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

Translated from the Austfisn--From the n. Y. Eve, Post.
SLAVERY AND sERFDoM IN RUSSIA.

oLhNEdt AMI oEhtDUm IN RUSSIA.
sSerflom began to be general in Russia only
when it had begun to decline in the rest of Europe
There had always been servants (chotop) who were
serfs. These were the descendants of persons,
who had been made prisoners OF war, from the
time of the domination of the Mongols. They
were put to all kinds of labor, and were bought
and sOld. But the native peasantry (krestianin)
from time immemorial had been freemen, aud. as
Karamsin asserts, in the full enjoyment of civil
liberty, but without the individual possession of
personal property or Unbeatable real estate. The
land was owned, not by the individuals, but by
the whole community. 1t is true that the soil oil
the parish, or community, appropriated it for its
own purposes, paying to the lord therefor, only a
tribute in money and labor the amount of which
was every year determined by mutual agreemen,
or contract. The lands belonging exclusively to
the lord were cultivated by his own slave-the
house or court menials.
This constitution IF n parish or community was
de fdcto a social republic, each member of which
had an equal share in the common wealth. The
prairies and arabic lands were divided equally
among the tillers of the soil, and the inequality OF
fortunes was prevented by the prohibition of in
heritancc. Wood and water, hunting and fishing
grounds were left undivided, but their use was not
controlled by the will Of II single person, and from
time To time they also were subjected to equal d.
vision, as the wants of the community required -
The administration Of government was patriarchal,
like that of u family. The magistrate, who was
at the head of the community, was called father, d"
and he shared the administration of affairs with
n council styled the "Ancients 4" In the exercise
of his authority the father" held great power
over individuals, but none over the
community. His authority was constantly
limited aud restrained by the "Ancients,"
whose votes controlled all his public acts; but the
supreme power was vested in the whole communi-
~. The division of lands and the assessment of
taxes were decided in public meetings, which also
checked the excuses of the magistrate, and in ex-
IRENE cases even obtained his deposition. In
these meetings every taxpayer was entitled 20
vote.
This liberal constitution existed both before and
after the domination of the Tartars, but under the
rule OF the Czavs its provisions OF lberality to-.
wards the peasants were gradually diminished,
and, at last, totally annihilated. This was the be-
ginning Of the euslavement OF the masses, and it
led to successive aggressions, ending in the com
pleto usurpation ct the soil 10y the wealthy mobiles.
Russian seridom, as it now exists. was first es-
tablished at the close Of the sixteenth century,
Shortly before, an outbreak of revolutionary an
archy induced the Car, Boris Godunow, to pro-
mulgate an ukase, prohibiting the free transit OF
the peasants from one community to another
This free migration of the peasantry diminished
the income of the lower nobility Of the empire,
who could not offer the same inducements to the
peasants, as the greater lords-the princes, bo
yards and clergy-and as the power of the crown
lay principally in the services OF these mail land
owners, the Car was interested TO prevent their
impoverishment. A ukase, dated in the year
1893, took from the peasants, who were at this Pc
riod under contract, the right of migration, and
require them to remain on those lands where their
contracts were registered on the last St. Georges
day. This was an act of undisguised robbery and
oppression. The peasantry thenceforward became
fixtures OF the soil, the property OF the lord, and
consequently inheritatle. Such was the original
establishment Of sertdom in Russia.
The first consequence Of this act of piracy was
nm nttnnnt on the mart of the nnSlaypl 10 pvndp
the law. Those who had, from their own free will
made engagements for a certain length of time,
endeavored, after the expiration of their contract,
by the repayment of the contract loan, to free
themselves. In order to put n stop to the quarrels
rHnd litigation to which these efforts gave rise,
another unkase was proclaimed in the year 1897,
which prohibited the repayment, by the peasants,
of any money for the purpose OF freeing them
selves, and directing all peasants who had served
without a written contract, to sell themselves to
those lords whom they had served, for the period
of six months. Those only who had served for a
shorter period were permitted to choose their own
masters. These arbitrary measures so exaspera-
ted the peasants that they broke out in open revolt
which could only be suppressed by armed inter
v~ention. Thus were the peasants of Russia des,
poiled of their liberty.
st. Georges Day has ever since that time been
regarded as an %unlucky day-a day of publio ca
lamity-by the Russian peasantry, and to this day
IN the melan choly strains of many Russian songs
tue 'JuTleNS Gay Is reierrel 10 as tndt ulSaSlfJus
day when liberty was taken from them, and they
were all made unhappy slaves,
The sudden restriction upon the freedom of EN-
igration was found, in an economical point of view,
TO injure the very class it was intended to benefit.
Scarcity of labor in som localities, and supera-
bundunce in others, were the natural results; and
to remedy these evils, a ukase was promulgated
in l60l, so modifying its predecessors as to per-
nit the serts of small landowners to change their
places of residence under certain restrictions. The
institution of soil serfdom naturally enough efec-
ted . complete social revolution, but strictly con-
sidered, it was as yet only a holt serfdom. Peter
the Great completed the %iniquity. Until his time
the lord exercised q property power over only his
kOaSe men!als; but now the peasants we've reduced
to the same grade with the menials. Previously
the peasants could not be separated from the soil,
nor driven i~ndiscriminately to every kind of labor,
now they were placed under the absolute control
of their masters, and their persons we're declared
TO be saleable property.
By this act Peter the Great not only destroyed
the power OF the nobility and clergy, but annihi,
lated the last shadow Of freedom which had re
manned to the peasantry. Having robbed the ar
istocracy of their political power, he sought to in,
demnify them by giving the peasantIy absolutely
into their power. In carrying out his views, with
uuheard of cruelty, he displaced the inhabitants
Of whole villages and compelled them to embrace
new occu pations. Some communities he gave en-
mdsse to foreign manufacturers, and obliged then
TO labor in factories. The nobility followed the
example of their Imperial master, and, consider
ing the persons of their serfs as valuable merchan
disc, hired them for stipulated sums and certain
periods to foreign Spectators, and in this manner
the system of hiring loJrok) was developed.
That the free communal Institutions Of the pea
santry should be shattered by this system Of hirinj
follows as a matter Of course; and during the eigh
teenth century the fruit, Of their overthrow becam
apparent. The national habits were demoralized
agriculture was ~despised by the peasants as degra
ding. and was consequently neglected. Since tn
peasants had been reduced from freemen to til,
condition Of slaves, the rivalries of industry wer,
no longer attractive; a degree OF stolidity manifest
ed itself, and in order to forget the gloomy pas
and the hopeless future they resorted to the mo
mentary consolation of intoxicating liquors.
Drunkenness became a national characteristics, anC
under its Influence, the morals Of the nation rap
id.y deget.erated. A further evil Of the hirin,
system was. that it awakened Ia the nation a de
sire for a nomadie life-for Trading and swindling