New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-14

morally as materially, a wreck Russia at Inav
epoch was filled with antiquated ideas and aosuIu
traditions. strange and opposing prejudccs, connic'
ing interests She had millions OF sers' DuC iio
schools and no roads. Her treasury was empty tn1
Russian seas were covered with hostile cruisers ana
Sebastopol was yet stained with torrents OF kusSa
blood. Evcrywhcre one heard the words Of agony
and distress: young and old. rich and poor the
highly placed and the lowliest of the low shared
alike the universal sense Of poignant shame. Inc
gloom was unbroken or relieved only by those dls-
PLAYS of moral herosm in which Russia has never
failed even IN the darkest hour of her destihieS
Boys of fifteen eagerly prepared themselves 10 ser'
their country in the field, and the mOthoTs love 1or
her son yielded to the voice Of supreme patrlotlsm
sacrifices of life of income of all that is most cher
ished, were willingly made"
Guided by the counsels Of his Ministers, the Car
took steps to establish peace. Napoleon III. was
not averse to retro from the con-
1ict. and accordingly an armistice was concluded IN
March, 1856, which soon followed by treaty OF
peace, by which Russia lost small slice OF land
in Bessarabia and her naval preponderance IN me
Black Sea- Alexander had so far retained
his fathers ministers. After the peace ne &C;
ccDted the resignation of Count Ncsserode, and
| replaced him by Prince Gortschakoh, who hence
forth. to large extent. guided the domestc anu
foreign policy of the Empire. lhe Gar now enc0II-
aged education and made friendly oVertures 10 io-
land and Finland, insisting, however, on mainialhhE
OF tnp
offers, aud in 1862 established revolutionary gov
ernment and made valiant effort to regain thclr
! Independence. The Polish patriots were oNcrpOW.
cred aud although at first the Russian G0vernmeht
| made a show of ccmeDcy, Poland paid dearly the
penalty OF defeat
sERFDOM ABOLISHED.
Just as this country about 10 enter on the
war which abolished slavery, tho Car was plan
ming the overthrow of serfdOm. This great WORK he
carried into effect by his decree of March B. 1861.
| L. nh ! wa Ia
after careful investigation. lie refused to be
hampered by vexatious details " In Russia" sad
lie. claws are made by autocratic
power. The autocratic power created
scrfage the autocratic power must
abolish it," BY this decision Alexander lbcr-
atcd $4,000 900 Of human beings from bondage
under certain necessary conditions. Apcrod Of two
vr1rs was asspued for the settlement Of terms with
regard to the quantity Of land to b. ccded.
and the rcnt, labor or pnrchaEsr,-'ho9GIy
same boon was conferred upon the Polish scri''
Across tho wide Atlntc," writes Ru slan'
poet of tie great v estcln ErPnniic no, 81 c,',Iu M
from the STAN of slavery. hailed our LnpIor = ihr
Scythlan Xl3r. who, with the pencil 81 inc N"TiI-
crn star wrote freedom or hls land'I ven hnghsh
RussophObrs condcsccnd to admit the grandeur
of the spectacle. Imagine, then how u Affected
us kussians iuprc5sonalc and lmpui~iNo ~ We
are TO strike stroke for freedom and humanity oi
such monrntOns Importance. Even n"Y Whrn
twenty years have gone by, Russian hearts th'"o
with patriotic pride when that day ol cndhcIUi.
Of her Clarkson and Wibcrorre, ana nay" H'rh
great audlcncr5 thr!l with enthusiasm IT the mere
mention OF the names "i ne hei2ra 2l Una, @
struggle for liberty. Bat, al lcr all, WIlt wI-
vour slavervf mere colonial question affecting
q small number OF negroes IN the West Indies
America ia proud and justly prond, "t A.f@H%'h
Lincoln ; but what was hIs EmaHcl lpatiou il"cla-
nation 4 measure of war, q weapon WhcrcpN INC
free North sought to crush the slaycholdlne south
But with us serfdOm was euerywhcie. lnrludihG
crown peasants, nearly haIt o,r, .p"pul@-
ton were seris. Yet without a sword bGina IN
shcat he'd the great work was achieved. aud by the
simple mandate Of the Emperor s'Tlh1Hl ''aSe1r 10
exist within the limits of the Russian Empire. len
! me- IS there anything IN Ent,Ish ml',"'J F,'i,'I a.
