The Portland daily press., 1888-05-12
lBoston Transcript.


Professor George B. Wilcox of Chicago is
the writer of q war "reminiscences bearing on
the relations of Russia and the United States
and purporting to show that the purchase of
Alaska was simply cover for payment of
Russia for sending her fleet here in 1868 and
1864 ito defend our ports and assist in main
tanning the blockade of the rebel ports"
According to Professor Wilcox, President
Lincoln entered into private treaty to pay
Russia certain sum for this service. He
did not like to make the circumstance pub
lie, and while he was endeavoring to find a
way to obtain the money without showing
what he wanted it for, the war came to an
end. Subsequently, after Lincoln's death,
Mr.. Seward succeeded in procuring the pur-
chase Of Alaska to quiet Russia demands for
money.
There are certain considerations which
make against the implicit acceptance Of
Professor Wilcox's statement. In the first
place, the Russian fleet, or more properly
squadron, which was ON our coast in 1868
and 1864, was not remarkably powerful. 1t
was made up of wooden vessels, the most
powerful being fifty gun frigate Of the
Wabash type and could have offered no
effectuai resistance to either French or Eng
lish ironcads. Nor would it have proved
remarkable auxiliary g time tne unl1ed States
Farragut and Porter, included some of the
most powerful war ships afi0at. Among
these were the then inylnclble and invulner-
able monitors, who carried the most power
full guns the world had seen. They were
more than match for any other ironclads
then afioat The Russia fleet was not equal
in power to any one OF the several Dl0ckadlng
squadrons on duty on the Southern coast
The squadron which Farragut took into Mo-
bile Bay, and which literally pounded to sur
render an ironclad ram, was vastly more
powerful than that which showed the Rus
Sian flag in our harbors. That the presence
Of the Russian fleet here had moral effect
of great value to the United States Is not to
he questioned. 1t was a very suggestive
spectacle to the English secession sympathi-
zers and to Napoleon Ill. Americans have
not forgotten that manifestation of Russian
good will. Indeed, there were special rea-
sons for the drawing together of Russian and
and the United States to that juncture Eng
land and France were suspected by Russia of
desiring to interfere in the Polish troubles.
England and France were more than sus-
pected by the United States of harboring
the design of interfering" in our affairs.
The apprehenslons OF fcommon danger caused
the United States and Russia to stand to.
together. As Russia was then excluded from
the Black sea, she was naval power on the
Baltic only. 10 be prepared to strike her
enemies at sea, Russia must have her fleet
outside the Baltic before hostilities opened.
In what ports would her fleets be so cordial
ly welcomed as in those of the United States,
which. like Russia, was watching France and
England?
The crisis passed The Confederacy was
crushed. Russia reasserted her authority in
Poland. With the disappearance of the
common danger, the Russian fleet disappear
ed from our waters. No other Russian force
was seen ON our coasts until the critical
months following the treaty Of San Stefano.
Then Russian cruisers appeared In our wa
And when the Afghan trouble seemed likely
to eyentuate in war, Russian vessels again
appeared in our harbors.
II NAV be that Alaska was purchased to
pay Russia, but until we see more direct evil
denee than any yet offered, we shall believe
that Lincoln relied on American ships and
guns to protect American ports, and that
Seward, when he bought the Russian colony
was moved to do so simply because he was
ahead Of his time in appreciating its possibil-
tiles, under American rule.