The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-14 00:00:00

INTERNAL SUFFERINGS OF RUSSIA
FROM THE WAR•

BY AN EYEWITNESS.
(From Black-wood's Magazine.)
[The writer of the following statement left Russia,
where he had resided for many years, in the course of
the present summer.
It will be observed that he apologises for any defects
of style which appear in the narrative, on the ground of
the length of time during which he has been unaccus-
tomed to write his own language. No such defects will,
we feel satisfied, be found ; as the facts, so deeply inte-
resting in themselves, and so important in their bearing,
are told in plain sensible terms, leaving no doubt of the
writer's sincerity, and his desire to tell nothing but the
rah.]
Haring recently left the interior of Russia, I think it
my duty to lay before the public a plain statement of the
results already produced by the events that are now
Passing. About the court and capitals I can give no
information, as I was only in them for a few days on my
way home ; but all that I advance here relative to the
particular part of the country I have lived in so long, is
the truth, and to be relied on. I had the honour of
giving the same information to some of the highest per-
sonages in the kingdom soon after my arrival, and ap-
parently they did not think it without importance ; so I
have ventured to lay it before my country, trusting that
what has hitherto been dark will now appear in the
light of truth ; for I have put nothing down that did
not come under my own personal observation, or that I
did not obtain from sources on which I could rely. I
had thought of publishing a larger work upon Russia,
but was deterred by reading the books already published,
which showed me that I should be obliged to repeat
much that has been already written by abler pens, and
which may be relied upon ; I have therefore confined my-
self to what relates exclusively to the influence exercised
upon all classes in the interior by the war. There is,
doubtless, much left unsaid that might be of interest, but
of which I possess no information upon which I can de-
pend ; and, true to my resolve of only advancing what
I know to be facts, I have left out all that is any way
doubtful. lam quite unused to writing for the public,
and have employed my native language so little of late
years, that I trust the garb in which I have clothed my
truths will be excused if it be a little foreign in appear-
ance ; for the heart of the writer beats with a truly Bri-
tish enthusiasm, and breathlessly awaits the moment
when his country will have triumphed over all her enemies.

T:

what is really for their use, and what for that of
their master. The war is a rich opportunity for the
employes to make money, because they make all their
demands upon the peasants without producing any writ-
ten authority from a superior officer, merely stating, in
their written or verbal orders, that certain articles are
required on such a date, and of course they are ready
without any demur or inquiry, as it may happen that
the Government actually, in this particular instance, re-
quires what is demanded ; then the man who sought
ocular demonstration is considered refractory, and sent
to Siberia to improve his manners, and to serve as an
example to others, who, after this, will be ready to give '
all that is required of them without inquiry.
Another exaction to which all the agricultural popula-
tion is subject, is the furnishing means to transport all
the munitions of war through the country. At the be-
ginning they were paid for this service in a kind of Go-
vernment check, called contremark, which was received
again at the treasury in payment of the poll-tax ; but
since August, 1854, this has been changed, and this ser-
vice is paid in money—i.e., not paid at all, for the em-
ployes pocket the money, which it is never prudent to
ask. The contremark was of no use to the employes,
consequently the service was always accurately paid,
but now the peasants get nothing but kicks and cuffs
for their trouble.