, 1902-03-29
CONQUEST OF ASIA .
COSSACK HEROES WHO HAVE 40
vANCED THE RUSSIAN FLAG.
fermak Was tho First Man Who Re
allied the Vast Potential Destiny of
Wars In Siberia.

Asiatic Russia is the creation of a
series Of wonderful Iieutenants of the
Cars. The record of the crossing oi
Siberia by the Cossacks would make a
thrilling realistic novel. Some day
some writer will thus use it as a the
sis. But before the Cossacks had ac-
complished that feat a marvellous lead
ed had immortalized himself. One day
in August. 1854. a Tartar discovered In
the River Irish a corpse which was
conspicuous by its rich coat of mail
with a golden eagle on It's breast. 1t
was the body of the renowned and
dreaded "ataman," Yermak, the found
er of the Russian Empire in Asia, who
rose to wealth and power from the
humblest origin and from the meanest
occupations and unlawful pursuits, for
he was in reality u Voiga robber and
pirate in an age and a land of free
hooters. For his raid into Siberia and
his earliest conquest he had to ask for
givencss of the emperor. Ivan the Ter
rlble easily forgave aim. He was the
first man who realized the vast poten-
tai destiny of the Slav race. and no
name is more honored in Russia. next
to that of Peter the Great. than that OF
the ablest adventurer the nation ever
knew.
The early Cossacks were nearly all
river sailors. 1t was in after centuries
that they became the most wonderful
horsemen in the world. They gradually
acquired their equestrian skill in war
fare with the Tartars, their constant
antagonists. The greatness of the Rus
sian empire in Asia was chiefly gained
by gradually superseding the sover-
eighty of the Tartars. One most SIN
s'Ilar chronological aspect marks in
the most definite and regular style his
process of Slav expansion. The i'm
mense expanse of northern Asia Is di-
v1ded into vast sections by four grand
rivers-the OBJ. Yenisei, Irene and
Amur. Each of these riverine tracts
has occupied a century in the world of
conquest.
Long and ferocious wars have been
waged in almost every part of Siberia
between the Russian pioneers and the
native tribes. The regular armies OF
the czar have had comparatively little
to do with the steady and gradual sub
jugation of the vast regions. There
has never been any very long halt be-
tween the IRA! and the Pacific. The
worst difficulties and the hardest con-
ficts were in the districts north and
just east of Lake Baikal. Rough and
cruel has been the treatment Of many
of the native tribes by the Cossacks at
various times. Indeed, the. expansion
of Russia in Asia is one Of the most
terrible and protracted tragedies of
history. Multitudes of Cossacks per-
ished. Massacres of natives in each
century were intermittent. Siberia has
been a land of blood and fire to an ex-
tent only understood by these who have
made.its history a study. The. career. CT
Vladimir Atlasoff, the d%iscoverer and
c%onqueror Of Kamchatka. is itself only
one of the series of these personal ro-
manceS.
All this expansion has been regular
ly effective ~ the efforts of four
classes-pioneers, priests, merchants
and soldiers. These always follow in
that order. The explorers with little
bands of Adventures, settlers and pet
ty traders 30 first. But when they have
borne the preliminary hardships, the
great missionary, Russo-Greek church,
never fails to forward the proper con-
signment of priests. We can always
tell which country Russia means to
subjugate. The priests appear and the
fact is settled. There have been Rus
sian priests ana Greek churches in
Manchuria for many years, and those
who understand Russia knew that this
signified that the car must rule Man
churia, no matter what all the rest of
the world might think. say or do. II
anybody wants to make up his mind
as to the certain fate of both Korea
and Palestine, let him simply form a
deduction from similar data amply sup
piled in those country, especially in
Palestine.