The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-08-08

themselves completely at the discretion OF the land
owners thus vested with the exclusive right Oh ouy
ing the labor Of the population living on their do
mains. Thanks to this privilege conferred upoa
them. the mobiles might at their will diminish the
quantity OF land which they accorded !" tne pa
SAINTS and increase The number Of working days hey
demanded from them as an eXcharge-in "osd,
they might profit by their monopoly without mercy
or pity. However, this system OF oppression Oh the
peasant by the noble was in the hrs' place restrain
ed, ny the fact OF the existence OF strongly Or
ganized community, and secondly, oy 'he lnterven-
ton of the government.
The COMMUNAL organization IS, as everybody
knows n natural fact. Men constitute Themselves
into communities; they form commnnes whose ex
tension and importance vary according TO circum
stances and local necessities, in order TO protect
themselves mutually and 10 establish services VITO
which individ1 ala would not charge themselves o
whose possession would constitute natural ntonopo
" pivrous to the community. The Sclavlnic people
being 10 very high degree gifted with the spirt Of
association, their communities We're rapldy multi
Piled ana the attributes OF those comnunes We're
much more extensive than, for example, with the
nations Of German origin. where the spirit OF lnl-
vidual initiative aud the taste tor liberty more
strongly developed. This communal organization,
perhaps carried to excess in Russia became there
defence against the abuses oil serfdom-esch noble,
vested with the fearfnl power conferred on him
by the monopoly, had 70 deal, not with isolated
peasants whom it would have been easy ID oppress,
but with body of peasants strongly united, and
whose association could become the centre of seri.
Gus resistance. Doubtless he might have attempted
to break mp this association but it seems that the
difficulties and dangers of such an enterprise would
haye surpassed the advantages which might accrue
from IL; for the old communal system of Russia
tnued existing in its integrity alter the establish
ment of serfdom. The peasants continued admin
isteripg themselves, or more properly, rather nom
mating and recalling the magistrates or ancients
(Starchna) entrusted with the government of the
community. As 10 the mobiles beiog unable 20 des-
troy the communal organization, they avaea them
selves Of 1t for simplifying the management OF their
domains Instead Of individually treating with ea b
family for the fixing of the corcee, they found il
more convenient to treat with the association OF
families-that Is to say, with the community.
Therefore they required from the community in ex-
change for the portion OF land the OF which tney
accorded to them certain quantity of corp6es leav
ing to the peasants themselves rather to the ad
ministration elected by them, the care of making
amongst the families that double apportioning OF
land and coyvee. This system offered the noble the
advantage OF rendering simple and economical
the management of his domains; at the same time it
pre- sented TO the peasant guarantee, easily appre
ciated, against the abuses of oppression There
left the difficulty of establishing the apportionment o.
land and corUees IN way equitable as possible.
This task everywhere devOlFcl on the magistrates
or ancients of the community and 10 must be OBJ
served to the praise OF toe Russian peasants that
il always enacted Wltl Tie greatest regularity
and without causing the le3~, disorder.
All the lands, says NJ I5g1b)rsky, whose work.
ing is conceded 10 the peasants of village di-
Vlueu into as many lots as tncfe are heartnS or Ian
lies. As the community is in the bulk responsible
for the taxes and rents which due by each OF its
members IL has also TO make the distribution. The
extent OF these lots is apportoned ID the number Ut
members of each family, with due regard 10 its
wants and to the hands il dispose of for the cu
ture of the soil which is bestowed on il. When
son marres during the lifetime of his father he has
right TO a lot which he is 10 work for his own &C
count. When there are perceptible inequalities IN
the fertility of the SOIL the distribution of it is male
equal by giving 10 every one portion Of the soil of
each quality When the extent OF the land exceeds
the strict wants of the population, viz. the normal
proportion judged necessary for the subsistence Of
each family, the surplus is adjudged 70 the most
wealthy peasants TO those who dispose of the
greatest number of hands ft for labor, who have
more cattle and in general, more mealsof cu,tivat
ing at their disposal, often even against their will,
and they contribute in proportion 10 the taxes Of the
This distribution is usually made with
much equity and Judgment.
However as inequalities in su b distribution are
1t is renewed at fixed periods, ord
narily at each general census of the population
viz: every twenty-five years. In an agricultural
point Of view this system has inc1nyeniences Of
which we shall treat at another time; but the sys
tenn OF serfdom being given, was II not better for
the interest of the ser that the noble had u treat
with community rather than With isolated in
divduals!
Therefore. the constitution OF the Russian commu-
nifty the iirst check opposed 10 the abuses OF
serfdom. The intervention Of the government, teni-
ing TO limit the monopoly accorded 10 the noble with
regard TO the labor of the scrf was the second.