, 1879-01-11

RUSSIAN CONQU1sST4.
An HN0LlaH VIEW or Kuss1A-sIs IS PRESS
1Nn souTHrARp on TURKEY AND HAsTwAnb
ON INDIA.
f11!l. NdN Gsssttt. NC. ~.
There IL now practical t1nantmlty among all
Encl!ah public men whose opiu(ors arc wortl,
consideration TINT russian dcsIgus against the
Indian Empire are IN tho highest degrees danger
Gus, and there IL near approach to unau!-
NOUS beIet that such designs hsye long existed
and OF late have been acttvaty prosecuted. Tho
ttebate tust cndcd hns shown that thls conc1r-
sion has ut Inst bcen reached, though It l,as not
been reached TIL aftor uose than two years OF
strenuous Internal dlsscnston,-it might 4tmost
10 sa!u. Of eony,llston. Yat tho existence Ut III
Impulse acting OIL Russia along the who!e line
Of her enormous territory, and pressing her al-
waTs onwasds 10 tho south. might havs been H.
fcrrcd from tho most general aud rnost familiar
facts of History. Wo arc not now speaking of
tho Telatlons of tho modern Russian Emptsa 10 ts
neighbour. Doubtless. thcy strongly euREcst tho
act!on vi SONS auch lorce upon successive Russian
Governments. Every slaclc cQatcrmlaous ststo
has becn compelled to surrender territory to
Russia; from sono she has rent away great
nassea Of H. Aud whole civilizations Of brilliant
lustse have BEEN lngu1fed In The process.
Doubtless, too, the ptctexis Of theao annexa-
lions hnye been 10 various, md have 10 sttik-
!n9ly contradlt1ed one another. ~ TO suggest
that something lies behind them stronger than
fttcro cohtuultf OF tradition and than mere
vitality Ut ambition. Hut the conclusion. from
whtch. as wo have said, there ID practically no
disAcnt, is established br historical facts much
older Than Russia herselt.
Tho fact Ii, that tha nusstan people are the
list OF tile great collection Ut semi m!-batbarous
fPifeh tEbCTI abandon m 1k+nn tn 4r.n
10 ths south, What W. call ancicnt history Is
made W OF tho struggles and conquests
q ara,ttssn.a s sonaa,,s: .HrE9nnioE ,s' q ths
IN Asia and tho lsomans far IN tns north hmid
ths tiersnan forests. But Ill Modsfn history
barla.s tust singed viii ths arts OF civilization,
nnl particularly with The ustx VI scientific war,
nnd luat sul!iv.cntlY informed OF tho nalure Of
snutacE'l IaiMa to l'u leyoureI with envy nf
their warmth, wealth. aud luxury. But Tor this
pressure England and tAe English people would
nut hayc existed, and nu European nation woull
have tukGn its preeent form and traycraca tbs
course ot its actual history. lteaErira German.
ut southern s,ld q! GEecce, aul 6candlnayiahs
Into sicily. Until Hussls spuvarrl vi lie sceur,
tho movement Of the more barbarous societies
mate might be thought 10 hsys spent itself III
tle cnotls OF Fscnch,ncn And Germans 10 poy-
srss themselves Of thr coun.ry whict, uown 10
lngs ior the ''istal ettt OF beauty"
Once. and e1,ce o1lr. hiss tho d.
rection Of this progress been reversed.
lhe Arabs, 4 thoroughly southern people, went
Fery near towards c0nlucTinE the World truu,
the kol1l,, either by themselves or hy tls ratys
which were drawn Into the ovrrpoWcriug cur
rent vi conquest wh!rh they set III n.otlnIs.
Here the tn,pu1sc waa stronger even thaa tho
greed Of tbs half -asrtarians tnr Spulhrrn lux
u7y, fur II WA religious faatirisIn, but 1t Was
tnnsh more tEanstt9ry; aml wherever It has DE-
cayed tAe nun df tht South aguIn vereile4 tn.-
lnre the nlail VI tile Nurt1, nut witl,u& exorta-
tim. from dsintere+trl byl,Hndsrs tu tAke lin.
sex back 10 Arabia - ht9 an4 ba4Xage.'t
Age Tor aye the Russtan Empire exactly re-
Eraiuces the Great Tsutunlt tunirllrrafit,ps
which uyetra'l the Empire of tho Rotna1ls. Like
tieE'l, It IL eon!posed Of essentially baria1ous
component parts. But 3Iku them, It il }ubt
lnuehcd with southern riy1i11aaif,l,, aud likv
tEel' y ~ maas sertous .prvstcss iu lllu
urt ot war, chiefly tlsrouei. haring
been nsln"sd aid indeed sometimes invited, to
eneaes su the 4uaEEeis of Southern nctshboFs
uHr characteristic 1t possetts, xblyh mskes Il
inoJp dangerous than the euIifsde5ueles pf Ger
Ilaute tribes, succ II IL far 1upFe xpj1aatel t,y
religious z0aI. But it obtyt tho Impulse which
ptcxAes It 6suthwafas,, ssen wilefa ii rraxrs nd
pretento III serving tue thtcecst& OF the urthu-
Iux LAufcf. Thv husStank uu uol huiYa tu con-
vert lhe Chinese tu Christianity, Yrt t4ry arc
constantly aPnsapftatftlI enormous sItcSk u{
territory from the Chine4e Empt1e. III plcdefuv
their friend hip ~ sAe1t ALL ws may presuIur
that lis religious uplnioil4 do not rtlist their
ttuiuRkaJ, Air arc thGy btut 0A ps1.ect{s,x lin