Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-14
Russia, Russian Relations with
the United states and Russian
Literalure.

Literature.
OF all European nations, with the ex-
ception of France, Russia has been the
most persevering friend of the United
States, and the friendship has been
heartily reciprocated in this country. This
fact is called to mind very forcibly in the
dedication to the Hon. Andrew G. Cur
tin of a translation of work OF Nikolal
Vasilyevitch Gogol, by jeremiah Curtin.
The book itself, "Taras Bulba," is
strong and favorable specimen OF Russian
literature of later days, but OF that, more
in detail towards the conclusion OF this
article. In the dedication, an episode is
related of the residence of Mr.. Curtin as
Minister of the United States at the court
of st. Petersburg. In an interview be-
tween Prince Gortschakoff and the great
War Governor, the former produced in
disputable evidence, from the archives OF
the Russian Foreign Office, showing
that both the Emperor Napoleon Ill.
and England had proposed to
the Emperor Alexander that Russia
should join with them in recognizing the
Southern Confederacy. This Alexander
peremptorily refused to do, and his refu-
sal undoubtedly was highly instrumental
in making the war for the Union sue
cess. France, England and Spain after
ward united in placing Maximilian on
the Mexican throne-a scheme which a
mere hint from the rehabilitated United
States made abortive, with disaster to
the unfortunate Austrian archduke and
great loss of prestige to France.
From whatever cause it sprang, this
| sympathy of the two nations has un-
doubiedly existed from very early day.
1t was very strongly exempli6ed during
| the Anglo-Franco-Turk Russian war.
The kindly feeling of the immense ma
jority of the American people was I'M
questionably with Russia in that mighty
conflict. Since then. particularly, Russia
has been perfectly friendly to all sorts Of
American enterprises, and to Amer
leans of all kinds and degrees.
American engineers and mechanicians
have been in high favor in all portions oi
the Russian empire, and their handiwork
is to be seen in railways, bridges and
other public works even in Siberia. The
great fortune of the Winans family oi
Baltimore was made in Russia, and this
was but one of many. Russia is the
most autocratic country on earth; the
United States is supposed to be the mos'
democratic. And yet no opportunity
offers that the two people are not found
cheek by jowl-sleeping together in the
same truckle-bed, 80 to speak.
1t seems to be fanciful supposition,
but it would not surprise us if Russis
were to be the next European Republic
and simply because it is such thorough
despotism. The storm which overturned
the Bourbons Of France left the Guelphi
undisturbed in England, because the one
country acknowledged the right divine
of kings, with accompaniments of lettre
de cachet and oppression, while the
other upheld the right OF habea
corpus. A great storm arose in England
over the Wilkes case, which resulted
in seating that splendid demagogue il
Parliament. An abler Frenchman,
thousand fold, than Wilkes was an abl'
Englishman, was Mirabeau, who wa
landed in the Bastile through the agenc,
of the infamous lettres de cachet. Mira
beau afterwards turned up in the French
National Assembly, and had it not beer
for his mstchless voice the Bourbon'
might still be ruling in France.
So great has been the iron oppression
OF the Russian people that tremendoul
and unexampled excesses may be looked
for there, if ever the iron hand of the
military is removed, or if the soldiery
itself should become disafected. The
/ whole Russian life back to remotest agei
seems to have been overshadowed by 6
gloomy mirage. This has resulted in the
development of specially set, resolute
and even dogged type of people, and the
essential characteristic of the race may
be said to be melancholy in the extreme
with strong infusion, often of heroism
and still oftener of ferocity. 81
StIOuS lS lulb clcuouG ludb Luo SUI
seems never to shine in all the broaG
Russian land, whether it be in the Grea
or Little Russias, or the steppes of the
Don. A phase of individuality is being
created there which was we'll illustrated
in the Office of the Prefect of Police al
st. Petersburg, shortly before the assas.
sination of the Emperor Alexander. A
young man appeared before that dig
nitary holding in his hand, near his
mouth. small pellet which was plainly
exposed to view. He stated that this
pellet was a package of Prussic acid,
that it was useless to attempt to seize
him, for he would swallow it if the effort
were made. He then announced that he
was commissioned by the Nihilist section
to which he belonged to state that the
Emperor had been tried and condemned
and would be executed if certain reforms,
which he particularized, were not granted.
Having accomplished his mission, he
swallowed the poison and dropped dead.
A nation which has an extensively rami-
fed organization of such men is on the
brink of revolution always.