New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-08-04
RUSSIA AS 1T is.
Czarism-Its Historical Orisin.

power OF the Car OF Russia with ALI its cri,eria
OF unity, despotism, autocracy, and very often
Of bloody, pitiless tyranny, has taken strong and
seemingly rdestructsble root in the most vivid
feelings of the Russian people of all classes and
shades For the solution of this question: How
and why Czarism has become thus almost a prin-
/ cipal element Of the national life and growth one
must look not to abstract theorems, hatched on:
in the convolutons of the brain, bat simply to his
/ tory. There it stands, a simple pure historical
fact, like many other facts and there Is tue sue
cession Of events by which this form o. absolute
monarchy has risen to such eminence and become
as it were rel gous creed Of the people.
This Institution, or FORM Of monarchy which we
call Czarsm in is present Attributes, arose, or at
least began to work Itself out in Russia during the
epoch of Tartar dominion and aggression. Pee
yOus to that epoch, and from about the Nllth or
Nth century, from the Dneper, Borysthene:l the
Dnester, the Carpathian mountains, where now
extends Galica, to the Dwina and the Wolga,
Russia was ruled by number Of Princes Kniazial
some weak, Others more powerful, who 10 a Ger
tain DEGREE were independent, but who all re-
cognized the supremacy Of their Lord Paramount,
the Grand Duke Of kiei. called U'eijki kRid;.
! These princpalitics had nothing in them OF any
! feudal origin or principle, but were simply the re-
suits OF a successive division of the general patr
mOny, among the heirs and children OF Rurick the
| Norman and his brother, and thus they were al
held by kindred and relations Even the two mos.
ancient Republics since the Christian Era, those
ofrrNovogorod the Great, and OF Pskof-tho hi
torcal manifestations of the first, being d .,ac.ly
visible even in the lth century, aud both Of them
hourishng by free institutions and extensive trade
when Germany and the northwest Of Europe
wsre in utter darkness-recognzed the above men
| toned Grand Ducd supremacy from about the
! lXth century forward.
The division of the country into smaller and
smaller pTincpalities increased continually aud
murderous family feuds were frequent among
them. This facilitated the conquest by the
| Tartars in the NIIlth century. To resist them
there was neither unity of command nor of ODE
dience, and thus no unity Of action. They ac-
eordingly subdued all and established their SUI
premacy. We shall not follow here all the yicssi-
tudes of fortune which the Grand Dukedom I'M
derwcut. This title passed from one lineage to
another, changed seats, wandered from hlJow to
many other spots, such as Wademir and Others,
until in the first half of the lth century it finally
found a resting place in Moscow.
The Tartar rule did not change in the least the
internal organism of Russia. The Tartar chief
tsins or Chans did not interfere at all with its in
ternal administration. The Tarters did not spread
over the country or settle in any spot whatever
in the interior, either in villages or cities. The
two races never came in any peaceful contact.
| They did not interm0rry or ntermngle, being Sc
paratcd de tdctO by immense distances and broad
and barren plains. But if they had been thrown
together, even then, the watchfulness of the East
err. or Gmeco- Russian Church-the intense, VIVID
religious feeling in the bosom of all classes of the
Deople the hatred OF the cOnquerOr, and OF his Ma
honeton creed-all these violent elements would
have been sufficient TO prevent any important
nnion of the two races. The family to which de-
.cerdod the dignity of the Grand Dukes in Mos
COW, anu the supremacy over the Empire proved
Itself from the beginning Of its power, to be IN
spifed and moved by a statesman-ke conception.
This was by working uninterruptedly, from father
TO son, to frame out the unity Of the Empire, to
concentrate all its powers and resources IN one
hand as an engine for the overthrow OF the hate
| ful Tartar dominion 1t was through the Grand
| DUKES alone that the Tartar Chans commune tic /
with the Empire. The yearly tribute to be pad
from the whole, was collected by the Grand Dukes
and they alone were responsible for it. Every
one ascending the Grand Ducal throne was
obliged to seek his continuation from the Chan,
and visit him IN his seat or residence at lloTda.
The Tartar chiefs abandoned TO the Grand Dukes
the uncontrolled management Of all internal al
fairs Of this the latter ayailed themselves
during nearly two centuries in order to alb
sorb and destroy all the petty princes scattered
over the Empire. Force and cunning were largely
used, the work was fearful and bloody one but
il succeeded and the unity Of the Empire, under
one supreme despotc power, was the result.
Some of those independent dynastes were wholly
exterminated the greater number, however, were
forcibly reduced to give up their soyeregntles.
Such stll preserved large private estates by way
If indemnity. and retained the title OF Prince,
tKniszl taking up their permanent abode in Mos
COW under the eye Of the Sovereign. Such Is the
origin Of the countless numbers Of Princes still
to be found in Russia
In many respects the Tartar supremacy mate
rally aided the Grand Dukes in their enterprise
and thus served TO accumulate materials for lts
own destruction. At last feeling their strength
the Grand Dukes Of Moscow directed their whole
energy ard weight against the Tartar THIS
struggle for independence lasted about thirty
wears. Moscow and Russia bought their LIBERIA
ton by streams of blood. The final battle, called
that of the Giants, and lasting for three days, on
the plains Of Kulikowo, crowned the effort with
q complete victory.
In this struggle the religious feelings Of the ma
ton were exalted to the utmost intensity. The
cross fought with tire Grand Dukes against the
crescent. IL was a sacred warfare. The Grand
Duke the supreme power, the despotic unity
was the soul ofthe combat. Hevas sanctiGei by
the Church. and in this powerful moment dawned