Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-04-30
What Alexis Says of Us.

The st. Petersburg correspondent
of the Baltic Gazette furnishes an in
teresting synopsis of the second and
third volumes of book written by or
for the Grand Duke Alexis, of Russia,
on his recent voyage around the
world.
The second volume of this superb
book, perhaps the most magnificent
that has ever issued from the Russian
press, opens with general criticism
on American institutions and popular
manners. 1t is refreshing to hear
what an imperial prince has to say
about the former. He believes that
the soil of America naturally was des-
tined for republican Institutions
'There is an astonishing self-reliance
about Americans" he writes, stnot
without genuine enthusiasm; and this,
to the most casual observer, together
with their wonderful, unparalleled in
formation of the general principle of
government, accounts for the fitness
for republican institutions. The
smallest schoolboy in the United
States knows the names of the emil
nent presidents of his country! No
man can convince anybody that Gen
eral Washington was not the noblest
man ever placed at the head of any
nation. Of their war with Mexico
they are very proud, as well they may
be, according to my opinion, for they
routed large Mexican armies with
handfulls of soldiers. was reluctant
to converse much on the recent civil
war, as I still found considerable feel
ing on the other side; and principal
ly conversed with some intimate mill
tary friends on the great events in
which they bore conspicuous parts.
Nothing could be more touching and
thrilling than the accounts which these
true heroes gave of exploits which the
ancients would have immortalized in
tablets of bronze. The in
fantry of America seems to suffer from
some Of the defects of the French
too much elan and too much independ-
ence of the privates-still, very admi-
rable material. But | did not know
why they were uniformed in so unat-
tractive a manner. Some of the mill
tia regiments in New York, and even
in the West, looked prouder and nicer
than the regular troops of the line.
The artillery is well armed, although
some Of the guns | saw seemed to
have just issued from a protracted
campaign. The cavalry is splendidly
mounted, and, from what saw, con-
sists mostly of capital fellows"
The courts of the United States, it
seems to the Grand Duke Alexis,
lacks the solemnity which surrounds
those of Great Britain and other Eu-
ropean countries. "This," he writes,
sis the most singular, as the people
take the utmost interest in judicial
proceedings, both criminal and civil.
At first blush it almost might seem as
though nearly all intelligent men in
the country were lawyers, so well are
they informed concerning the rudi-
ments of the laws. Besides they are
born orators; their fiuency of speech
has oftentimes excited my utmost sur
| prise.
Horrors of the Indian Famin e.
Although at latest accounts the eff
| forts of the British authorities to re-
lieve the sufferers from the famine in
India were diminishing the distress
very materially, an immense amount ot
suffering still existed The defective
means of transportation prevented
speedy relief in many cases. The Lon
don Times correspondent, writing
from Calcutta, Feb. 27, says:
| The fields are literally burned up
and the people are coming on the
roads in thousands. The higher castes
are coming on, too, very much. There
is no rain, the sky is bright and clear,
and prices are gradually creeping
higher. The people are cutting tbs
standing crop and giving it to theil
bullocks. An old man, so years OF
age, told me the other day that he
never saw such gloomy prospect
Things are really becoming serious
I am very much afraid, despite the ex-
ertions of the government, that ten
per cent. of the population will die OF
starvation before October next.
One of my. correspondents describes
the state of the country from Mudho,
bunee. The crops were burned up ev.
erywhere, save in few patches on the
banks of the rivers, where they were
stunted. Those long and wide stretch
ing sand banks in the Ganges, GunduB
and Bagmuttee, which in ordinary
seasons afford food to large popula-
ton, were bare. When the last rain
came the peasants hastened to SOW
peas and millet, believing that the
worst was past, and expected to Sc
cure extraordinary returns, as well a:
to save the little spring crop left
Alas, it was in vain; the rain has no
made weeks difference to the peo
pie. Fifty per cent. of them mus
sooner or later come to the relic
works, according to the official esti
| mate, and it is feared that the numbe
| of 'close upon 100000 of people, il
! North Tirhoot alone may be exceeded
, Contracts have been made for tn
transport of Z 400 tons per week int
the northeastern corner Of Tirhoo
alone.
Reported Rich Mineral Discover
les in Arkansas.
,1icYoo4oI1 4o 4bo