Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-07-31
EMANCIPATION OF sERFs IN RUSSIA
TRANSLATED for the Evening Post, from Tie Correspondence Of the
Independence Belge)
ST. PETERSBURG, May Oath. ia


ST. PETERSBURG, May Oath. (l5,) 1858.
You know how far the grand scheme of eman-
cipatiOn is advanced, Tlie committees are hard at
work; but, pending their decisions about putting
the acts into operation, means should have been
employed to have its principle sanctioned in the
public records, without. however, interfering with
the committees deliberations. This is now &C.
complished, A ukase dated the 18th Goth of
May, or, according to some, the 18th. (26,h,) de-
clares legal and peremptory the abolition OF serf-
dom in Russia. | must tell you that the deeds OF
the sale Of real estate are made out in the provin'
cial and district civil courts the formula OF
these documents, when the sale was ore Of land,
containing villages and peasants. invariably com
meLced in these words: "Such q party sells tt
such q party 80 many souls ~(douchi,) or hundred
souls (of peasants,) with their wives, their chill
dren and, generally, all they possess, ETC."
Thus, both soul ard body were sold, and will
the sale of a family went the enormous privileges
which ancient customs and the law gave land own
ers on their serfs. But the ukase of the 18th
Goth Of May puts an end to this shameful trat
hc in human species. 1t is addressed to th'
courts, and requires them to give notice at ever.
sale of land with Inhabitants, that the soil, will
the houses and other buildings erected upon it, i
alone to be sold, and that the deed shall mention
The peasants simply as q statistical datum.
1t is a singular thing that the meaning of thi
ukase, SO clear and evident, was not at first under
stood and many have ingenuously asked what
meant. From this moment the Russian sert
raised from his abasement in so ciety, while nj
s right to property is now secured. Henceforth W
shall no longer witness whole tribes transferre
} from one estate to another, by the caprice
y their master, and without any consideration as
G the distance or climate, which lately occurred clos
u to the very gates of St. Petersburg, when ser
were sent to the opposite bank of the river. and
$ do not mistake, to the village of Beklechork'
y More than a quarter of q century ago, the owner
Of this place brought to populate it a plumber
peasants from lard they possessed three hundr
- vers;s distant, in the government OF Pskof. III
Russian peasant is industrious. These serfs, aft
they had submitted to their masters will, begr
to turn their new position to account, commenced
building NAL country seats, to let in the summ'
time to the inhabitants of the capital, to raj
vegetables, rear COWS, &c. They thus BEGAN
comfortable and well provided, owing these a
vantages entirely to their labor and industry
when, at the end of thirty years the actual own
Of Beklechorka takes a fancy suddenly to sci
them back to their former villages, long sin
% forgotten, and which many of them have nev
even seen, | need not represent to you the d'
pair of those unfortunate creatures. Their depf
.ure, as related to me by an eyewitness, wa:
heartrending sight. 1t is unnecessary to &C
that the houses which they built have passed il
the hands Of the landowner, who Will let them
his own benefit.