The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1893-03-03
what We owe to France and Ruisi..

Nnht WcoWc 70 TrNhce anu ftutsld.
The New York Sun does we'll to call
the attention Of the American peope to
the vital services both France and Rus
STA have rendered this country in tines
of Its extreme peril, Russian pepecu-
ton OF tho Jews is abhorrent So 5 the
cruelty practiced on the hapless coiYicts
in Siberia. When contemplating atoci-
ties that have been perpetrated by Rus
sian government officials, it is had at
times not to sympathize with even the
nihilists. But the fact remains tha our
nation owes its very existence to certain
decisive acts of the Russian government,
taken at times when our affairs we're
wavering in the balance. What hose
acts were are set forth in the extract
from The Sun printed below.
If France helped us to gain our ,nde.
pendence not because she loved MS but
because she hated England, that doe not
lessen our obligation to her or our ,rat.
itude. In all time to come the republic
of the United States must stand b the
republic of France. The Sun saws.
For years France paid, armed and cbthed
the Continental forces; French and American
soldiers fought together In the trenchs al
Yorktown, and Rochambeau stood by IN side
of Washington when CORVALLIS gave ID his
sword. Those are things that q nation can
never forget, 30 long as 1t is worthy TO remain
nation.
That we are under like tremendous otiga-
ticns to the house Of Romanoff is recogpiyd by
every American who knows the history Of MS
country. Whatever may have been TIP mo
tive which led Catherine ii to join the so called
League of Neutrals, the result of the ait was
to complete the encouragement of the british
ministers, to break the stubborn will Of George
III, and to compel the acknowledgment OF
American independence. Whatever, lgain
may have been the purpose controlliIs the
mind of Alexander when, Drawing theanger
of Napoleon, he refused to enforce the Berlin
DEGREES against the American vessels thraging
the Baltic ports, there is no doubt that u res.
cued from ruin our commerce. We accepted
redemption at his hands; we profited y his
protection, and it behooves us to remembr it.
The services of the house of Romanoff d the
American republic eliminated in the 4and
taken on our behalf by Alexander II at risis
Wnen our natlOnal existence was at stalk the
French emperor having put forth all hisinflu-
ence at Westminster to persuade the Hitish
government to join him In intervening Oh the
side of the southern confederacy. Tlen il
was that the car, who freed the Russian serfs
caused his ambassadors at Paris and london
to announce that if France and Engla,d un.
dertook to assure the destruction of theAmer-
lean Union and to perpetuate the regime OF
slavery in the western hemisphere theywould
find Russia arrayed against them. Nor was
the friendly interposition of Alexander1I con-
fined to words.
simultaneously with the utterance o. diplo-
matte warnings a Russian fleet was directed
to proceed under sealed orders to the harbor
of New York, and a Russian squadron vas dis
patched to the bay of San Francisco. For u.s.
for the American republic, for the colsolida-
ton of our Union, the car made kn,wn his
Willingness to fight, and there is not tie shad.
ow of q doubt that his willingness awrted
catastrophe. Is 1t likely that Americans will
ever forget services like these? Not so long as
our children remember with gratitude their
fathers friends; not SO long as the Hood OF
the men Of the Revolution, of the wal Of 1872
and of the war for the Union courses through
our veins and electrifes our hearts.