Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-09-05
RUSSIA.
The Empire Of the Czar-What it Is In
= Population, Wealth, Religion and
Political PeWer-Its Rise
and Progress.
From the Reign Of Catherine to that oil
Alexander-The Freedom Of the
Serfs and Other Needed
Reforms.
From an Occasional Correspondent of the


Appeal
ODESSA, July %. - The reign Of
Catharine was one Of the most re-
nasrkable In Russian history. Her
nrAt act was 10 visit upon Russiss
ancient enemy, Poland, her vengeance,
and that of Russia, by tramplipg that
kingdom into the dust, even as Peter
the Great had destroyed the SWedes ID
Finland She then waged wsr against
the Turks which ended In the annexa.
| ton Of the Crimea, and planted the seed
from which grew the war Of the Crimea
and the fearful siege of Sevastopol 81
most q hundred years later. At the
same time she waged war which ended
in the annexation OF the southwestern
Russian provinces, including the then
town Of Odessa, and also the provinces
OF the Danube, and obtained the free
navigation of the ancient Euxine, now
the Black Sea, and the Turks paid IN
purchase of peace the enormous sum oil
thirty millions Of dollars. Ia 1880 she
again made war against the Turk, when
Europe combined to save the Ottoman
empire from annihilation, and thus
Turkey passed under the protecting care
of the European powers, and has re :
manned 80 until q recent date, her posi-
ton now In that regard being doubtful.
In this wsr one hundra I'D and thirty thou
sand Austrians, two hundred thousand
Russians, and three hundred and seventy
thousand Turks perished; in all, seven
hondred thousand men. Cathar1ne made
great changes in the condition OF the no.
billy, and took from the monssteries
their serfs, then amounting to over
nine hundred thousand men. She
was q strong and powerful ruler, and
did more for the civilization of Russia
than any Of her predecessors. Catha-
rine died In 1895, and was succeeded by
her son Paul, who died in 1907, and was
succeeded by Alexander, grandson Of
Catherine I, then twenty-four years old,
the hero of the gigantic contest with the
| first N apoleon. His career Was brilliant
| TO the last degree, and his reign distin-
| guished for many acts Of devotion to the
Interests and well-being Of his people.
1 During his reign Napoleon invaded Rus
/ STA with force OF six hundred thousand
men, and the world Is. familiar with the
history Of that most terrible of all TRACE
dies told OF In the history Of wars, and
Of the destruction of four hundred and
fifty thousand Of tibet army by the con.
aummate skill OF Alexander and his gen.
erals and the patriotism and devotion of
the Russian people. 1t is story which
| the generations to come will read with
wonder and Amusement; how q gceat
country was deserted and a magnificent
capitAfdestroyed 3nd an army Of four
hundred and fifty thousand men ami
Inflated by hunger and cold, and how
AIexander followed Napoleon with q
Russian Vengeance to Paris, and came
not again to his empire until the invsd-
or Of his country YVES a prisoner at st.
Helena. After tr peace of 1915, Alex
ander devoted himself to the internal
Improvement OF his country, making
many liberal and judicious changes in
its government. He died at Tagourog,
on the ses of Azof, of erysipelas, in
1924, in the twenty-fourth year OF his
reign and the forty eighth year Of his
age, universally deplored, not only in
Russis, but throughout Europe.
Historians say that he had good abilities
of mind was not fully developed until
French; this aroused all his energies, and
exhibited him to the world as q sover-
Sign possessing cQnsummste discretion
and an unfiinching aud unyielding
steadiness of purpose. His deposition
was kind and gentle and generous, and
and although his power was unlimited
his moderation ever prevented him from
the abuse of 1t. Under his management
the military power Of Russia had grown
to enormous proportions, and in all ques.
tioDs Of European politics the huge bear
Of the north was Consulted as one hsv-
ing authority. Alexander vas succeed.
ed by the Emperor Nicholas, on the
tWenty.tifth of December, 1926, Con-
stantine, his brother, having married a
Polish lady and resigned his right to the
throps. His reign is marked chiefly by
bis war with Prussia, in 1928. A war
with the Turks, in 1879, by which Rus
sia gained considerable territory on
the Black sea and a supervision Of the
interests OF the Slavonic peoples on the
danube; the suppression of the Polish
insurrection, In 1880; the submission of
the independent tribes In Georgia and |
Circassia; the assistance of Austria in |
the suppression Of the Hungarian insur- |
rection, in!l $40; and finally, the Crimean |
war, of awful memory, in which the
pride Of four nations was pitted and from |
VIII ieh Russia went with humbled pride |
and Nicholas to die with q broken heart |
away on the banks of the Nevs.
And now q word as to the causes which |
led to the Crimean war may be Of inter-
est, written here from the seat Of that
war, and FROM 8 city bombarded curing
its progress. AS is known, the Turks |
have possession Of the Holy Land, the
in the holy city, and the sep
ulcher and other plact dear to the
hesrtsI Of christians everywhere. The
Latin, or Romish church, and the east.
ern, or Greek church, hsve for genera
tons wOrshiped at thCJe shrinos uamo-
Tested, and even protected blythe Turks.
At length question arose between them
as to the posse sion OF the keys Of those
places. The church Of Rome elaine 4
them, and her claims were backed by
the power Of Franoej the Greek patri.
archs claimed them, backed by Russia.
The Turks promised the one and then
the other, under pressure; tried to con-
ciliate both, and parted a decision until
the pressure from France overcsme the
fear of Russia, and the Sublime Porte
made the decision which exalted France
and humbled Russia. In July, 1858, the
Emperor Nicholas threw an army of
Wallschtan provinces, and declared war
In November of that year, and on the
thirfieth of that month destroyed the
Furkish feet at Synope, q port in Asia
Minor, while at anchor In the hsr-
Dor. The combined fleets of England
and France passed from the Darda.
nelles into the Black sea at once; the
Russian ambassador quilted London on
the fourth of February following, and
on the twenty-seventh and twenty.
eight Of March France and England de-
clared war against Rassia, and Odessa
was bombafded on the twenty. second Of
April, 1854, and the battle OF the Alma
IoHght on the twentieth of September,
and Savastapol attacked by sea and
and October 18th. The famous charge OF