Year: 1867

othcrs bnt row the bargain between the uned States
apA i.uss as SCI us In our turn talking o. our IRON
ten ana privilege and wondering what sash cesson
may have In store for us. II may be coacisey
ped however, mat caapa hi'.lT tue mater
4. u we would, ana that we need not u we could;
me uansacuon Is about Of the simplest ana
most rational pieces OF public economy effected
10 our time Russia, besides all her vast domnions


IN Europe and Aa possesses also the norhwesternmost
angle OF the American continent Ts bleak inhospta
BILE and irrecaimable region Ii worth nothing 10 her
II could not from rs sa,r nac uai be , r Gny sng 20
anybody but has political value in tho eyes OF the
United sates aud Russia has taken her property 10
tho dearest market aud sold for millions Of dol
iars AS her title TO the land quite unimpeachabe
and as sho had perfect right TO sell and the United
States perfect right 70 bay 1t is evident that we have
this ceded district borders upon territories of own.
and in Fact overaps them; that the change OF own.
this part Of the question also can be disposed Of very
briefly The utmost taas could have been asked In the
way even OF special favor was that we should have
had offered the country TO US Il the price shown be its
market value-&l. 400 Oo0-should have bought itf
just about provided by nr - 5issas surplus; but s
there the least probability that Parliament would have
sanctioned the application or the investmentf Would
any politician OF any party have recommended the bar
gain


The case Is different with the United States In making
Of the Aercan contaent and promoting ~ vey cheap
rat: their tdvorie doctrine Of natonai destiny II IL
Of Lousana q . cost Of CO. oo6f In the case Of
Russian Amersca-soon, We suppose, 70 receive some
,, new % value received r .moss purely
But bssdsshat We have no title TO interfere we could
aIcgs none but speculative reasons for interfering
We are not curtaiied by this Transaction Of single
right, privilege or advantage Our frontiers re-
main exactly a. they were and We have exactly the
same access-neither more nor less-to the sea. The
only real difference this that our neghbors will be Of
q different character The Russians held the country
cheaply and with such little interest in IT. tina. tue


thousand; they would certainly have encroached
upon US. or have been In any way our rivals. Tue
pushing race ddtigabe in coionising greedy Of terri
tyy, and conscious Of great political II is GER
tain, in short, that colones the Pacific would
have been troubled by the Russians those pars
1t s by means certain looking FAR into the future
that our new neghbors will be as inert or as noensve


But 1t is only in the dim region OF speculation that
descry any cause for concern II probable enough
that the transaction was intended hint for if not


warning but we may take II as IL was meant and yet
not be very uneasy We are said indeed, to have pro-
voked it, though the provocation certainly never
contemplated. The Americans have taken umbrage at
the new confederacy OF North American colonies,
though people setting such an extraordinary value
upon Union ought not to grudge the advantage OF the
principle 10 others They fancy they discover the
germs of an sempre" or a great monarchy in the new
confederation, and jealous accordingly though they
know that II is business and not theirs just as the
purchase OF Russian America theirs and The
actual offence probably, consists in the preparations
made, Tor future empire, but for the perpetual nde
psndeace of State which had been expected to fall
by gradual descent into the great republic. The
Monroe doctrine has been brought to imply not
only that European monarchical gov.
ernment shall be established the North Ameri-
continent, but that those actually established
shall not be put in repair or preserved by any means
from the dsntegralion and absorption conceived to
them The americans to0uid nat aape regenerats
Megco AID they do not ioaRt c0asofidaed Canada They
know better than believe ia their hearts that any
of the British Provinces could prove rv al
to their own but the new confederacy may well be
stronger tLan the previous loose bundle imbued with
greater vitality, and less likely to tumble into their lap
They only looked with liberation the fabric it
stood and they annoyed at seeing 1t strengthened,
repaired and nttcd out for lease of independent


fo. so they reply, II is thought, by buying tho
premises next door, and shutting us up a little In a
fashion intended to DO little omnous Nor has the
purchase been without Its effect, for telegraphs have
asked in Parliament and statements made by Ministers
with all due gravity, reserve and depreciation.


But for the ratification 10 be obtained from the United
States Senate the transaction has been actually CON-
government at Washington has agreed TO buy that,
unless the Senate should refuse its cOnsentan event
not to be antcpated-the affair Is at end. 1t has
certainly been unexpected for nobody ever gave
thought to such contingency. Russian America was
nearly out OF the world as the land beyond the
Frozen Ocean, and anybody did remember that
the Gar neighbor the North Pacific, il
not to be presumed that the Russians would be |
sellers OF territory. But now that tho event has
occurred II cannot be thought surprising 10
decidedly good bargain for Russia and bad one
for the United States. The country is dear,
doubt at the money but territory has its political as
well as It's natural value, and this Is where the Amer
cans will get their return. They have got 1t already
at least they will thnkin the sensation they have
created here; but that suppression win DO long
lived. very short reflection will suffice to convince
transaction this There not the slightest
why the Americans should not acquire this country by
fair purchase IL they please. Possibly the acquisition
portend trouble TO IN after times: but that
Is more than anybody can tell, and II will be soon
enough at rate 10 deal with hc matter when those