Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-05-03
The Russ an Peasantry.

Colossal as the power of Russia may be
considered, it has within ito amp.e bosom all
the leme uts Of weakness. 1t has no coz po.
pull aud therefore is deficient in the mos:
character.ic iuatu q in national greatness.
TINS viii be pparent, wen it is taken
into consideration tnat, with few excep.
tiJns, the peusantry OF Russia are all slaves.
They form two clas,es--peasauts o the
crown, and peasants teionging 10 indyidu.
al. The Emperor n chylas has done much
to lessen the evils OF the fOlmer, and - FEN
der their mInunlssion. as " ell as thst OF the
alter class, more practicable. Yet the ron
ditiUn oi both 10 vti,! degrading and dePIora-
Bile. Il is an ulcer on the heurt Of the En-
pire. And to unders and Russia CORRECTLY so
that she NAV be less feared, this institution
ought always To Ue heid up 10 the aohorrence
Oi more C vuizsd cuuutrIes
l. is c.lcu,att dtilt eb L, sixth part CT
the peasuntry ortung ~ II" crown. + 'ds'
ant, o-ien.. ing to iEG.T tu-.s, a.e heir pru..
cry, as mucn as tae cltt!- cn,.h-!r estates.
TIE rent pa ~ the crown peas IS hxcd;
that paid by p.Sa PEASANTS Is feEu.Et'd oy
theIt ht aas o. get.in. IA n,ney--Jr. II other
words, is tax on their industry. There Is
no law to restrain the demands u the muster
the tine and labor are absolutely at his
cummird Some o. the no5iiiuy send their
saves to St. Petersburg OF Moscow, 10 be lE-
strucied il various trades, aud thSn either
employ tIem 1m their o"n estatee,nre them
out, J. ~ tnrm n ss!0h 10 exercise
their trdde,ur dispose o. hem at an "u'dn|rd
price Some of the Ru-sial nObies have
70 600 to 100 600 peas .nls-dnd IRON t1is
TACT, as may well be supposed, tleir wealth
is immense, in whatever manner the labor o.
these slaves is employed. Women and chill.
dren, as we'll os men, must labor for their
master, tor such pay as sis caprice or means
may dispose or enable HIM TO give. Tithes
are besides demanded out of Whatever may
remain in their hands As soon as child
reaches the age Of ten, lis labor is required;
and when he reaches fifteen, each male Ns o.
bliged by Jaw to labor three days IN week
fur hs master. Ii the proprietor chooses to
employ him on the other days, he may-as,
for example, in a manutectorv; in this case
however, he find. him in food and ching.
In general the master, instead ot eXactng
the labor of slave for the stated portion OF
the week. agrees 20 receive rent; and he 10
bound 10 furnish him with h Iuse and cer-
tail portion OF land. The aged and infrm
pte provided with food, raiment, and lodgings
at his expense.
The master has the power OF correcting
his slaves by blows or imprisonment; but the
lawn such country easily eyaded-for-
bids the exercise OF any great cruelty. No
slave can quit his village, Off he be do
meslic sldvc--his masters family, without 4
passport. imprisonment, with hard labo-,is
the punishment OF runaway slaves. a mas
ter may send his slave into the PUBIC work.
house, or into the army--ln tn ate cdaF,he
sends one man the less the next levy. N"
slave can BE- SO d oIt of Russia; nor in i',ex-
cent 20 a nobe-but this law is frequently
eyaded. A slave may obtain his !ibersy by
manumission, by purchase, or by serving IN
The army or navy.
Viewed III every relation, the state OF the
Russian peisanry is the lowest in the .cale
OF political degradation IL Is however, con-
soatory to reflect that. injurious as it may be
to the higher feelings Ut our nation, II Is not
aggravated by poverty. Ther hodSeS--ior-
med of " hole trees, and usually con-tru 'ttd
solely with the hatchet-are IN to.eraoe re-
pair, and we'll adapted to their habits. They
sometimes, but not often, consist OF two sto-
ries; the lower forms store-roum-in tha
upper one they dwell, "a kind OF ladder OF
the outside serves rs sttircuse. There Is gem
.r,lly hut one room in the hahitable part -
| Their furniture seldom comprises more than
! 4. woui n tat ir ard benches fastened 10 the
sides of The rooms, wood II pattcrs, bowls,
| ana spoons, and pern i's Il large enr'hen pan
to cook taeir c,uals in. Thcir cie; is ,ub-
| ,ranriai, consisting NJ back rye-breid, eg +s
.,lt fi,h, mushruoms aud bacon Thew have
also fayertte dsh-a horch potch o. salt o.
resh meat, groais, and rye-four, selsone
With onions and garlic. OF this food they
,b,aln plenty at cheap rate. Their c'ot"
,ng, however, is dear. To clothe Russia
peasan. OF solaler costs nearly lEree times