Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-11-06
The Russian Serfs---fheir Condition
and Number.

The Russian Serfs---iheir Condition
and Number.
In work recently published, entitled the White
Slave, full idea be gathered of the serf system
which pervades the Russian Empire. The number of
beings embraced within its folds not less than for
ty-three millions of souls. The emperor himself rs
the proprietor of t,centy-one iHionS-or, in other
words, he owns slaves than we have people In
the twentyeight States of our Union. One cain thus
imagine the colossal personal power of such mo-
march, He is undoubtedly the most extensive pos
SCISSOR of sers of any despot that has ever existed
Genghis Khan, Tamerane, would not compare
with Nicholas. Ii is also said that he is continually
augmentng this vast number by confscations, and by
foreclosing mortgages money loaned, or fine ex
acted, on the estates of his nobility. In this way, If
his successors steadily pursue the same policy, they
may mOnopolize nearly all the seFfs in that vast en-
pre- Since the days Of Peter the Great, the accumu
lation of sers the imperial domain has gone in
an extraordinary ratio. The number has advanced
from two three millions to twenty-one millions.
In this connexion it is proper to state, that though the
emperor Is nominally despot over every soul In
Russia, both serf and master, embracing aggre-
gate of sixty Millions yet he is restrained by certain
laws and usages from treating all as serfs His
twenty millions peculiarly the chaels of his WILL
with all of whom he do his pleasure caprice
may dictate.
Ii has been frequently stated that the serfage of
Russia different from the slavery Of the South,
in that the serf could only be transferred with the
soil and that therefore you could not buy one, with
out being encountered with the other, which to GER
tain extent, was clog on the selling of human be-
ings. But this is not Though the law is, THAT
serf could be sold without the estate to which he
belonged" this is evaded by selling land in the de-
Sert wastes of Russia, which Is not really worth
penny acre, and attaching, they call it, the ser
serfs to this nelrycarued estate, aud thus the sale
would be legal.
1t is also said that the emperor Furnishes with great
severity all nfracons of the regulations which he
has established for the benefit Of the serf; but, mos
strangely, these punishments do not lead to the en-
reimbursement of the serf Not in the least. The
emperor puts round fine the offender, and if he
cannot pay he either confscates the estate bring
within the imperial domain, and thus adds to th'
number Of his own serfs. This circumstance shows
that the very laws which he is alleged to have made
for their eventual Embarrassment, but transfers tn
slaves from the hands of tile nobility to the hands
the emperor This, in our opinion, has no tendency
to weaken the serf system Of Russia, though it ma!
modify the severity which he suffers the estates
the nobility.
: The serfs of Russia supposed Though this ira
dtion is dspued) to be the descendants o: Sur, VIII
founded the Syrian empire of Ninevel. After it
overthrow, his descendants spread TO the west int
modern Russia and Poland, where they increased AM
multiplied. But then incursion upon incurslon cam
upon them like an avalanche. The Scythian, tn
Goth, the Teuton, the Hum the Mogul, and final
the Tartar, swept that vast region of Easter
+ Europe-yet still keeping the original inhabitants
who are properly called Slavi Slavonan, (tror
which the word STARE seems clearly deriyed,) In bond
age where they continue to this day, after tn
apse of two thousand years.
This is certainly more remarkable continuation
of serfdom in one race than has existed even amon
, the Africans Yet, notwithstanding their long age
of mental, moral, and physical degradation and de
spair, the Russian serf has capacity which show
that he is still of the lcbite Though stupid,
can learn. Travellers say that he is remarkably In
genious in manufactures, though too versatile in char
acter to compete with the steady industry of th
English and Germans. He makes a superior soldier
for his courage and undaunted the iro
which he yields His endurance of heat and cold hi
blind obedience, his abstemlouSness of living, whe
necessary, show character encrusted with the dark
ness of desposm but still as worthy and fit to be
freemen, as the masters who ride il over him S
i cruelty.
1t has been supposed that in our day we should liv
to see the Acknowledgement of the serfs in the Rus
sian Empire We fear this will not be. Tie dawn
ing even is not visible. The Russian auOcrat is to
deeply interested in its continuance, to induce him
adopt any but palliative measures. He will not str
the root by enfranchiSng the serfs the imperii
domain. Not only the large but Increasing numbe
on his estates is calculated harden and strengthe
the natural passions of avarice and personal powe
This very increase also binds still tighter the sneH
of his monarchy, and thus fosters both the stron
4, passions of personal and political ambition. As ablt
u satesmanlike, and benevolent as Nicholas is said
be, il would require rirtue, almost than morta
to induce him voluntarily TO dlvest himself of powt
which renders him terribly great, not only in hi
own empire, but throughout the world.-ADany a,
, GU.