The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-01-24
The RUSSIAN FLEET
N OUR Civil WAR
Story That a Squadron Was
Sent to America Not a
Historical Myth"
TESTIMONY OF A CONSUL
John Bigelow American Agent In
Paris During the War, Furnishes
documentary Evidence Never
Before Printed.

New York Sun: Out Of the recent dis
cussion as to whether Russia or Eng
lahd was the more friendly to US when
some power in Europe were consid-
erlng interference with our action
toward Spain and Cuba, there has
come this communication: ri
10 the Editor of the Sun-Sir: In the
Sun or December %, discussing the at
tempted European coalition against the
OF war against Spain. you say that Rus
STA attcsted her friendship for the United
states oy an act identical with thai per-
formed by kan II. at a critical con-
Juncture during our civil war OF course
you refer to the historical myth that Rus
sia sent a squadron to the United States
TO pe used by this government in the
what | should like to know Is, has the
SUN any i~rrefragable proof to sustain IS
nlstorlcai myth; can 1t produce such tes-
timony that will be accepted as conclu-
slve BY a disinterested, unprecedented and
Intelligent jury? In all my researches 1
nave never been able to obtain a single.
scrap or evidence In support of the as
after the event; evidence that no jury
would accept, without confederation; evil
dence as valuable as the later assertion
that Russia tied the hands of Europe
against the United States. For. the truth
or history cannot the Sun produce the
proof? A. Maurice Low.
1t is true that in the records of the
state department at Washington there
is not to be found a particle of evil
dence regarding the alleged action of
Russia, but in he Life of Thurlow
Weed" there are two or three interest
ing observations on the. subject wor-
thy of quotation. Here are parts Of
pages 346 and 347 of volume 2:
Thurlow Weeds Story.
IT Ui11 ha rar,or,boroJ +lo+ o,,1,x l.. 49,
rebellion a Russian fleet lay for several
months in our harbor, and that other
Russian men-of-war were stationed at
San Francisco. Admiral Farragut lived
at the Aston house, where he was fire.
quently visited by the Russian admiral,
between whom. when they were young
officers sewing in the Mediterranean, a
warm friendship had grown up. Sitting
IN my room one day after dinner. sAd-
miral Farragnt said to his Russian friend,
in w idIea ase :! Is. spending end 5e1 the T gin1iad here ere
Russian admiral, under sealed orders, to
be broken only in a contingency that has
not yet occurred He added that other
Russian wal vessels were lying off San
Francisco with similar orders. During
this conversation the Russian admiral
admitted that he had received orders to
break the seals If during the rebellion we
became involved in a.war with foreign ma
tons. Strict confidence was then enjoined.
When in Washington a few days later
Secretary Seward informed me that he
had asked the Russian minister why his
government kept their ships of war SO
long in our harbors, who, while in an
swering he disclaimed any knowledge Of
the nature Of their visit. felt at liberty
to say that it had no unfriendly purpose.
Louis Napoleon had invited Russia, as
he did England, to unite with him in de-
manding the breaking Of our blockade.
The Russian ambassador at London in
formed his government that England was
preparing for war with America, on ac-
count Of the seizure of Mason and Sltdell: