The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-28

their active jealousy of the two youthful
Powers which are greatest territorially, and
are destined to become greatest in military
efficiency among modern nations. Nothing
is more natural than that these two great
Powers should sympathize with each other
in common opposition to the jealousy of
rivals who lack their magnificent capacity
for internal growth.
In our civil war England and France
desired the success of the South because
they thought the United States were be-
coming too powerful, and hoped that q
division would enable them to play off the
Southern Confederacy against the Northern
in emergencies which affected their inter-
ests. They were held in check by their
chronic fear of Russia. Had they been
foolish enough to get entangled in war
with the United States Russia would have
seized so golden an opportunity to push
her designs against Constantinople at
time when her European opponents were
crippled. France and England dared not
interfere in our quarrel because they were
unwilling to furnish coveted opportunity
to Russia, who would have been too
glad to see her enemies in the
Crimean war fettered by hostilities
with the United States. The jealousy
of Western Europe against the growing
power Of this country is kept in check by
their fears that an American war would en-
able Russia to carry out her long cherished
plans in the East. This state of the politi-
cal chessboard explains the good under
standing which has SO long prevailed be-
tween the Russian Empire and the Ameri-
can Republic. The Powers of Western Eu-
rope are intensely jealous Of both, and
their fear of Russia is safeguard against
hostile designs toward the United States.
They cannot afford to trouble us when it is
so certain that Russia would avail her.
self of tho opportunity to prosecute her
long settled and postponed designs
The American people can readily under
stand the wish of Russia to gain an outlet
and seaports on her southern frontier. The
control of the Bosphorus is as necessary to
the material interests Of Russia as the con-
troll of the mouths Of the Mississippi is to
us. If the Lower Mississippi were held by
foreign Power it would be steady object
of American policy to gain possession of it;
and the design, however INSTRUCTED. would
never be abandoned. The possession of
the Bosphorus is equally essential to
the interests of Russia. The northern
portion of her Empire lies under an
Arctic or semi-Arctic sky. The Baltic,
near which st. Petersburg, her capital, is
situated, and which is her only means of
free egress to the outside world, is closed by
ice for half the year and her ambition to
become great commercial and naval nation
is INSTRUCTED by the way she is hemmed in
on her rich southern frontier. The mouths
of the Mississippi are less necessary to us
than the free use Of the Bosphorus is to
Russia From an American point Of view
her policy seems reasonable No Ameri-
can doubts that if Russia possessed
Constantinople it would become q
great seat of commerce, nor that
all trading nations, the United States
among them, would profit by the change.
1t would be victory of civilization over
barbarism, of industry over stagnation, Of
commerce over an effete system OF repres-
sion, of Christianity over Asiatic ianaticism.
The American people think the European
jealousy of Russia as absurd as the European
jealousy of the United States, and their in
telligent sympathy will be given to Russia
in the present conflict.