Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-03-24
why the Russian Fleet was Sent
Here Dur.ng the War.

MIR. ID. y. Dane publishes the toIloWiog il
tbs New York Herald:
| Some Years since there came to ny kro !edg
the following story At the close. OF chs mission
! OF one of cur Amb. s;adors to the Russian
cour. lnt as be WAS about 10 leave h, cal.t
upon ths Car and Cz ,rsriua to pay his Gaa
resp 9. As be Was tekiog lis leave OF lie
Nlslo5ty she requested him TO bear t,
| The Ancrlcan people Her W.rmast re-
CARDS and ms: sincere graft. uds for tht
attention ard kIudness extended 10 her s,r
while he Was visitor smuog Us. The Amb IS
| s'oot called Her Maj stys ruteotion to tht
frss'oent or the UJlted States, whom she hec
| Jailed 10 mentloo. With go Xbibition ut s,mt
feeling sho replied with earnes.ptss, 40 the
Amerlcao people. Mr.. -" Greatly sur
| prIstd aud somewhat suuoycd the Apbs.s ,dol
~slttd upou His Maj sy where be received a
! similar message. Ths attention Of the Cz r was
| c Lied to his neglect Of The President, wnep he
| gave the sam, resronsr. 40 the Apericsu
peonle. Dir. Mr. -"
'Uanbe 10 ACCOUNT ior this strange \ Xhibtion
| o.: ieeluga, the represrntstlse Of AmeIc. wait
| d upon tbe ss,u:e Gots9hskuf. from hlm
ne r. ql! sed go Xplanatloa of the remark ,blr
c0D1uIt vf their No ,sties.
ordering al atttcne TO briUg somo volumes
| from The Stare archives, the Mtsler ououed
one ahd, hendlrg 1t tH cur representative, bade
BIN read q letter. IL WAS from the FGrelpu
Nlulser of France to Russia stating that Freucs
aud Eoglsnd hai entered into s;llsuc, tor the
| purpose OF recogb'z Ig the heiIlesrent rights
| OF the Sou.hern States en- ! ra-iug he blockade
| OF our ports aud eud the War ~ TIE diss0u Ion
OF the States, and rtqu. siug TIE GO operation
| OF Russia. A S nd volume was banded the
Ambassador 10 which be Fad a similar letter
| from England. A third volume was presented,
| 10 which, was the reply OF Ru ,sa debated bv
| the Gar and wrlttcn ~ GOrtschakuff, ststiug
that slGc, the Uuied States had been su indie
pendent gIVernneot II had Detn the firm and
| frlebdly ally OF Russia, and the Car saw 30
reason why that relationship should be changed
at that hour, and most firmly declining to ,in
Franco and Eopland lD any OF their schemes.
"A fourth volume, thken from theisecrst ar
cblVes, was produced, aud hsrd I'D she surprls
ed American. lu that we're TWO letters OF in
s!ruOuons from the Admiral Ofos to Russian
| admirals then 10 American waters The first
latter ics'r ucled the sdniras 10 take thei f .es
to New York and Sau Frat CISCO, arcaor them
aud remaio uulil further orders, sud also To-
struclpg them that in case England and Frauce
or aoy other foreign Power attempted TO inter.
tsEe with the private affairs OF America to
break their sealed orders and obey them.
The Sec md letter-.he sealed orders referred
to BY MIR: Weed-instructed the Russian ad.
mil Els to Immediately tender their f.ets to the
American government and tell them Russia,
With a!l her power, stood re.dy behind them.
| That IVES the story in substance, and having
| used it msny times in q lecture on Tine Great
Naval Battles of the Rebellion" snd wishing TO
| be sure wss warranted in so doing by the facts,
in 1876 think l wrote to the ex.Amb bassador
sts,ing the story fully and asking him if it was
| true. In prompt reply he SAID he did not feel
at liberty to tell what I'D transpire when be ielL
81. Petersburg; that upon his return to his native
| land he had made full report of the matter,
which was then in The Stste DEPARTMENT; and as
the department had seen fit to keep the matter
| out Of sigh. he did not feel that ne had any righ,
| TO say anything. AS he In no manner denied
the story concluded that in the main it Was
! true, and so thought gent emen to whom |
showed both leltsrs. The son of that Gar
| when 10 our capital city. was snubbed by Uur
| President. That report from the retiring Mn
| ister is now in our Slate Depart and under
the somtre light o. THIS hour 1t might bs very
inter estng reallag Tor all the world. Can W.
| not have lt2'