Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-06-05
OUR RUSSIAN MINISTER.

Yesterday afternoon the new Minister
TO Russia, Hon. George V. n. Lothrop,
addressed the Michigan Legislature by
special request. Mr.. Lothrop is man who
commands the respect of every man in his
State, and long years ago, had his politics
been of the hue they most loved in
Michigan. he might have had any office
within the gift of the people OF that State.
Though never honored with place, he was
ever honored with respect, and Michigan
will, without reference to parties, take
as much pride in him as she has IN
her Cooley and Campbell. The CORDIAL
relations which have ever existed be-
tween the government OF the Gar and
the United States will be maintained,
although one very good reason why the
relations between the two countries have
been so friendly is that there have never
been any rivalries between the two coun-
tries, and3 when Russia was on this
continent in Alaska, that province was
too remote from the United States to be
the cause of any contention, and there
Law betwixt Alaska and us the whole OF
British America. In this, Russia's
foe became our friend. Another rea-
son is that when the United States
wished to possess Alaska, Russia was
paid the price she asked, and all was
friendly. But the time when Russia
showed her greatest friendship was dur
ing the darkest days Of the rebellion,
when all the world seemed to desire the
disruption of the Union. Mr.. Lothrop,
in his address to the Legislature OF Mich
igan, tells an anecdote that was related to
him by one of the Justices of the Su-
preme Court of the United States. When
things were at their most critical point
with the Government during the war, the
Gar sent a large fleet into American
waters with sealed orders. The contin-
gency which those sealed orders antici-
pated never arose, but when they We're
opened they revealed what the contin-
gency was. Those sealed orders directed
that Russian fleet, upon the very first de-
monstration of hostile interference by for
eign powers in American affairs, TO open
its batteries against those so inter
fering and in aid OF the United
States. As Minister Lothrop re-
marked on this action of Russia, it is
such friendship as this that the United
States should seek and encourage. Such
friendship is true friendship. for it is dis
PLAYED in the hour OF trial and when
most needed; and at that time there was
no other European power that had any
such interest in the preservation OF the
United States. The hereditary, senti-
mental friendship of France did not shine
out brilliantly in those days, and Louis
Napoleon would have taken advantage of
it at any time to have furthered his pet
scheme of French empire in America,
and it was only the vigilance OF
the American Minister at Paris and the
watchfulness of American consuls at the
various ports of France that prevented
the fitting out OF Confederate cruisers
in French ports to do the same
work that the Alabama and others
like her did Napoleon the Third
was trading upon the reputation Of La
fayette. The relations of the United
States with all foreign powers should be
intimate and friendly and strengthened
when so; but they ought never TO be com.
plicated by treaties of ofense and de-
tense. Such men as ex-Minister Lowell
and Minister Lothrop do much TO make
the relations of the United States with
European powers what they should be
and such men are an honor to the coun.
try no matter to what party they belong