New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-06-11
KEY,

KIEV
When the Car has a will he is sure to find
the most arbitrary Of ways. Once the late En-
perOr Nicholas was presented with the plan OF q
railroad from his capital to point in the in
terror of his domain. The plan respected what
the author of Wallenstein called the valley 8
fruitful windings," and specially avoided
what he described as the straighter but less
righteous "course OF the cannOn-ball." 1t
meandered about every place of calculable size,
and by great circuit came to Its end. But
the Emperor designed that his road should
make new cities instead of taking in old ones !;
so he took up a ruler and drew straight line
from point to point. Build me that" said the
Car. and we presume that the road was built
staightway.
Because the Car has taken into his head
that n new capital in the south Of Russia
would he a more central and convenient seat
for his wide and increasing empire, We are
disposed to give more than usual respect to
the report that the City of Kiey has been
chosen for that capital Kiev is trimontane
city, situated go miles south Of Petersburg
and 470 miles southwest OF Moscow, and has
at this time about one hundred thousand In
habitants 1t is placed at a junction OF the
small river Desna with the Dnieper, and Is
within easy reach by water and land of the
railroad leading from the capital to Odessa, on
the Black Sea, from which it is less than two
hundred and fifty miles distant in direct
fine. Kiev would be as convenient in point Of
situation to Moscow as st. Petersburg is now,
and is hundreds of miles nearer than the latter
e rulta NET qr1 $50
any conspiracy formidable enough to threaten
tho integrity of the Carbon. The new ru-
mors of conspiracy in Polish and Slavonian
quartcrs hint an argument for the choice of the
new imperial seat, and the recent uprising
among the Don Cossaclls and in the Khirgiz
country give us another. st. Petersburg being
sufficiently loyal for all imperial purposes, the
new capital would be recommended for its
greater convenience as a base OF supplies
against the centres of disaiiecton. Add to this
the important consideration that the Emperor
will. by his change of residence, have
brought himself nearer by some six hun
drcd miles to the Austrian dominion,
aud as many nearer to Asia and to Tur-
key. The traditional policy of the Carbon
with respect TO the possessions of the Sultanate
has not, we fear, been abandoned; and although
the Governor General OF Turkestan announces
that the period of Russian conquest in Asia is
ended we consider il safe TO doubt any expressed
programme of Imperial policy which omits the
national Russian idea of enormous absorption.
The new capital will have fair merits of size
and numbers and defense, and great merits Of
position II has large cathedrals and palaces,
and numerous churches, manufactures of leather,
and pottery. and confectionery, and holds an
annual fair. The best proof of its antiquity
and importance exists in the fact that its
library contains $1,000 volumes, that its uniyer-
sity had sj professors and l5i9 students, and
that it was for long time the capital of the
Russas.
Two countries of the world take the lions
shares Of its growth, namely, Russia and
America. The former grows by brute, blind
instinct of absorption, fattenng its power on
all sides, from elements of the rudest races and
civilizations. The same inevitable tendency to
acquire new properties is true Of the United
States But the American people are still only
an evidence of the natural power of attraction,
aud not, as in the case of Russia, n conquerng
and aggressive force. European publicists are
Specializing when il will be necessary for the
Emperor of Austria to change the seat of his
dominion TO Pcsth. He will probably think the
matter well over 10y the time the Car removes
to kicy.