The Portland daily press., 1878-05-11
RUSSIAN PRIVATEERS,
The Mission of the Cimbria Elk.
planned.
Russia Will Issue No Letters of
Marque.

ELLSWORTH, May 10.-Since yesterday there
is more activity on board the Cimbria. Yester-
day afternoon the revenue cutter "Hugh Nc
Culloch" came into Southwest Harbor and
promptly sent boat on board the Cimbris,
who returned the call. About the same time
Capt Hunt and the younger Capt. Grpenberg,
who recently arrived on thu Germania, reached
the Cimbria and after an interview with those
on board started this morning on their return,
NEW YORK, May 10.-Capt. Semetschkin
and Lieuts. RAdionoff, Khotinski and Kourter-
nikoff arrived at New York yesterday and took
kin travelled extensively in this country in
1888, and was one of the Russian commission
ers at the Centennial exhibition. He willingly
gave information concerning the mission of the
Cimbria. The Russians, he sa id, are making
preparations to attack the British on the seas
in the case of war between Russia and Eng
land, Capt. Semetschkin had assumed COM
mand of the Cimbria, and the entire expedition
on these coasts. He had carefully studied in
ternational law and the laws of this country
bearing upon the subject and he was certain
that the Russians were acting within their lin
its and would not violate the neutrality laws of
the Uuited States.
Capt Semetschkin. said the Cimbria is now
under his orders, and he has bis agents in diff
ferent parts of the country. This vessel was
other service. He intended to purchase fast
sailing vessels and supplies, but no letters of
marque will be issued by the Russian govern
ment for any privateers, and no privateering
would be carried on under the Russian flag.
In making these purchases in time of peace.
neither any treaties nor laws of the country
had been violated. A Russian squadron would
soon leave the Baltic for these waters, and the
moment war was declared they would go away
and not trouble this country. The Russian YES
Wnr1 ha nrnIc dor kh,
discipline, and British prizes that fell into their
hands would revert to the Russian govern
ment, with the usual prize money to the officers
and sailors. A Russian squadron has already
been stationed on the Pacific to watch the
British.
The captain says that no attempt has bee n
made to draft any Irishmen in this country
for the Russian army, and he did not believe
there was any truth in the reports to that eff
feet.
Asiatic power, and had found that the Russian
victories in Turkey clashed with her interests
in the East He had been in India and knew
the state OF affairs there. England had over
fifty million Mohammedan subjects who were
warlike and did not love England, but submit
ted to her rule from sense of her superiority
to themselves. They had regarded England as
Turkeys ally and protector, ard now that Rus
STA had defeated Turkey, the Hindoo Mol am
medans would ask themselves the question, "ls
England so powerful after all? Why did she
interfere to drive back the Russians2'<
To preserve their prestige the British were
now interfering, and sought to drive back the
Russians. But the Russians would not be die
tated to by the British. Their great sacrifices
and the national honor would not allow them
to obey England in orc er to promote her inter-
ests. They had fought and bled to secure the
safety of the Christians of the Balkans, and
they meant to effect their purpose. Hence,
they would not recede from their position, al
though they did not desire to have war with
England, and it would be only the persistence
OF England in insisting on what she calls her
interests, that could draw the two nations into
war This appeared at present to be very
probable, and the Russians were preparing
themselves for such an eventuality.
:, With reference to the Turkish blockade Of
the Black Sea, the captain said it was merely
on paper, for the Turkish feet did not bonn
bard any Russian ports there, and a regular
line of steamers piled between Odessa and
Nicolapeff. A Turkish feet did once appear
before Sebastopol, but that was all. Turkish
men-or-war under Hobart Pashas chief of
staff, who is also an Englshmap, bombarded
several unprotected Russian ports of the Black
Sea, but that was all that was DONE Some
time ago Italian vessels sailed for Odessa for
grain, but were seized by the Turkish authori-
ties at Constantnople at the instance of Lay
ard, the British ambassador. When the Ital.
ian government complained that the blockade
was defective end demanded the release of the
vessels, the Porte, always influenced by some
European power or other, turned for advice to
Layard, and he advised that the case be adj
judged before prize court. In this court sat
several Eoglishmen, and the decision went
against the Italian vessels
Again, by the Paris treaty all European men
ot-war were prohibited from ascending the
Dardanelles and the Bosphorus, except by
special permission from the Porte. The Brit,
lsh violated the treaty by their feet sailing up
to Constantinople without any permission
whatever and against a protest.
Referring again to the treaty of Paris he
said that debate in the British Parliament in
March last turned upon this subject and the
remarks of the attorney general intimated that
its provisions could be set aside if they con-
hicted with British interests