than that act OF hin whom N"! Ge:i"In'' ~ a H.
pot but whose name is cherished III RUSSIAN hearts
as Alexander the Emaicipai"T
d" IL is sometimes sad 10y thu-c who d''paf'Se cV-
cryhins R-- sian merely because u ~ Iu>~tt thal
the cnaIclpation made no difference. Possibly, II
thrsc Kind irlcnd, wer" reduced tor year &" the
state of the uucmauclpdtrd s"Tt the cAprilcnCe
wond be- profitable. BrioIc 1851 the srrl hclouGrd
10 his master. IIo could nr rHG-h"i fUId,
LauIshrd. separated from his family HIS
money and labor eYactcd. IN" law NJ
frrirrrd IN these cases very Ncfum lud"t'.
The scif could not even marry without hIS ""u'I
permission. He could lot make VIII ana ''Glraih
Ils land to another. Bt cnLrliailhh t" sriI- ac-
oulrcd the fun legal nights "f ,Iccm'n. Sn'i; do
not need to argur III l.ngdhd That t"c chal S' was
an improvement"
COOP Will FOR AMERICA.
After the emancipation of the se.fs, Russia rested.
Prince Gort-chakoI declared that she was about to
enter on a policy OF national Development
She cultivated friendly relations with all
the Powers, and showed warm sympathy
with the United States Government throughout the
war for the Union. In the darkest period Of that
conflict the Car remained unshakcn IN hIs Trend
ship and gave cause Tor the slightest ahA" ~
in regard to his policy. Bayard laYlor WI"
was temporarily charge Of the American LEGATION
at ST. Petersburg, received III addition to official as
suranccs many proofs ch' G""a Will o5 nI"i' T,s
chIef Minister Two years after the war the Car
offered to ccde Alaska 10 the Unlted STATES.
and secured a vote Of 5000, 900 from CoLgres,
| TO pay Tor the ccded territory.
Fr%p lsG6lGs Russia was engaged in war with
fine Enir Of Bukhara, which resulted IN the defeat oil
| that ruler. About tho same time RuSsia showed an
actIyc sympathy for the Cretans, who were then III
revolt against the Turks; Inc Gar also t1Ih 4
| steps dunng tins period To increase tn'
powcr of the Greek Church. and to cnconr-
rage thr construction Of railroads and toeEmphH.
| He remained neutral during the Austro-Pruasldn
| war but when Germany and France were
afterward engaged III deadly conflict, his govern
mcnt took advantage of the opportunity 10 abrogac
| with European consent some obnoxious clauses IN
tic treaty Of 1896. Two narrow escapes from death
belong to the early period of the Cars career. In
| April 1866, he fired at by KOrakusDw, bur a
| peasant Kuml5sarOi, pushed aside the arm of the
would-6e assassin. In Paris Alexander fired at
| by BrrczowskI, Pole, as he was returning with his
| son ~ company with the Emperor Napoleon, from
| grand review at LOngchaIIDs.
THE WAR WITH TURKEY.
The conflicts in Ser'ia, Montenegro and tho
herzegovina III 1S75J71 led to tho signing in
London, early in 1877, If q protocol by Rus
| sia England, Austria, France Germany and Italy. III
which the Powers agreed to undertake in common
the pacilication of the East On tho 2ith of April
the Car issued manifesto declaring against
Turkey on the ground that the Porto had not rccog.
nized the will of Christian Europe aud had
resisted all pacific efforts with naughty
obstnacy Two months later the hostile armies
met IN Bulgaria. The preparations in Asia were
completed ut an earlier date, Kars beng
invested early in May by tho Russians. ! be
war was carried on throughout the
wear With great vigor and heavy