Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-05-31

proyerb-" Where a Russian trader Settles
Jew has no chance"
Among the traders must be reckoned the
Russian priests, for they are merchants, 100,
and trade in objects of religious devotion.
The priest advises the sick Siberian peasant
to have the Virgin Mary for him, and chnf-
fers with him about the plice of the visit. II
depends upon the amount, whether he shall
haYe a large or small image, and whether 1t
shall come to the patients house on foot or
in carriage. This last style of visit, as
costing much more, is held to be much more
eflicacious in its results TO the invalid, The
priest accompanies the image to the house
attended by retinue of people apparelled
according TO the extravaganza of the expense.
Not only does this profanity obtain in Sibe-
ria, bui also throughout Russia.
When Siberian dies, the Priest issues a
certificate for him, which, of course, must
be paid. This certificate the corpse bears in
his hand to open The gates of heaven, and
the heavenly police, who it seems, are as
severely disciplined as on earth, permit him
TO pass. The Emperor, us head of the
Church, is obliged to sanction such blnsphe-
my, and the Government takes no care to
stop the practices or raise the people out OF
such darkness.
The faults which characterize the peasant
and trader, belong also TO the official, only
he must be yet more sly and skilliul, for he
wears the imperial grace in his button-hole.
But Just there is the ground of his brutality,
that the Government knows constantly his
conduct, aud the seyerer he is the faster he
rises. Liquor and cards sweeten the fatigues
oflabor he gambles, however not for amuse-
nlent but for gain. The official invites Sc
lect party of his prisoners TO game OF Bos-
ton, knowing, perfectly well, that he is to be
the winner; for wo to the thoughtless man
who does not dextrously lose his money
He learns soon enough that the game in
Siberia is played after quite other rules than
elsewhere, and that if an imperial Russian
official honors banshed mun by sitting
with him at table, he should be eager to pay
roundly for that honor
Among the Siberian curiosities, however,
| must not fail TO mention the bell of Ugltscb,
which was banisled by Boris Godunow, the
miserable brother-in-law of the weak and in
efficient Feodor LIST, because it opened its
iron mouth and wildly clauged the news of
the murder of the Prince Demotrius. 1t
hungs in Tobolsk, in the upper Church, but
so near the ground that the passenger can
easily read the reason and date of its banlsll-
ment engraved upon il. The image of Jelio-
yah in the same Church is striking, the face
of which, several ellis long, seems intended
te impress the spectator with sense of the
size OF God. But The most remarkable of all,
in my judgment, is the Brodjaga or Vaga-
bond, genuine national production, Of
which must say something.
lie is either native or u condemned of
one of the two lower grades, who has some
where committed an awful murder, and has
then escaped with the booty hundreds of
Russian miles, in order TO consume il at lei
sure. AS the Winter approaches and his
gold gives out, he betakes himself stealthily
10 n city in which he has never been, and
and where he is sure that no one knows him.
There he announces himself to the local ar-
| thorities but in very peculiar manner. lie
( says, with seeming simplicity, that he is Q
( Brodjaga, that he does not know where hC
was born, or what his name is, nor where h'
has hitherto lived, or been doing. Such
confession in political cases would he quit
sufficient TO insure vigorous application o
the knout to refresh the memory. But tn
question is now Of something less than Poll
tics; at most, nothing more than murder
so Justice uIusl have its way. What, theI
does the Judge do? lie sends the delir
quent TO Jail, and endeavors 10 discover, {
rather allows chance TO discover, if there /
, any witness against the prisoner, The BroC
iaga, who knows well enough how little dal
!, ger TO him there is in this proceeding, throw
: himself confidently into the arms OF Justic
and has thereby obtained all that for the IN
ment lie wnnts-a warm room, food wltho
work, and company, which he immediate
sharply scans, and selects for associates tho
. who belong 10 him by mutual sympathiC
AS the Winter ends, the way OF escape
= snoothcd by diplomatic arrangements wi
= the ovcrseer, or ut fitting opportunity, Il
: watch being won over, the prisoner digs !
y way out under ground, aud goes to his o
= work, Should it unluckily chance that Z
: Brodjaga is recognized in the Jail, and III
I, some witness appears against him, then
- place in the mines, or companionship wi
: some other convict, is his lot. lie recey
generous share of the knout, and is bra
u 70 ded for his repeated escapes. All this, how
y, ~ yer, does not tcrrily him or destroy his tai
" fer his trade, lie remains what he was
!, comes more cunning, and even contrives
- render his brand invisible.
i. Shortly after our arrival in Siberia
is were visited by man apparently very r.
Ie pectable. lie informed us that he was
r. and having heard that one of us was u ply
M can, he desired TO avail himself of his
~ vice. He visited us frequently, and was
il thusiactc for German literature. ScLil
m. delighted him above all other poets, aud
r,s was charmed to find that we had copy
adj his works, aud that he could see them
h. vatcly. lie gave us to understand that
nc was II Swede, that he had been fOrmerl
nd tlght-rOpe dancer, and had done very &C
lrt business. But unhappily, he once fell fir
at the cord and broke his leg; since when
ng had depended upon the charity of the PC
,ir for his living.
es Just at this time, the Mayor of the cit.
ot which we had heen allotted for our r
tence, and in which we had made the
or quantance of the Schiller enthusiast, d
Al; aud the Superintendent Of Police, q
lat lover of spirituous drink, assumed his flu
iy, tions ad interim. 1t was not long before
to rope-dancing friend was on the most j
hR tl,a NIaVOP nd