardly be credited, were not
Mr.. G.. V. Fox authority for the statement,
that the Gear has signifed his readiness to give
Russian America to the United States, and that
his only doubt was of our willingness to
accept such miserable present. 1T is value
less to Russia" said Prince Gortchakof to
Admiral Fox, "and has always been an expense
and trouble" Mr.. Seward Immediately con-
Ceived the brilliant idea of paving $1,000, 900
in gold for what he could have got for nothing.
Russia does not care for the money, we sup
pose, but is very glad to get rid of the country
whales, wheat, walrus, copper-mines, and all.
We may be sure nothing is said in st. Peters
burg about the value of the land; there they
will talk about the value of the money. 1t is
this bargain, dressed up in a secret treaty,
which the Secretary of State is ashamed or
afraid to publish with his kilograms, that the
Senate is asked to confirm and the people to
approve. We trust the Senate will not; we
know the people will not.