THE TRUE GUARANTEE.
Ar a time when our advanced and popular politicians have re- solved, to their own satisfaction, that-the Crimea shall never again be Russian, it may be as well to remind them that-we have not yet got the Crimea; and that the question of keeping may as well' be adjourned until the question of possessing is finally settled. There are many and powerful reasons why the Crimea should cease to be Russian, but there are reasons equally strong why Russia should bold it to the last gasp. It may be that we are destined to con- quer the Crimea, but certainly Russia is destined to defend it. The trial will be one of stamina, and in such a trial a priori reasoning would give the victory to the Allies; but let us win it, before we set apart a day of thanksgiving for our success and cast lots-with our allies for the spoil. The and war in all likelihood sprang from two sources, which act and reset on each other,—the military ambition of an aggres- eve dynasty, and the unconsciously aggressive instincts of the Selevonian people. There is a double reason why the Crimea is essential to the full development of Southern Russia,—it is the key of her military power, and of her commercial prosperity.
All the modern authorities agree in describing the great and the recent growth of commerce and production in Southern Russia. Constant and close attention has- been paid to the progress of these countries by the Government, and careful surveys have been made of the productive forces of the whole region ; the very kinds of soil have been classified, from the Caspian to the frontiers of old. Poland. The natural wants of the people led them to seek the sea, and the acquisition of these outlets has been followed by the sudden growth to which we allude. The grain of ancient Poland. finds its way to Odessa ; the timber-market of Riga, it is found; costae more-profitably established at Kherson ; timber from the
very same-forests.being from 20 to 30 per. cent cheaper at %her- son than at Riga. The Great Russians have availed themselveS largely of the water-ways of the Don and: Volga, and Roatof has become at emporium of the trade- in the Sea of Azoff and the South-easternpor_tion of.the empire. The Southern Russians have learned to value- human life, .because they have begun to recognize labour as thugreatest factor in prodnction. The breeding of sheep, of horses,. of cattle, is a special study ; and even the reclaiming of the steppes has not been. lest. sight of by energetic 'speculators. Btit sit this burst of prosperity, which: opens up endless- perspec- tives of wealth; is- dependent for its riUlity on possession of the sea.. Deprive the Southern, Russians of- the Crimea; and you- de- priVe them or the gates-of the Sea of Azoff;-yon-deprive them. or the commerce of the Crimea, and- place- a check on the growth of Odessa itself. What says- Haxthausen? He describes the Black Sea as "the sole natural- outlet" for the whole of the country the rivers of which flow into that sea. "So long as Russia was not in possession of the steppes-and of the shores of the Black Sea, it was . impossible for these fine,countries to prosper.; they must, if we may use the expression, stifle in their own-fatness. Accordingly,. it is-only since Russia. lirte aurae into.i4rieenterted possession- of her Southern coasts- that the culture and population of the countries, in question have begun to make evident. progress.!' "The whole of the-Southern portion of Theisisur says M.. Tegehorski; "has agreat future- before it." In. the development of that future the Crimea_ must play an important part; and think you the Russians will not fight hard far the citadel of the Black Sea, the warden of the Sea. of A-zoff, and the- enemy or protector of Odessa ? And if the Crimea plays this part in commerce, how much greater is its military importance to the. enemy.. Without the Crimea, Russia can obtain no. 'permanent *dominion in the East. SObastopol, at onqe a naval and- a military &tidier), gave, her full centred over the 131aok Sea. and. the Danube—pre her a fulcrum on- which to rest the lever intended. to -work the- overthrow--of the empire. Ftom Sebastopol the enemy spread his troops along-the A-basian coast, and built, armed, and garrisoned his forts there, while he victualled them from the Sea of Azoff. irrota Se- bastopol Russia. cevered one flank of her Tranecaugasiiii unity, and thus cut off the brave Circassians from the sea and drew the' circle closer and. elbser round them on land. How much depended upon- holding the sea and Sebastopol, is evident from the fact that, sines The war began, the enemy has not only sacrificed a whole fleet and three armies in their defence, but he has been compelled to abandon- the Ahasieia and'Circasalatefbrte; and has been pre- cluded from overrunning Turkish. A-rmenisein one -brilliant cam- paign. In fact, the. prosperity of. Russia. in. the South, and the vast expansion or her Tower there..--an arch- stretching- -from Gnmri to-Ismail—depend-upon the-maintenance- of -Sebastopol, and with it the uncontested dominion. of . the /urine. That dominion has been contested; and overthrown ; the hand with which she. prepared to strike deadly blows at Turkey, feed and sustain her- distant troops„crush Ciroassia en one side and lord it over the Prin- cipalities on-the other, has been lopped off. But it is impossible to conceive- that she will not' do 'her utmost to win back her vantage-ground, to recover the key of her position in the South. In fighting for-the Crimea, she fights far her. naval, military...tiael commercial supremacy ; she fights for her pocket and her ragtag; and she will.figlit to the last.
But it is precisely bemuse the Crimea. is of so great a value to Russia, as the point d'appui in her system of Eastern conquest and commercial development, that it constitutes the true guarantee, the best security, against Russian encroachment And it must be conquered at all cost, or the war will be utterly useless.
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