Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-10-06
FRHEnnM M Ri-sSI,

IL were required TO name the Government bcra there
was the least shadow Of liberty promised to t Govern
co. we wonld probably name EGssia. All TIE traditions
oi TINS vast empire have seemed teach bu one sso
10 those IN authority Absolute rule TO the few and ~,
sNer'ing obedience from The many. And the src,gth
s' tue Government has not depended uIon the sulinrh
ton OF the great mass OF the present population alone
but the arbitrary authority Of the Cars has nwav bsn
scknowledged by the mobiles, from the highest 10 the
eEst There have been frequent conspiracies tut no
popular rebelions aud the object sought has only been
change Of masters The rgL; TO punish refractory mo-
oies by death, imprisonment ban.hnent and II, e. has
never been resisted questioned For the lower
c,aF-fes dnfrcS, they termed by the proud no.
hles-the most cruel punishmens have been invented
aho ncted no troublesome mcrci!ul feeling, ever in
eterng to soften their lot The knout for the rf and
nea Tor the noble, have, since Peter the Great been
Tue constant arguments in favor despotic authority
IL Is therefore new phase in Russian history that
ooRs 10 The advancement of the serf to place among
men; we have been accustomed to reply TO ,clish
Trades against American slavery hy pointing 10 tho
dton OF the lowest order of British peasantry,o ,ba
tyranny OF the English factory system and the degrade
uon oil the workers" But there has never been anv
system of slavery in modern times 10 comn,ra ;, bo
condition of the Russian ser lie has aEays been re-
gafued as something less than ''chattel" Fabulons
stories such a. Uncle Toms Cabin contain accounts of
crueues that no sane man credits for moment but no
Aoe mas yet been invented excel the sober truth when
'ou o' te Russian peasant Up TO the CTmean cam
'he government made constant acquisitions upon
hc owners OF the soil and of the seri, that cultivated H.
ior their regular proportion ofary recruits the
per centage ranging from ave to ten In thoussnl Rv
'aeit agreement these reqaistions were made in the
"u'uh after the harycsts had been secured and IN.
serlS had no more voice in the selection than If they n,
oecn 80 many brute beasts IL would almost seer, in,
credible that hty millions of human hen.s should exist
IN ths century, anywhere the globe vino would oui-
Guy submit to tyranny remorselcs~ ts-who would
never dream of resisting the authority that scarcely
them the commonest privileges OF manhood
NO deiiverr could arise from the ranks of so DEGRADED
race The sum and substance of the scr aspirations
was To escape corporeal punishment and to get drunk
vDat. Inslr emperor was not only their righiful
sovereign. but also the Head Of the Church exerrsn
an authority perhaps transcendng that of his ry, NJ
rome The effect of this curious veneraton for the
Czar Is seen far south Hungary and Scavouia ba
the members OF the Greek Church 20 further in ,Ii- H.
Eoon and are more in their allegiance than any
OF the millions Of whom VI. About writes
Ii i therefore difficult account for the liberal policv
OF Alexander H. lie said to be ''ntelicent and Lind
hearted, and he has apparently determined to b,ib
slavery from his wide dominous Instead of the time,
honored custom Of ensting soldiers for yea
when was equivalent to an enlistment for life he has very
materially shortened the He has formally anpoun
eeu ms intention TO emancpie the serfs within given
PERIOD ana he has appointed committees in every pro
vince ot his vast empire to discuss the question in ali it,
ramlhcaiions Newspapers daily, weekly and monthly
PuDhsned IN the Russian language, multiplying an
over the land The serfs beginning to understand
mat they have rights 10y virtue of their humanity
Ana the most surprising step in this progrc,s or
ueNeopnent i the formation Temperance societies
win stringent rules OF which secureda sound thrash
rug 70 delinquent members the societies and their rerr
auons being managed 10y the prasantry without any
erclse OF outside influence
All this IS very refreshing Tho great curse Of Russia
mas always been drunkenness; aud there now seems To
De prospect OF reform promising enough TO alarm the
eSciemen--ihe counterpart Of native LIQUOR dealers
Our iellowciiikcns' desire reduction in licenses The
Russian dealer petitions the Government for gb,ar
TAX upon bis honest gains But the Gar appears 10 have
ueNo'ed nmse to The one great object Of making his
SUBJECTS free and il he lives years longer he will
accomplish his puTpOse.-Haif 4 d.u,rirag