Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-12
RESSrsS TROUBLES.
financial Embarrassment az Odessa
8afsFsca.. .OEnp-tttioo Wish Russia
Ia tssC S-ata Trade.
t-r2 ne LOis,loa T.a'os. ia. Is

III auClaf EEuhar sassn o ut az Odessa
2sii.T'Sa.. totL, s-tition With Russia
lH tssc Grain Trade.
t--s ne LoGsIoa Tgalos Jan Isl
A cone pIuaeut has been latciy Gescr, brig
IL UUT Ga. UWus The L auCial embsrraS~7n rae
which h-> overtsseu odessa. A vast uation-
aiiN, cNteuaing over LwO continents, mas
been, r. one fashion or another. striving COR
now GtaTly Two centuries 10 win a position
AMID TIE = sutt z nations OF tue world. Rus
ela hpasiSl, besides her size, q brave and
plastic epple. and ~ ers Of sin-uIsrly mark
Ell iuulNiuualtty. Bat az j. only within The
last quarter of century that toe smnition
OF lis oNerHment and the energy of the ma
lion have taken snca a form as t1Iica,ed
OIen competition with the west. The enau-
ciiauon oi the serfs IN lS5l was practical
pledge that the Russian government were
conscious how many things must be changed
before their people could do justice 10 Rus
sian hopes. They saw that great state was
not To he built up by mechanical appliances.
Neither ornaments nor railways, nor even
financial skill. could MAKE a powerful ma
tlon; Tie work must DC begun lower down.
ia ihe haoits and disposition OF the people.
but II II the old story. Rome was not built
In a DAY. NOtwi ths tanding the supposed adj
Nantases an enlightened despotism gives for
tie introduction of reforms, the mass OF the
Population remain what they were Very
slowly il the gross Ignorance OF the people
ann 'niShed. Even at present there is ouly
one ier-0n able 10 read and write to every
eighty one al the inhabitants. and the Sery
reforms already Introduced have occa>ionet
new mIschie;s. The Boyard, VINO. from
Interest or principle, eXtorted some ecor.o-
mic results from THIS sluggish mass has
been set aside. The abolition OF Serfion has
destroyed his authority, and the newer IN
huei cts which are TO succeed him are not
yet deN eloped. Russia has, by the policy Of
her rulers, Deen hurried into competition
with oinei nations. or with nations ike the
lnl-oJ States, whose origin maI IS haoitS OF
industry AID energy their natural inheri-
tt'ce. pNt this sudden growth of com ner-
cisl activity cannot yet bear the test of the
ylcissltudes to which all communities are
now and again exposed from the mere alter
atlon OF the seasons. succession OF three
bad harveSts has reduced the richest and
most prosperous part OF Russia To such a
strait that nothing buJ some novel expeii-
ent suggests hope OF rescue. The foreign
markets are 10 be appealed TO, on the COM
nlheu CreolJ OF all the loint-stock banks OF
the Empire, TO raise a loan 10 meet the
present emergency. But this is only a tenn
poTary eXpedient. The embarrassment
Jnougn Immediately occasionei by the re-
peated failures OF the harvest, is but a sud
den development of symptoms which have
long been msnI1eS.. As compromising
gradually Outstripping their Russian COM
petltors. The failure OF recent harvests has
only precipitated a result which long pre-
viousiy might have been anticipated. Not
wlths tanning the natural riches OF this
Podolo- V oihynian district, the population
have neither the training nor the ind ivitual
energy To enable them 10 do justice To the
resources of their country, anu, sweeping as
was The change from seridom 10 equality
before the law, there were still many in
progress. Though the villagers We're per-
sonatiy freed from allegiance TO a superior
lord, they did not become owners of land
directly, but only so far a. being members of
The village community 10 whom the ada
cent land belonged. They were thus without
any Individual incentive to industry. They
only shared in the general product, and ia
such y stem, where the idle and untrainet
are sui a considerable body, the most
worthless have the clearest advantage. Not
only is this ComInunistic system adverse 10
agricultural Improvement; IL Is fatal to the
INTRODUCTION OF manufactures, FOR the viii
iage authorities can compel the inhabitants
at ieas: to go through perfunctory render
ing of their service To the community. and a
workman al a factory il always liable TO be
r-caied % take his share OF the common
labor OF his village.
1t is not surprising, in such state OF
lhlhgS mat meTican energy has gradually
srpplaDted Russia in the markets of 'his
country, anu even OF Germany. odessa was
chosen by the great Catharine as the empo
rIum OF Black Sea traffic, but having no nat
uTal inland communication 10y water, 10 has,
In It's competition with modern seaportS de
pended on railway communication. The
railways, however, have, like other things.
suffered rom corruption and intrigue. "For
II aSons best known TO themselves, the Odessa
engineers did not choose 10 connect prime pal
towns by the nearest routes, but induiged In
playful meanderings, very much to the in
cresse of the length and expense OF the line"
Tie mere theory OF the val ne of railroad COM
municat!on VIII not suffice 10 give a country
full command OF all its resources, unless
sufhclen; know ledge to apply that theory.
With railways built IN disregard Of the nat
uIal lines oil traffic, and com panics endeavor.
ing to make up this disadvantage Dy nigh
rates, the trading community had further 10
contend against political troubles. There
are the old IeUds between the Pole and Mus
cOvite, and there is the still more urgent diff
Gculiy OF religious observances. Every
fourth day is a holiday, SO that nearly
eight days out of month are, by
church authority given mp to idleness. II is in
such q state OF things as this that the - iessa
cham beroi commerce, our correspondent tells
us, turns 10 statistics, and looking at the
past and the present, is ''lost In pa nful
thought when considering the quantity OF
port" This alarm IS Ineligible enough
when We recolect that nine years ago ~ per
cent OF the grain sent to this country came
from Russia, and only Ii per cent. from the
United States, while now A per cent. OF for
eign grain comes from the United States,
Aid only II per cent. from Russia. The
Odessa merchants think matters will be still
worse in the future, as the Americans have
found a new and cheaper route for their corn
TO England, and instead of sending IL by
Chicago and New York, will ship it down
the Mississippi to New Orleans, aud thence
on by sea, securing an open water journey
the whole way. But that this diminution of
Russian trade is not due merely To any acct
dental advantage obtained by the energy OF
another people is clear from the account
given OF other articles of export. "The de-
mRDd for tallOw and some other articles of
rural produce is decreasing in proportion,
1t is one OF the results of such q state of
things as this that the close OF the last year
has witnessed the monetary crisis at Mos
COW, succeeded by q continuous depreciation
OF the paper currency and excessive distress