The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1877-05-17
The United Staies-Russia-N
leon BOnaparte.

In the war now opening between Russia ana
Turkey, (as was the case in the war known As
the Crimean War; we find very many Ameri-
cans disposed to sympathize with Turkey-or at
least, they have no friendly feeling for Russia.
She is called the most despotic Government on
earth, composed in large part of barbarians; and
II II said that her history has been a record Of
outrage and cruelty. We must say that, in this
war, we sympathize altogether with Russia as
we did in the Crimean War. 1t Is not because
of the religious aspect OF the war; for there are
greater cruelties and atrocities perpetrated in
the 10 called religious wars than in any other.
But Russia il the friend Of the United States
Despotic Is she is she has always been the friend
of America, and her sympathes were with rs in
our DAYS of darkness. When they talk of the
history of Russia being record of outrage and
cruelty, they have only to turn to the history Of
any other nation in Europe, and they will find
that the history of the most enlightened Of them
has been o record of outrage and cruelty. Rus
sia, with her millions Of barbarians, extending
over territory larger than any other nation on
the globe, has, in the last two hundred years,
made greater al ancement, everything taken into
consideration, than any other European nation
during the same period. Despotic Russia liberia
ted more slaves than were held in the United
States-and did it voluntarily, without having
it enforced by long and bloody civil war. On
the other hand, Turkey still carries on the traffic
in slaves-in white female slaves, and for the
basest of purposes. 1t is not diffcult to determ-
inc where to bestow sympathy, between two
such nations.
America possessed q large number of persons
who delighted in denouncing the tyrant and
butcher, Napoleon Bonaparte. There are still
many who can find nothing good to say for him.
In reading history, we rejoice over every success
of Bonaparte rs if it were an American victory,
and regret every defeat that he sustained-even
though he was opposed to our friend Russia.
And we shall ever regret his final downfall, which
all Europe combined to accomplish, and they
would have failed but for treachery. Like all
great military leaders possessing absolute power,
Napoleon was tyranical, and placed but little
value upon human life. But his wars were Of
more benefit to Europe than anything that ever
occurred. He overturned old dynasties and an
cient wrongs, and let daylight into many dark
and dismal corners where it had never been be-
fore. In fact, he shook all Europe up, and turn
cd it over, and gave . start to q new order of
things. Scourge a. he was to Europe, he never
looked with an evil eye upon the United States.
He was our friend, and here he attempted to fly
for refuge, in his last extremity. Why, Kansas,
as well as all the great States west of the Mis-
souri, River, owe their very existence to Napoleon
Bonaparte. He had no designs upon America,
but willingly sold this vast country to the United
States for tre, as it proved to be, large rs the
sum seemed then. He was willing the United
States might acquire territory and strength on
this side-his designs were on Europe, and he
preferred the money to the territory that now
comprises more than half the area of the United
States. This purchase could never have been
made of any of his predecessors, or Of any of his
successors. They were all willy, scheming, grasp
ing, with ambitious designs of building up power
in America. But for Napoleon, the United States
would to-day be crowded between the Atlantic
Ocean and the Mississippi River, if not, indeed,
still further curtailed, or crushed ou. altogether,
by powerful European nations, who would have
their immense dependencies on every side of US.
The United States owe an immense debt of graf
itude to Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bona
parte