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Show RUSSIA'S FRIENDLINESS IN 1861. In the New York Times of February 22d, is an interesting letter from Frederick Seward, who was assistant Secretary of State under his father in 1861, which tells of the coming of the Russian fleet in New York, of the entertainments given the officers of the fleet, how later it went down to Fort Monroe and up the Potomac to Washington, Washing-ton, and the exchanges of courtesies there. Strangely enough he makes no mention of the other Russian fleet that came to San Francisco. But he says there was no contract with Russia to interpose in case France and Great Britain went to the assistance of the Confederacy. But may be there was an understanding that was not confided to the Assistant Secretary. But the squadron remained a long time at San Francisco and it remained the best part of a year In New Yory bay and convenient American waters. At that time the great Gostschokoff was premier of Russia and when the fleets came he merely instructed in-structed the Russian minister at Washington to say that he was sending the fleet over and "It was there for no unfriendly purpose." Moreover, of all the nations of Europe only Russia, Switzerland Switzer-land and the King of Italy had given sympathetic answers to the note sent by Secretary Seward at the opening of the war, and Russia had flatly refused re-fused the notes of France and Great Britain proposing pro-posing intervention or mediation in our war. In reply to Secretary Seward's note to the powers, Prince Gotschokoff wrote: "The union is not simply in our eyes an element ele-ment essential to the universal political equilibrium. equilib-rium. It constitutes, besides, a nation to which our august master and all Russia have pledged the most friendly interest, for the two countries, placed at the extremities of the two worlds, both in the ascending period of their development, appear ap-pear called to a natural community of interest and of sympathies, of which they have already given mutual proofs to each other." At the same time Russia agreed with the United Unit-ed States to build a telegraph and cable line from our North-west coast, North to Behrlng Straits and down through Siberia to telegraphic communication commu-nication at Irkutck. The line was marked and the poles cut for the wire, when the laying of a successful Atlantic cable, caused the enterprise to lapse. But Mr. Seward says there was no alliance, al-liance, that Russia never presented any claim or reclamation, of any kind for any services rendered. ren-dered. He says the purchase of Alaska was a purely business matter, that Mr. Seward wanted it and Russia cared little for It; that Russia first asked $10,000,000, Mr. Seward offered $5,000,-000, $5,000,-000, that then Russia proposed to split the difference; dif-ference; then Mr. Seward proposed to cut off the $500,000 and makeit'even $7,000,000, but when Mr. Seward insisted that the franchises of the Rus. H sian Fur company should be annulled, he finally B agrded to add $240,000 for this purpose and the H contract was closed. It has always been claimed B that the $240,000 was to reimburse Russia for H the coal for her fleet purchased in American B waters. Mr. Seward deplores the present con B ftict between Russia and Japan as altogether use- B less and unfortunate. B |