Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-05-24
Russia and the United States,
From the Chicago Tribune.

Forty years ago, during the Ad-
ministration OF Geo. Jackson, Do
Tocqueviilo, the closest and most
philosophical observer thai ever
visited this country, struck with the
equality Of condition that character
ICES our society; and Government,
wrote bis famous work on "Democ-
racy in America" in which occurs
the following remarkable parallel
between the United States and
RUSSIA parallel that Is Of peculiar
interest at the present tiae:
There are at the present time two great
nTtions in the world, which started from diff
| ferent points, but seem to tend towards the
| same end. | allude to the Russians and the
| Americans. Both of them have grown up UNI
| noticed; and whilst the attention of mankind
was directed elsewhere they have suddenly
| placed themselves in the front rank among
| the nations, and the world learned their
istence and their greatness at almost the same
| time.
All other nations seemed to have merely
| reached their natural limits, and they have
| only TO maintain their power but these arc
| still in the act of growth All the others have
|
| difficulty these alone are proceeding with
ease and certainly along path to which no
| limit can be perceived The American strus-
| giles against obstacles which Nature opposes
| to him the adyersaries of the Russian are
/ men. The former combats the wilderness and
| savage life; the latter civilization, with all its
| arms. The conquest of the Americans are,
therefore, gained by the plowshare; those of
| the Russians by the sword. The Anglo Ameri-
can relies upon personal interest to accom-
| plish his ends, and gives free scope to the
unguided strength and common sense OF the
| people the Russian centres all the authority
of society in a single arm. The principal in>
strument of the former is freedom of the
latter, servitude. Their starting point is diff
fcrent and their courses are not the same; yet
each of them seems marked out by the will of
Heaven to sway the destines of half the
globe.
II will be profitable at the present
time to anaIyzo De Tocqueville,s
cancellations, and follow the par
allel in lis details, and drst, with re-
gard to growth. Under Ivan tho
terrible, in 1885, Russia computed
81, 200 geographical square miles
Russia now comprises one-seventb
Of the area of the earth, or $3.50, 900
square milee, divided as follows:
Russia in Europe, 2.261 SGT; Russia
in Asia, 6 170,8S2. Since De Tocque-
vile wrote his work, Russia has
added to her territory between two
and throc million square miles. The
area of the United States, including
Alaska, is reported by the cencus of
1870 st 3.603,944 square miles
When De Tocqueville wrote his
book, it was about 100000 square
miles. The population of Russo IN
1862 was about 100000 when De
TocqueviIIe wrote, it was $4,000, 600;
now it is $4,000, 600, European
Russia having IS, 100000, and Asiatic
Russia about 100000 In 1890 the
population of the United States was
3 929, 1873, when De Tocqueville wrote
it was IA 600, 000;now it is $4,000
600. These figures eloquently pro
claim the growth of these two great
nations, and there is yet no limit to
it, either in the extent Of area to be
traversed, or by the opposition of
other Powers The United States
will continue TO spread north and
south. Russia will spread to the east
until she reaches the wall of the
| Himalayas,-her natural boundary.
Since the days when De Tocque-
Vile wrote, both countries have de-
veloped colossal scheme of rail-
roads. We have spanned the conti-
nent from the Atlantic to the Paclf-
ic, and have covered the States with
a network of roads. Russia has
connected the Baltic and Black Seas.
She has just transported an army
from the heart Of the country to the
Caucasus by railroad. She can car
ry her Cossacks from the Volga to the
very frontiers of Austria and Ger
many. In the days of the Crimean
war she had none of these roads,
and by their absence alone were the
Allies able to defeat her. Since De
TocqueviIle's days, both countries
have covered their rivers with
steamers, their harbors with ships,
their valleys with canals, their rail
road routes with telegraphs. They
have vastly increased their manufac-
lures, developed their industries,
augmented their production and i'm
proved their civilization. Under
the Lame of freedom, great nation
hss developed in one land; under the
name of dsspotism, great nation
has peacefully developed IN the 9th.
err. Russia emancipated 100000
serfs without war; we emancipated
nearly 100000 with war. we
have had our reconstruction troubles
and settled them. Russia has had
hers and is sIo Wy, but surely, work
ing towards constitutional form OF
Government, beginning with her COM
munes. She has adopted cur jury
system and our system of judicature.
She has commenced to take our free.