382 IGNATIEFF, NICHOLAS P. 



ILLINOIS. 



boundaries, which through ignorance of mili- 

 tary affairs had been conceded by the other 

 Russian diplomatists. He was then appointed 

 by his Government to conduct the adjustment 

 of the boundaries with Roumania, and for his 

 services on this occasion was created a major- 

 general in 1858 only twenty-six years old. 

 His rapid advancement in the army, however, 

 did not prove an attraction strong enough to 

 draw him away from the diplomatic career, for 

 which he had conceived a great inclination. But 

 he now turned his attention to Asia ; and the 

 great territorial additions made to the Eussian 

 Empire on that continent since that time have 

 been mainly his work. Just at that time Mura- 

 vyeff, the Governor of Eastern Siberia, needed 

 a diplomatic councilor on account of his fre- 

 quent intercourse with China. Ignatieff was 

 ordered to report to him for special missions ; 

 and he had been there but a few months, when, 

 by the treaty of Aigoon, of May 28, 1858, he 

 succeeded in inducing the Chinese to cede the 

 greater part of Mantchooria to Russia. It was 

 for a long time thought that this treaty was 

 the work of Muravyeff, and not till many years 

 later did it become known that it was due en- 

 tirely to General Ignatieff. On his return 

 he concluded advantageous commercial trea- 

 ties with Khiva and Bokhara ; and at the same 

 time drew up a plan of the country, which was 

 afterward of great service to the Russians in 

 their operations in Turkistan. From 1859-'63 

 he was Russian embassador in Peking. In 

 this position he again succeeded in securing for 

 Russia the lion's share of the concessions made 

 to the European Powers by China , in conse- 

 quence of the British and Frencb victories ; and 

 also another large addition of territory. His 

 position in Peking, however, did not engage 

 his time to such an extent but that he could 

 devote himself to various studies, principal 

 among which was the Turkish language, which 

 he acquired so completely, that afterward, 

 when he was in Constantinople, he was the 

 only one among the foreign embassadors who 

 could communicate directly with the Sultan 

 without the aid of an interpreter. At the time 

 of the Polish insurrection Ignatieff returned 

 to Europe having, in the mean while, risen to 

 the rank of adjutant-general of the Emperor 

 and was appointed director of the Asiatic de- 

 partment in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

 In this position he remained little less than a 

 year, and used his time to gain a complete in- 

 sight into European relations. On July 26, 

 1864, he was appointed extraordinary embas- 

 sador in Constantinople, and thus entered upon 

 the position which has placed his name among 

 the ablest statesmen of the century. A com- 

 pletely new field was opened to him, and his 

 activity at Constantinople has been fitly desig- 

 nated as " mining," inasmueh-asJTurkey seems 

 to be completely undermined at the present 

 time. Panslavism, which in the last ten years 

 has become such a terrible danger to Austria 

 and Turkey, found in Ignatieff one of its most 



enthusiastic supporters. But although he could 

 not immediately make this question the lead- 

 ing one, as he desired, he made his influence 

 felt in all the differences between the Porte 

 and its subjects. Although he was not equal 

 in rank to his colleagues at the court of the 

 Sultan until, in 1867, he was raised to the rank 

 of envoy extraordinary he nevertheless ob- 

 tained such complete ascendency over the other 

 members of the diplomatic corps, that even 

 men like Lord Lytton and Count Prokesch- 

 Orten were forced into the background by 

 him. He even brought several Turkish states- 

 men under his influence prominent among 

 them Mahmoud Nedim Pasha, who was noth- 

 ing but a tool in the hands of Ignatieff. Like 

 Talleyrand, he believes that language was given 

 to men to conceal their thoughts, and his ene- 

 mies say that he was never yet caught speak- 

 ing the truth. He is a very hard student, hav- 

 ing read up, and mastered in all their details 

 and bearings, the thousand - and - one Hattis 

 which Turkey has during the last centuries be- 

 stowed upon her subjects. He is married to 

 the Princess Catherine Galatzin, and is thus 

 connected by marriage not only with the high- 

 est aristocracy of Russia, but also with the 

 ducal families of Luynes and Chaulnes, in 

 France. Madame Ignatieff, described as clever 

 as she is charming, takes a very active part in 

 her husband's affairs ; and it is said that not 

 only no dispatches ever left for St. Peters- 

 burg without first having been submitted to 

 her approval, but that she has been the initia- 

 tor of many of the general's most successful 

 political inspirations. 



ILLINOIS. The Thirtieth General Assem- 

 bly of Illinois began its session on the 10th of 

 January, and brought it to a close on the 23d 

 of May. A United States Senator was chosen 

 for the term of six years, beginning March 4th, 

 to succeed General John A. Logan. The first 



STATE SEAL OF ILLrKOIS. 



informal ballot was taken in the two Houses 

 on the 16th of January. The vote stood, in 

 the Senate, for John A. Logan, 20 ; for John 

 M. Palmer, 22 ; for William B. Anderson, 7 ; 



