Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-10-06
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70 READING JLATTgR ON Every PACE
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ExAScIPATtoN IN RussrA.-Itis a grave error
into which we free Americans have fallen, to
think that we are the only free nation in the
world and that pure love of liberty exists here
and here alone. Whist we are undoubtedly
tile frecst people that 1.-Two. and whilst is true
that the loveiof liberty is ruling passion with
us, yet even in some of the monarchies of Eu-
rope, aside from the forms of government, the
people boast almost as much freedom as we
Jonathan, in the excessive joy of his own liberty,
is very apt to think that the people of every
other nation outside his own, with the excep-
ton of the few aristocrnts who lord it over
them, are bnse sIaves,-too degraded to know
or care about freedom and with nobody else to
care about it for them. But, Jonathan is grcv-
ously mistaken. In some European Countries
Russia, for example-there arc classes to whom
the blessings of freedom are unknown, but we
have class in this country land when we pity
the woes of others serfs how apt arc we to
forget about our OWN as wretched, MS debased
as they.
We read, few days ago, description,
translated from German pamphlet, of the
Bremen Shooting Fcast,-a kind of annual
holiday, this year between the
Swiss and Bremen Free Shooters. Isaac r.
Diller, Esq, our Consul ut Bremen, was present.
by invitation, and delivered speech. Many
other speeches were made by the Germans en-
gagged in the celebration, and We must say that
loftier or moro noble sentiments offreedom than
some Of them contained, we never heard
They were more like our high-sounding fourth
of July speeches. than anything we have heard
for long time Yet, many silly Jonathans in
our country, think that such themes as freedom
or rights of man are never thought of or touch
edin Europe.
Our boasted philanthropy, after all, does very
little more than talk of the misery of those in
less fortunate condition of freedom than our
selves. We, like Russia, have millions Of serfs
1t is impossible to excite an organized move
ment for their cnloniznlion or even for an
ameiiorntion of their intellectual condition.
But how it must make some of our wiscacres
and PhilanthroPists stare, to hear that for some
time past, and at present, there is going on, in
Despotc Russia, n regular scheme for the
N'"""e'P"u"" "f the degraded classes of that
country. 1t seems, too, that this scheme is
under the patronage of the Gar himself
a late letter from ST. Petersburg says, that
committees of proprietors from all parts Of tho
Empire have been ordered to assemble, for the
purpose of discussing the question of emanci-
patton and devising the best mode of accom-.
plishing the liberation of the millions Of wretch.
ed serCs of that country. 1t is said that in many
Of the committees the deliberations have been
far advanced and though, as in this country,
the projects are diverse and numerous, vet they
may be reduced to two general plans The first
is that which is in accordance with the Impcri-
al proposition thnt is gradual system, reouir-
ing twelve years for the entire accomplishment
of their liberation. The second, differing from
the ttrstiu very nearly the samo way that Abo.
litionism differs from Emancipation in this
country-propose an immediate and entire
emancipation.
Whatever may be the ultimate result of this
movement, the prospects at present, are in its
favor. Every true friend of humanity must re,
jOice at its success. Whata glorious revolution
indeed, when millions of such degraded beings
as the Russian serGS ever have been, shall have
been elevated to the standing of men, and that
: too, not after bloody aud desperate war, but
by the voluntary movement of those who hold
them in bondage. Russian dcspotsm" was
once a by-word, but Russia has, of late, beenfast
disPelng the odium that hung around her name,
and by this her grandest act of humanity, she
will advance still higher in the respect of the
nations of the world
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