The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-09-09

81. Petersburg Cor. London Times.

Y
To state simply that the Empire Of al the
Russias has, or had in 1872, before conquests,
an area Of $1,000 geographical square miles,
may convey no very distinct meaning; but
glance at the map viii satisfy rs tbat the
surface OF the smaller half of this Empire
European Rnssia--is considerably larger
than that Of all the other States Of Europe
put together, while the other half-Siberia,
with the rest of the Asiatic provinces-is
not far from covering one-third Of the
Asiatic Continent; and that recent traveller,
the Rev. Henry Lansdell, In his five months
journey from London to the mouth Of the
Amoor, all across the Cars dominions,
went over 1900 miles by rail, 6,700 miles by
steam, and 5000 miles by horses, or, Alto
gether, 800 miles almost in straight
line.
So far, then, as a man may take pride in
the mere blgness Of his country, Russian
has ample reason to be proud. But State,
like man, may be none the happier for all
that. A lofty stature, TO be sure, enables q
man to look over the heads Of crowd, an
unquestionable advantage, and mere height
imparts an air of dignity and command
which the understood fully appreciate. But
q six-foot six giant, as once saw, doubling
himself up and drawing in his legs to get
into lady's brougbam, is ludicrous sight !;
very tall men are seldom well-proportioned
or robust; and In war they offer TOO easy
target TO the wicked brecchloaders of modern
construction. In the same manner Russia Is
made unwieldy by her very bulk. She has
to struggle with her prodigious length and
width, and to do 1t at greater disadvantage
than other large States. In the Western
Continent, for instance, In the United States,
In Brazil and the Republic of South Ameri-
ca man was powerfully aided by nature In
bis fight against enormous distances by the
length Of navigable watercourses, the Mis-
sissippi and Missouri, the st. Lawrence, the
Plate, ParaDa, and Uruguay, the Amazon,
the San Francisco, etc., even before he could
help himself by his railways; whereas In
Russia the northern streams, both of Europe
and Asia, the Niemen, the Dwina, the Obi,
the Yenisci, the Lena, etc., empty them
selves either In the White and Arctic Seas,
choked with ice for six or eight months in
the year, or in the Baltic, also frozen in the
winter months, and for long time placed
beyond the reach Of the Cars sway; and
the southern streams, the Voiga, the Don,
etc., ended either In the Caspian or the Sea
Of Azoff and the Euxine, both closed for
centuries against Russian enterprise and ex-
pansion.
With respect TO railways, 1t was Russia's
misfortune TO 60 late TO work about their
construction, and even what she has achieved
between the Crimean and Turkish war--1S54
-1S76-scarcely amounts now to 1900, to
which, after the peace of Berlin, she Is
barely adding 100 miles yearly-a striking
contrast TO other large countries-as to the
United States of North America, for in
stance, which boasts Of q net Of railway
lines Of 1000 miles, with an average annual
addition Of 10000 miles. This backward
ness of Russia IN her endeavors to annihilate
space by rapid and easy means of locomo-
ton cannot be without grave consequences
for her commercial and social, as well as
financial and political interests. 1t is lost
ground for her In her battle Of life; In the
incessant struggle against that geographical
position which from the beginning doomed
her to seclusion from the civilized world--a
struggle the evidence of which may be read
In every page Of the country's history, and
may be followed In every shift of Its Gov
ernment's policy.