Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-05-18
SIX DOLLARS PER- ANNsyw

Autocracy, the Gar as he began now TO call him
sea- -ruied with an iron rod. But as honor and
nationality had been indicated, the graceful nec-
PIE supported rather patiently the bloody lash
rom tlnie 10 time brought down upon them. Not
acentury has elapsed, again the nationality If
the Russians, their religion, their whole national
lie and Independence, were again brought to the
verge of precipice, and were on the eve of be-
ing wholly blotted out, destroyed and changed.
by foreign conquest, facilitated by violent inter,
| nal dissensionS.
The direct lineage of the Cars was DESTROYED
by murder. usurper assembled the throne.
ana raise pTetenders, supported by Polish armies,
established themselves in the holy CITY of Mos
cow, in the sacred Kremlin. Romanism and the
Jesuits were to crowd out the Eastern or Ma
tiona Church and worship. The Gear, (Scbu-
jski) who had been elected by part of the M
bility and the people of Moscow, after the over
throw OF one of the pretenders, was brought
chained to Poland, and died in Warsaw in close
confinement. 1t was in the beginning of the
seventeenth century. The Poles ruled for sev-
eral years in Moscow, and the two crowns were
on the eve Of being united on the head of Polss,
prince-which union, if fulfilled, would have
absorbed or changed the distinct, genuine nation
atty of the Russians. All this was the result o I
the violent interruption above referred to in the
lineage of the Cars. Religion inaamed the peo-
Pe--the enemy then established in Moscow was
driven out-victory crowned the efforts of the
ty was restored. The whole people, without
distinction of classes, now elected the house Of
Romanoff to the supreme dignity. These events
strengthened in the popular mind the belief in
the intimate, almost divine blending of religion
and OF Czarism-ofits providential necessity for
the life and the welfare of the nation. Czarism,
as an idea, is not implanted or based SOLELY on
one class of the nation as were the medieval .
monarchles OF Europe, Or that of Hungary and
of Poland. 1t is identified with the religion and
with the whole mass of the people. This is con-
fessed by the crown in all moments of dangerous
crisis, and is evinced by all the imperial procla-
nations from the time Of Michael, Peter the Great
and Catharine, down to that published in 1910,
after the conquest of Hungary. All bear nearly
the same stamp. Humble in respect to religion
but proud of the Russian nationality, and con-
temptuous and arr ogant with regard to any for
elgn nation or Government, even in regard to the
whole world out Of Russia. This style of speech
agrees with the intimate, vivid feelings of tho
masses, who are firm in their creed. They be
lieve themselves to be the first people in the
world-the only true Christian people-ior whom
Russia, the fatherland, is the white, or the holy
!and-all the rest of the world being dark, or
black-and the Capital, Moscow, most white,
holy and sacred. Thus, any foreigner who in
vades Russia is heather, and not Christian.
The Russian Autocracy shrewdly works out
and avails itself of this intensity of feeling and
its convictions in order to maintain and strength
en- it's unnatural power. By extending the from
tiers OF the Empre-by conquering other coun-
trles or, as now, pressing upon Europe by a
certain moral hallucination, and becoming the
supreme arbiter of her destnes that Auto
cracy gives nourishment and satisfaction to the
unbounded national pride, -quencheS, for time,
the countless internal dissatisactions-g them
no time and no breath to combine unite, and
concentrate together.
The parasitic philosophers of the XVIII centu-
nv ain n11la dacr of fIoG
with the more civilized phrase of Imperialism,
and adulated it accordingly. This, again, to q
certain degree reacted ON The nation, and streng-
thened in it the imperial creed. The people
believed that from it they received position in
the affairs of the world, glorious and promi-
nent place among the elder nations. If the En-
peror or Gar tramples under his spurred foot
the kings, princes, and nations Of Europe, even
the poorest serf believes that he shares in the
act and glories in the glory of the Gar. Thus
the Autocratis the great embodiment Of the whole
Russian nation. Zmaj ruskago, "hnow TIE
Russsan!' is in such cases the general excama-
ton of content.
The despotic, all-devouring and absorbing creed
which we have called Czarism, is thus simple
result of time and of events But such results
whatever be their strength, however deep their
roots, or however great their DURATION are finally
undone, dissolved, destroyed by the same ele-
ments, by the same agencies which raised them.
Time evokes new elements of activity and new
range of events; some of them springing from it's
own existence, will carry Czorsm away with
irresistible force into the eternal abyss. The
question is, when its knell will sound? That
blessed hour is not so distant as soma suppose
So much for the historical formation of this Au-
tocracy. In another article we will give sosne
outlines of the present Gear, and show how Gar
ism, slowly, invisibly for some, but nevertheless
inevitably, is digging it's own grave.
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