Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-08-30

Nevertheless, the crown peasants, to "A certain
extent, govern themselves. In each department.,
at the time OF the elections of the mobiles, they
send two delegates to the Tribunal of Con.
sciences" one of these delegates is, at the same
time, a member of the college Of "Pdblic Charity"
They also elect a "Iewski," or ovorseer of the TO-.
cal police. The elections for these officers take
place ono. in three years in every district or de-.
partInent, and for each five hundred house or land
owners a delegate is sent. The electors must be
men of family, at least thirty years of age, and of
a respectable character. The elections require to
be confirmed by the governors Of the respective
provinces. In every community are also elected
local officers, as the Sotski, for three years, and the
Dassiatskis every month. Besides. in every vii
lage Of ten houses officials are chosen who bear the
titles of Ancients Of the village, mayors, tax.col-
%lector, inspectors of the -four Magazines, wood
keepers, justices Of the peace, fire wardens, &c.
All candidates for these Offices must be at least
twenty five years of age, and all discharged soldiers
are eligible.
In Siberia the election of the crown peasants
takes place every year, through delegates, one for
each hundred. The Offices in the gift of the peas.
ants are here more confned-for each district
only a Mayor, Warden and Secretary, and for
each of the villages the Ancients and Dessiatskis.
The peasants of Siberia, as well as OF the eau
casus, do not send delegates to the tribunals,
the Crown r%eserving the privilege of appointing
them.
All tneSe changes nave mOulneu, IN Il great mea-
sure, those primitive institutions which Alexander
|. desired to see re-established, and particularly
the introduction of military colonies proposed by
Count Alraktschiefs. But we must ut the same
time confess, that the condition of the Crown peas
ants became daily more comfortable, and naturally
aroused the envy and animosity Of the private
serfs towards their masters. In 1910 there re-
manned 100000 600 of private serfs and &c. 900, 600
of Grown peasants. That something must be
done to redress the wrongs of these private seris,
Nicholas well knew, yet he still delayed action,
and it was only in 1912, on the Cd Of April, that
he issued his ukase authorizing the nobility to
emancipate their serfs in any way agreeable to
both parties.
The ministerial rescript to the different chiefs of
departments read as follows:
You receive herewith the ukase of The second
of April, with the conditions which permit the no.
bility to conclude contracts for the cmancipati>n
of their serfs at their good pleasure; it contains
de ttcto nothing new, and it adds only a few rules
to the prescriptions of 1903. 1t is not, therefore,
necessary to give a new Interpretation to this
ukase. His majesty the Emperor has ordered me
to communicate this his will to the military and
civil Governors, and to command them, first to take
the necessary precautions that no false lumors
may be circulated regarding the so called freedom
of the peasants: secondly, to direct their attention
to the careful surveillance of the peasants, that
they may be obedient to the lawful authority Of
their masters"
The effects of this ukase could be easily pre-
dicted. The nobility opposed to emancipation
declined to make any engagements with their
serfs, on the ground that a serf was merely a piece
of merchandise, with which negotiation was i'm
possible.
The emancipation of these unfortunate people
was, therefore, again postponed to an indefinite
period. Several revolts in all parts of the empire
were the natural consequence, unheard-Of cruel
ties were often rerpetrated. The ministerial re-
ports acknowledge the murder of from sixty to
seventy.nobles who had been slain by their serfs.
Even in the Baltic Provinces, where the peasants
had been freed, but without the privilege of pos
sessing the land they occupied, great excuses were
committed. A Baltic baron, IN one of the meet
ings Of the mobiles, declared openly that 1.-THE En-
peror need only give permission to the peasants to
kill the mobiles, and tomorrow we should all be
slain on our manors." The 10Th of June, 1914,
saw another ukase issued, which made a distinc-
ton between the house menials and peasants, and
held the government officials responsible tG the
better treatment of the latter. The census of the
year 1914, showed that there were yet over 10000
900 of peasants held in bondage by 100, $40 mobiles
though very nnequally divided. OF those 10000.
900 of serfs only l0,704,37S were taxed, belonging
to about 5000 mobiles who possessed from one to
ten serfs each. There were ID, 7l2 mobiles. who
held from 10 to 500; 3.T0I had more than 500, and
five mobiles owned 20, 1000 or more.
The following years, 1915 and 1916. were equal.
" happy in adding to the measures for the anne.
Iteration of the scrfs; but it was reserved for the
ukase of the Goth of November, lS47, to inaugu.
rate the most important measure in favor of the
peasantry, and the consequent overthrow Of the
tyranny of the nobility. This ukase decreed that
communities advertised for public sale, on account
of their masters debts, could acquire the estates
for themselves and their heirs. That such ca.es
occurred only when communities were nearly beg.
CARED by their masters aeed not be stated; but
Notwithstanding all obstacles. the results Of
his ukase were most astonishing. Wherever
such a sale was advertised the community acquired
it, and it was often a mystery where the necessary
means were obtained. In time the riddle was ex-
plained. Communities, without previous legal au-
thority, had quietly formed associations of the
nature of assurance companies, for these special
emergencies, and when the poor communities
without means were to be sold, the wealthier
ones lent them the money to purchase their indie
pendence.
That the Emperor Nicholas bad the tact to choose
the right moment for the Inauguration of a great
measure, nobody acquainted with his character
will deny. Scarcely had the news of the French
February revolution reached St. Petersburgh when
a new ukase appeared, dated March 18th. 1913,
granting to the serls individually the right TO ac.
quire real estate. The Muscovite press, and even
that Of Western Europe, applauded this ukase as q
step leading directly to the complete emancipation
of the peasants. But though it granted to the
peasants the power to hold real estate, it provided
expressly that it should only be by the special per.
mission of the lord, and without the right to hold
serfs. This was q fatal restriction.
1t affords a deep and interesting study for the
politician to trace ont, step by step, the manifold
w~indings of the domestic policy of Russia. Now
the Gar proclaims a ukase granting n few privi-
leges to serfdom, and again another appears de.
signed to appease the Jealousy of the rapacious
mobiles; and still through all, by slow yet sure gra-
dations. the manifest destiny Of the institution of
serfdom approaches with steady resistless march.
The revolutions of 1913, and 1919, and the sue.
ceeding E~uropern reaction naturally retarded the
progress of emancipation. AT the commencement
of the Turkish war, when a coalition of all Eu.
rope was feared by Russia, and circumstances
imperiously demanded the development of her
entire and united national strength, the work of
serf emancipation was again forwarded by the
Emperor.
The year 1854 saw the birth of another ukase.
which forbade the lease of all estates to which
serfs were attached. This law evidently intended
to compel the proprietors to sell their estates in