The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-08-09

frequent contact with them. As proof of what
say have but 70 state the repugnance which lie
landed pToprietors exhibit AZ to cedDg to the pea
SAINTS the enclosures they actually inhabit.
How, they say, "allow the peasant to establish
himself SO near my residence cannot suffer that
he is too troublesome neghbor." And, armed with
this argument, they are ready to cede to him gratu-
tousy the land necessary for the construction OF new
cottages on the condition that those he built at the
other end Of his property and that the peasant es
ablish himself far possible from the segneurial
mansion l do not say this to make reproach to
the landed proprietors leave this to others. II is
only my purpose to show you that the emancipation
will create in certain number OF landed prOpretors
not to cay large number Of them-a kind of au-
tagopism between landlord and ser at least the
part of the former. | have heard more than one
landlord declare in advance that his peasants being
once emancpatt d, he will care about them as much
as about doomsday that he will take heed
not to assist them in case Of need, neither
the law nor his interests obligng him any longer
to do so, and that from the moment the peasants
show for them. " They then will perceive whether
the new state Of things is more favorable to them
than the old one" add they with kind of ami
mostly which does not allow the least doubt as TO
the character of their future relations with their
peasants. again repeat, do not speak Of The good
landlords; there are, thanks to God, many of them
| in Russia and those will always know how to make
themselves esteemed by the peasant, and how to
live in peace with him; but it is nevertheless true
that we do not lack also bad landlords, who will not
fail to profit by whatever the new law may let sub.
sis that may be turned to disadvantage for the pea
SAINT. This category OF landowners will ecessarly
| be in antagonism with the peasants.
Is it just, is it prudent, to grant to the land
| owner SO formidable power as that which
| the new regulations accord to him, and
| can it reasonably be hoped that he will not
| abuse it? But, it Will be replied the peasant may
appeal to the instituted authorities. To what
| authorities? We ask After having attentvely pc
rused the two projects we did not lind any amongst
all those organized by these projects that is author
ICED to receive and to judge complaints OF the pea
SAINTS against the abuses OF the chief of the commune
| in matters belonging to msdemeanor. The landlord
has the right OF hoggng the peas ant in cases of dis
order, insolence, drunkenness, and other similar
In this definition there is nothing positive but
the right granted to the landlord of inctiDg strokes
on his peasants; the to which this right
may be applied they SO little specified that they
| allow the landlord all possible elbow room. There
| are many actions, very innocent in themselves,
which, wrongly interpreted, may be qualified as dis.
| order or nsOlence; and then let us suppose that
| the landlord be angry with a peasant; what
| is he to do He seizes on the first pretext- the
| least thing or nothing-to fog freeman, or to
| throw him in prison for three days The peasant
must lodge complaint, il will he said. Bat before
| whom? Is it before the rural police tribunal but
the landlord is himself the chief Of it, and no decision
| of this tribunal is valid without his consent Before
| the tribunal Of the canton? but the landlord is
equally It's chief and besides this tribunal is not
| thorzed to Judge In matters belonging to msde.
meanor Before the Judge Of peace but he has no
right to interfere with police matters. Before the
Judge any affair that did not first pass through the
hands of the Judge of peace. Lastly, the tribunal Of
the government is judging in last instance only
| appeals lodged against the decisions Of the dis
| trct tribunal Therefore, of all these many
| new authorities none is authorized to receive
| the complaint of freeman on whom the chief of
| the commune may have inflicted an ignominious
| punishment. What is then the power Of the
| chief of the commune? power without appeal
in police matters in word, discretionary power,
since the honor and fortune Of the peasants are at
the discretion of its caprces and depend on the in
depreciation it may be pleased TO bestow on their
| actions.
have not done with my objections to the new pro-
ects. According TO their terms the landlord has the
tight, as chief Of the commune, to delegate his
powers to the person whom he may charge in his alb
sence with the administration of his estates. Thus
inteDdant, foreigner, an intruder man arrived
nobody knows from where-for IL is known what in
Russia usually are intendants, having for the most
part no kind of bonds with the country-will exer-
else the same power as the landlord; will iog and
! imprson the members OF a free community; will
commit inustices and the law will suffer il. Not
only the law will suffer lit will authorize il; and
! this law will bear the august signature OF the
Emperor Alexander U.-of the sovereign who
attached his name to the rehabilitation Of his
country in Europe, to the reparation OF crying
injustices, TO the emancipation Of twenty millions
OF human beings, and whose loyalty and good hear
are known through Europe. No certainly no; such
I project will not be invested with the signature
the Emperor, for after having been the first to
desire the abolition Of serdom in Russia he certainly
cannot wish that his generous PLAN passing through
the cucibe Of the segneural bureaucracy reach that
| point where We should see it falling down should
the projects in question he defnitively adopted.
Love of truth and sincere desire TO see the great
work begun by the Emperor happily accomplished.
and mafe alone 70
which these two projects are able 10 cause 10 the
future of Russia do not hesitate TO declare to you
that their adoption would be q misfortune-a Gala
| nifty TO the country. Not only the emancipation
of the serfs would not take place but it would be
materially impossible. and with q similar organi
zation Of the commune would have the most per
/ nicious results
The organization of the rural commune and les
relations with the landlord, is the basis of the
form; consequently If this organization be such that
the peasant be nomnally free and in reality serf
or rsther slave II Ia all over with the emancipation
and the whole future Of national prosperity which
our imagination had foreseen, and which the Empe.
ror Alexander bad promised 70 his empire and TO
bis century. Serfdom would exist in Russia in q
latent state and for this very reason with aggravat
ing circumstances. Law, with its high protection,
would shield the abuse and there lose its own dig
| nifty. Let Us be consistent with ourselves and let
not bargain for justice. IL we wish to emancipate
| the serf we must resolve Ourselves 70 grant him
those rights without which he Is unable TO profit by
his liberty and IL IL be Just 20 guarantee the int
rests Of hundred thousand noble landed propretors
it Is equally just TO assume peaceable and legally
recognized existence to those numerous millions Of
peasants who will form the principal element Of po-
litica and social force in Russia.
| Some words more and have done. have dwelt
upon the first project and have not said anything
about the second because the first is in my opinion
| the most important. As TO the second confess
do but little understand il. To what purpose were
chiefs Of district crcatedg OF what use Is this
plus of Capitalization? Is Russia already In such
State Of disorder that civil governor Of the pro
vince Is no longer sufficient for her, and that il Is
| necessary TO create one for each dstrictl We be
hold In this measure only dstrust which IL justi-
| 6edby nothing The calm and tranquility which
are regning throughout the country, the patience,
moderation and peaccabe character Of the Russian
| people, the deep attachment they have TO
their sovereign-ah seem TO contribute to
| render any extraordinary measure superfiuous.
| Wherefore, then, burden the treasury with
q considerable expense whose weight will douby
fall back upon the peoplel Finally IL II not extra
| ordinary that after having acknowledged the great
necessity of simplifying the terrible machinery Of
our administration and our tribunals there nothing