Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-06-22
Chr ltwisburg Cbronif!e.
FRIDAY, JUNE IT, IS55.

HllrOnlCic VI last WecA d SoPiSu "i'>-
m Russian serfdom written, no doubt, by
some american friend of despo:ic Russia
In correcting the errors in which this ar
,icle abounds, am animatcdby no hostile
spirit but merely by the desire Of pla
cling before your readers the "holy ant
uudefiled truth" And let no man say
that Russia has improved (as regards th'
masses) since the time that the authors,
from whom | have made extracts, have
written for such is not the fact. kus'
sia is strictly conservative, most heartily
despising innovation: and moreover, Inc
ciore Bulgarin has written since lo4o.
As for the quarrel between Russia and
Turkey, it is an old one and the Tim
perial manslaycr (who is entitled to de-
mand fourteen heads per diem without
assigning any motive but his will, and
whose pachas have unlimited power over
life in their governments or pacha-liks, is
10 more entitled to our sympathy than the
"autocrat of all the Eussias,"
should think that an American when
rejecting on the quarrel, would feel like
the venerable Mrs. Punch at the time Old
Nick seized upon her husband and when
the baker also grasped him to prevent
his forcible abduction aud like her be
disposed to cry "pull devil-haul baker, y
thus encouraging both sides alike, an i'm
partial spectator, not caring which party
gained the victory.
Looking also at the religious side Of
the question, the superstitions Of the
Greek church (the national church of
Russia are no more Christian or entitled
to oxs indulgence, than the superstitiens
Of the Mohammedans Incorrectly written
Mohametans). will give few examples,
"When a man dies, priest is hired who
prays over the corpse, purihes it with ill.,
cense, and sprinkles it with holy water,
until it is consigned to the dust. The
priest writes out passport for. heaven,
which is signed by the bishop, and in his
absence by some other dignitary. This
paper is put into the hands of the dcceas-
ed, &e. The MOBILES wear crosses and am
ulets which they call their God" Perci-
walls Matte Brun Book CIV, page 479.
|. The master can not sell the serf witho Ut
the land on which he resides.
"The boyar may select at his will, any
of the children of his scrfs, (after the
Empcror's cOnscription is served) for
house hold servaCts-to learn mechapical
arts &c, and can sell or transfer them to
whom he pleases. s.'-BuL9arin
=. Families can not be separated, and the
unmarried children, after the death OF parents,
constitute family.
This enactment is like The witches, pro-
misses in Macbeth. "That keep the word
of promise to our ear. But break it to
our hope" At the mere caprice of the
lord, without assigning any cause, he may
not seperate husband and wife but ''for
any offence, 20 matter how imaginary, the
serf is dragged before his lord, who may
inflict the knogt CT imprison him at his
pleasure" If he wishes to have him put
to death, formal accusation of the lords
that the serf has committed some high
crime, as disrespectful language in speak
ing of the Gar or the Government, for
warded to the Governor of the district
with the unhappy victim is sufficient rea-
son for his Immediate execution. Princes
and Counts cf the Empire have power of
inficting death on the serfs Of their own
estates. -BuLraria,
2, The masters power over tie body OF
lbe serf exteRds ret 10 manning or PerllIng OF
life.
The slave Of the noble Cor boyar) is
sometimes dogged until his life is endan-
gered, and his daughtets are often the vic
tins Of an inhumln masters lust Perci-
vaIs Matte Burn, Book CA, page 54i.
Bulgarn tells US of an ayaricious old
countess who annually collected the daugh-
ters of her serfs, had their long hair
cut off, cleaused, packed in bales, sent to
st. Petersburg aud sold to the PERU
quiers.
4. The master can not require the serf to
marry only according TO his own choice or
affection.
As he has absolute power over his house
hold serfs to give to whom he pleases, and
his power to punish is unlimited, short of
death, over all his serfs, it can not be i'm
agiued that any would be SO hardy as to
disobey the expressed will of their lord.
This assertion may therefore be considered
positircly untrue
D. He is entitled 10 the labor Of only three
DAYS oil the week, and can not require labor
on the Sabbath or On high festivals.
The boyars pay no attention to the let
ter or spirit of this enactment, except so
far as it regards Sabbaths and high festi-
walls, and this only through respect to the
clergy. "When the time arrives to culti-
vate the lords domain, the serfs are sum.
moned and set to work, being kept con-
stantiy at their labor until the work is