Show THE PURCHASE OF RUSSIA russian L AMERICA the un united cited slates states government have purchased from russia alithe aalthe territory claimed by the latter on the north west of this continent but little has reach us by telegraph relative to the purchase or the treaty connected with it except that we ane senate has ratin ratified led the agreement and the united states pay to rus bus isia seven millions and a quarter of dollars isla isia for a country containing some geographical square miles the payment of a quarter of a million to russia instead of paying certain liabilities which russia has to meet has yet as an alteration from the originally proposed treaty to receive the concurrence of the czar when the vast territory lately owned by him on this continent becomes the property of the united states the russian american territory occupied all the american coast of the pacific with the adjacent islands from about the fifty fifth degree of north latitude its population is not numerous perhaps would more than co e number of whom the greater portion are Esqui maux the country is not valuable as an agricultural region in consequence of its northern latitude still the climate is said not to ue so severe as the same latitude in ip other parts of america and in europe but it has extensive timber regions which will yet be of great importance the products of its fisheries sherles fi and the chase have been deemed of sufficient value to excite exalt jealousies in the past between the united states and great grat britain with regard to the simple privilege of trading for them and the country is said to be rich in mineral resources in a commercial point ofviey of view then the northwest north west territory of the continent is well worth possessing by such a government as ours but there is a political side to its possession which cannot cannoa be very ag agreeable to british statesmen the hudson bay company for a long time enjoyed a comparative monopoly of the trading referred to above granted by russia since 1854 1654 there has been a sort of coolness existing between britain and russia arising from conflicting interests and as the country now sold bounds the british american possessions on the northwest north west and geographically forms a portion of the same territory its cession to the united states at the present time when european politics are looking rather stormy and russia and britain may be brought into early conflict will be apt to be viewed as very significant of future coalitions in the event of war besides it gives to the united states territory on an either side of british america it gives them control of the west coast of the continent from the north sea to lower california except a comparatively short distance and it gives them the advantage in case of war of absorbing with ease a port portion lon of territory now claimed by britain beside which for extent most of the european empires are ard insignificant this treaty also shows the tile existing fee feelings lingg between this country and nd v russia so far as the two governments are concerned and with the unsettled causes of aeri adri acrimony mony still acting as irritants between the united states and great britain may give to the next european war a different complexion from the last one in which russia and the western european powers contended so significant did sir frederick bruce deem the matter that ha telegraphed to lord derby for instructions which however can be of but little littie e value to him when received since the treaty is concluded in everything every thing except the signature of the czar to the amendment noticed not bot iced |