Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-05-14
The Cars Possessions.


to history. Its enormous acreage would
furnish four such empires as the Roman
in the days of Antonines. ii comprises,
it is estimated, one Goth Of the entire sur
face of the earth, and one seventh of
the dry part. or more than eight and a
half millions Of square miles. Begin
ming ct the Baltic on the west. and fol-
lowing the sixtieth parallel of latitude
east through st. Petersburg, traveller
would traverse Russian territory con-
tinuously until hereached the shoreofth
Behring Sea, crossing one hundred aud
forty-tive meridians of longitude. and
accomplishing more than three-eighths
OF the distance around the globe. or
over 5000 miles. Ii he were to follow
the Arctic circle, beginning at u point
twenty-five degrees east of the Paris
meridian, he could journey on Russian
soil until he reached the l90th meridian
The entire northern part Of Europe,
east of the Baltic, and of Asia is Russian
soil. Its meridional lines are also of
great extent From the northernmosl
point OF the mainland, North East Cape,
to the southernmost, which is Sarakhs,
is a distance of about $500 miles. In
This vast empire, two such republics as
the United States, including Alaska,
could be placed, and there would still
be room enough for Mexico, Canada,
Great Britain and Ireland, Germany
and France. Ii is larger than all North
America, including the Arctic and West
India Islands
Upwards of three-fourths OF the en-
-. -. All IL. g
alone constituting more than half of he
whole area The Caucasus anu Trans
Caspian regions comprise abaut 4SS, 900
square miles; Siberia, 1926, 900, and
Central Asia, 1,l65, 900 Russia in En-
rope, exclusive Of Lapland and Finland,
has an area of 1850, 900 square miles
The Gar controls his immense domain
by system of general governments,
governments, aud districts There
are six general governments or vice.
royalties. in Europe, and live i'm Asia.
The European general governments
which are Finland. Poland Wilma, Kielf.
Odessa, and Moscow, embrace sixty
eight governments. with 625 districts.
The Finnish and Polish vice-roval,ies
formerly had considerable independ-
ence; but Poland has had her privileges
so cut down. that according u one Of
her princes, She cau ouly ask for leave
to live. The general governments 81
Asia are Caucasus, Turkesl,.n. + tstern
Siberia, and AMOR FGe viceroy, or
head Teach general government, is the
Cars direct representative, exercising
supreme civil aud military iurisdic-
ton in his government by virtue Of
his masters authority. To the vice
roy all subordinate governors aud
officers make their reports. In local, or
town affairs. the people, especially in
European Russia, manage their own
affairs, settling in their communal as
semblies, which are held at least once a
year. all questions Of division Of fields,
tenancies, distribution of taxes. recruit
ing for the army, etc. This system at
lows large degree of self-govcrument,
and would probably prevent, in ease 81
a revolution and overthrow Of the mon
archy, anarchy in the commnnes.
The Russian population is very I'm
evenly distributed In the Europ au
provinces it is much denser thaa IN the
ASiatic. Hardly moro than onerighth
>
lion belong to Asia. and the average To
the square milo is only two individuals,
while in Europe it is forty ne greai
strenth. therefore. of Russia lies IN its
older and more compact papuiation
west of the Ural Mountains But in
pushing her frontier toward India. she
is striking for section of Asa which
woald give her incalcuIable power and
advantage. There is no question that
she covets India for the outlet IL would
give for commerce aud the opportunity
it would afford for the developm of
her navy. With the Indian Ocean as
her southern. the Arctic as her aorth-
ern, the Pacific rs her eastern boand-
aries, what more wouId she need, except
TO control the Bosphorons and absorb
Norway and Sweden?
Russia, however, has great weak
nesses. The immense spread Of her
territory is one. G mmunieatiou +
SLOW, difficult and costly, aud semi-inii-
tary governments are necessary for the
far-oH provinces TO provide against in
surreciion or invasion The heierogen-
eous character of the population is an
other weakness. Tartars, Sitvs, and
Turcomans do not naturally cOalesee
The Slavic element j., uf course. the
chief strength of the empire; but ii the
Car wished t. talk to all his subjects
10 their own tongue he would have to
speak forty different languages or dia-
lects A third weakness is a very seri-
Gus one--lack of money, lack of credit
Russian finances have been steadily
growing worse There has hardly been
a year in the present century 10 which
the budget has not shown 4 deficit
Loan after loan has been placed on the
market until IL has become difficult to
get favorable bid, from btnSers The
government authorized loan of 923,
900. 600 in 1880, but the continental
bankers would not take it, and, finally.
in 1882, the Barings, Of London, brought
out less than half of it, The total OF
foreign loans is over f200. 100000. OF
which fS5,000,009 bear interest at s.,
and f32, 000 600 ut 3! per cent.