The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-09

make up the necessary sum- and srery thing is don.
in trust and confidence; it is. indeed. very rare I,
Ia ar OF frauds IN these matters. The carpenter.
(pioinihD form peculiar class of the workmen W,
have described. As most of the houses in Russia
aud especially 10 the co untry parts built o
wood, the number and importance OF the carpen.
ters, as class, are very great in comparison with
other countries. Almost every peasant, whatever
other trade he may follow, is also something Of a
carpenter. and knows how to shape and put toge
Their the timbers for dwelling. Tho plotniki in the
villages are never any thing more than these gen
eral carpenters, and never acquire any regular
Knowledge of their business The real Russian
p!otnihi seldom carries any other tools with him
than an axe and chisel, and with these he wan
doris through all parts OF the empire, seeking, and
everywhere finding. work.
The picture here presented is certainly
widely different from that presented by Great
Britain and Ireland. A Russian appears to be
u! home everywhere in Russia. He wanders
where he wills, everywhere seeking and finding
work; whereas an lrishman is at home no
where within tho limits Of the United King
dom. In England, and still more in Scotland
he is not acknowledged as fellow citizen
lie Is only an Hisiman-one of those half.
savage Cells, intended by nature to supply the
demand Of England for cheap labor; that is,
for that labor which is to be rewarded by the
scantiest supplies Of food and clothing Russia
however, appears to have no Ireland, for we
are not aware of there being any portion of that
country in which Its population is so reduced by
famine and peSlilence that the fields are left un
cuI nd ipIu III -
our author are to be relied upon, there exists
love Of country widely different from the
feeling Of hatred towards England that so gen
orally characterizs the Irish race, and that
induces them, when they fly from their wretched
homes, to avoid all those portions of the earth
over which England exercises dominion.
The manner in which this system of diver
stied labor is gradually extending personal
freedom among the people of Russia and pre-
pairing them eventually for the enjoyment of
political freedom, is shown in the following
passage. "The landholders," says our au-
thor
"Having serfs. gave them permission to en-
gago in manufactures, and to seek for work for
themselves where they liked, on the mere con-
ditlon OF paying their lord personal tax
(obrok) Each person 10 rated according to his
personal capabilities, talents, and capacities at
certain capital, and according to what he estimates
himself capable Of gaining, he is taxed at fixed
sum as interest Of that capital Actors and singers
are generally seris. and they obliged to pay
s6rok for the exercise OF their art as much as the
lowest handicraflsman. In recent times the man
ulacturing system Of western Europe has been in
troduced into Russia, and the natives have been
encouraged to establish all sorts Of manufactures
on these models; and it remains to be seen whether
the new system will have the anticipated effect of
contributing to the formation of middle class
which hitherto has been the chief want in Russia
as political State"
We shall resume the consideration of this
subject in another article.