The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-09-28

The colossal empire of Russia, which covers half
Europe, fourth OF Asia, part OF North America, and
counts European population OF sixty millions, is gov
srned BY the will OF II is pure despotism.
The aboes 10 the slave Of the privileged classes and
nobes and these are the slaves OF the Gar There
no legislative assemblies representation, voice in
making the lawsno law, in fact, for the ukase is law
The machinery OF government is very simple, Tor the
Autocra assumes the preogave OF Heaven and speaks
God g will" aud it is done ''let there be war;"
and there is wars "take tenth OF the male population
for my armies !" "Iaise mlard OF forms !" trans
port those mobiles to Siberia" "bud city lower
than the level OF the ocean. in the swamps Of the
Newa, and in the frozen circle, at any cost OF hu-
man lie and wealth" and .you, inhabitants OF Mos
COW, burn your happy homes, leave your glorious
city desolate. and become homeless wanderers among
the death. snows OF the seyerest winer'--ior the
Car commands it, He speaks, and il is accomplished
Neither noble peasant dare conirovert his wllall
classes in the most abject submission Numberless
examples, OF everyday occurrence might be adduced to
show his absolute authority the persons and prop
erty OF all ranks; but il is work OF supererogahon to
expatiae what every knows. will rather speak
Of the effects of absolutism upon the mind and upon
ciey.
II, as we believe as Nature demonstrates and reve
la,ion shows, the mind, the immortal part OF man. be
the noblest partf, in fact. it be the standard of the
man." and be anything more than mere animals,
than the brute creation-such system OF government
must be in the highest degree nimca to our nature, to
our destiny all the laws OF natural and revealed fe
gon, and the will and purposes OF Providence For
this system Of government opposes the law OF develop
ment Ii is based upon ignorance and The dogma OF Ia
tally. elf you ask Russian Of the future, about his
objects, inten,iops reasons, he will reply g" can't tell
God knows !; "God will grant it" ''lf please God =
1T Is the will of God" and similar expressions,
ECHOED in thousand tones, which remind us al every
step Of Mahommed and the East" The Russian has no
self dependence; he has self-esteem; be feels him
self kumiliated and degraded. How il be otherwise
this fearful night OF despotism hanging him,
obscurng his mental vision. and Expressing his spirits,
like the load OF guilt the back OF Christian sinner
He walks continually in the dark, and The little light Of
education which he receives only serves to make ozark
ness more visible" Russia suffers education but
such suits her purpose 10 ensave and Russianize all
The nations of her immense empire and to make one ho
moseneous people and language out OF 80 maAy tribes
of different habits and speech and distinct nalionaltes
They taught nothing than is necessary to make
them Russanssubject and servceable to the Russian
empire All other knowledge is carefully excluded The
Emperor is TO his empire wha the successors OF 81.
Peter are to the Christian world nothing is orthodox
but what comes through emanates from him. 1t is
heesy for Russian TO think for himself. But there
those who hesitate not justify this hrualizng system
" no maintain that to be ignorant, to be happyto be re-
lieved from by being placed in state of depend
ence is bliss; aud that by increasing knowledge
wants increased beyond the power to satisfy them,
which is the OF misery. Strange, impious doc
trine! Then might tne philosopher envy the laughing,
careless idiot and the Creator has committed
giving immortal soul, with all lis aspirations,
and dignity. But ignorance is not bliss
The gross pleasures OF the senses which the only
pleasures the ignorant know satae and leave the
abased mind loaded with ennu and stepped ina OF
listess disgust OF all wretched beings in the world.
The most miserable is the of o5use, vacant, ancu
tivated facuies-the worst passions in all their painful
vruence control him. But why argue such seif-evi-
dent question: The very nature OF man. the constu
ton OF his mind, his relation to the external world and
his affinity to the Divine Spr,everyhng demonstrates
his capacity for and the necessity of, Improvement and
progression And what is there in the Russian empire to
favor this Nothing 1t is contrary to it's policy to Its
interest absolute power TO enlghten The people !;
for the light OF intelligence which is reason, displays the
dignity the SOUL the right of equality, and the usarpa
tons and deform,y of all those governments which de-
grade deprive him oil his rights, whether they be
autocraces monarchies, or aristocracies.
Up 10 the present there is but little in the history
OF Russia OF progress among the mass sf the people
Whatever little there is OF Improvement has been effected
by the irresistible spirit OF the which penetraes into
and impresses itself upon the isolated Russian even
spite OF the jealous power OF the government In this
we found our hope OF the fuure for well might the
Emperor stretch out his hand to arrest the mighty
anche attempt TO stay the progressive spirit OF the
age Every revolution OF the wheels OF the railway car
between Moscow and ST. Petersburg scatlers sparks OF
intelligence among the astonisbed Inhabitants Russia
has increased the extent of her empire immensely by the
force OF her consolidated power in the midst OF age OF
ransition-an age which has, by the active disturbance
of all the established social and political arrange
ments OF society, loosened the bonds OF union among
the various classes. She has, seated on her firm
and isolated throne, supported by population OF
fixed habits and fixed ideas, united by the bonds Of
ignorance and the despotic dogmas OF faalsm and sub
mission known how to take advantage of the dsunon
of classes and States to extend her power Her history
is uniquely but the development OF despo,c power in
age when all the elements of society dsniegraled
With one single purpose, and with faith in that she
pursues her career; she looks to the future
and like the as,ue Jesuits who understand profoundly
ing Of what the world often calls uang matters and
events she weighs every circumstance, and applies ii to
the realization OF objects which none, perhaps, bat her
eagle eye through the distant vista OF the future
Her superior diplomacy is the consequence oil such sys
TEN OF able president policy. Bat the times we live in,
which demand that acknowledgements and their
conduct Individuals and their relation 10 each other,
institutions, creeds dognasshall be tested by the
eternal principles OF justice and truth, will break down
every system based upon injustice. sophistry, eva
sion, ndirectness. insncerty. SO Tar have we ad-
vanced that what IS right jus, must be admitted though
the question OF expedlency or application be admitted
also II it be inexpedent 10 apply what is abstraclly
right il must be admitted, and the application be-
comes a question OF time only. The Russian system,
which is the absolute negston of the rights Of man, and
anagonisc with the spirit OF the age, must yield to these