The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-01-05
RUSsIA's INSIDIOUS EXPANSION.

Sir Archibald Allison lin the 44th Chap
ter, Section l, of his great "Hstory of
Europe" speaks of the Russians as "proud
of the steady growth of an Empire, the
frontiers of which have never yet receded,
and which it's me- anest peasant believes is
one day to subdue the world" The vast
scope of the dominiona subject to the
despotic sovereign of all the Russias we
hardly conceive to DO fully realized by the
majority. 1t embraces one seventh of the
territorial part of the globe, and as nearly
as possible one twenty-eixth of its entire
surface. Its total area Includes 8 444 766
square miles, according to our English
enormous territory is upon the scale of ten
persons to each square mile; yielding
otherwise, an aggregate of e5 Cos 945.
Russia in Europe is far more more densely
peopled than Russia in Asia. European
Russia has an area of 2 261 ,G57 square
miles, with 7S. 2s1 447 Inhabitants; equivs
lent to thirty four persons to every square
mile, whereas Asiatic Russia, with an area
of more than 6,17O, ,932 square miles, has
,229 ,495 Inhabitants, being little more
than one individual to the square mile. II
it be borne in mind that Russia in Ear0pe
lees than q hundred years ago-or, to be
precise, at the time of the outbreak of the
great French Revolution-coveredn no mere
titan an area of 200, 900 square miles, at
the largest computation, it will he seen
that here alone, In Eorope, it has, in about
eighty years, as nearly as might be doubled
it's dominions. Instead Of covering an area
of 1 ,200, 900 square miles, 1t covers one of,
as we have shown, 2,26I ,657 square miles
referring in this place merely to its ex
pausion on the Europeau Continent.
In Europe, in Aei0, in North America.
its expansion has been steady, swift and
continuous. Allison is strictly accurate in
asserting tnat its frontiers have never yet
receded. 1t has grown like an imposthume.
1t has eaten it's way in all directions like a
gangrene. 1t has turned the Caspian into
a Russian lake. 1t has aimed at doing the
like by the Euxine, 1t has even dreamt
of the day when, by the acquisition of
Constantinople, il might do the same by
the Mediterranean. Yet the Power that
has thus expanded irrepressibly in Europe,
Asia and America is peopled by race the
vast majority of whom are agricuturists.
The nhabitants of Russia for the most part
dwell in villages, and are scattered thus,
very sparsely over the surface Of their
enormous dominions. There are, in, fact,
no more than fifteen towns in all Russia
containing more than $4,000 inhabitants.
The two least of these fifteen larger towns
are Berditchef with its 50 ,7S6 inhabitants,
and Tulla, with its population of So l4O.
The two largest are, of course, st Peters
burg and Moscow-the ancient and the
modern capital of the Empire-St. Peters
burg having 667 ,626 inhabitGnts, and
Moscow GIL, $40. Tue population of the
Empire, as whole, is wonderfully y varied |
in character, including-besides the three |
distinctive groups of Russians, Viliko-R Russ,
Malo Ross and Belo Russ-smong many |
Others, SclavOnians, Firms, ESthonians,
Karilians, Lithuanians, jews
and Tartars. Since 1872 the armed forces
of Russia are called into existence by an
annual conscription. The total number of
soldiers in the Russian army on a peace
footing is 76s ,427, and upon war footing |
], I,2I3,259. Among the irregular troops the
most important are the CoSsacks, the
Great Russian Coseacks, the Don COssacks,
the Ural Cossacks, the Orenb burg Cossacks
and the Siberian Cossacks. These humber,
as a whole, on actual military service, up
wards of one hundred tbousand-l29. .OOO.
They are exempt from paying taxes, but In
lieu of that are required to perform mill:
tary service. Every Coesack lie required !