The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-04-10

manufactures, has not yet been applied With efn
cheney. Consequently there are no artisans,
mechanics, or workingmen proper. The Peasan.
t-y or serfs do all the labor themselves occupy
ali the trade, and attend to all the manual en-
ployment of the country.
TAXES UPON THE sERFs.
Saint Simon, the French reformer, says: MAN
is q capital, the interest Ct which ought to be
proportiOned to his capacity and wants. II he Is
worth SO much, he must receive so much. The
Russian proprietor observes but the first part OF
this axiom. He says to his serf: You are
young, healthy, laborious; you have intelligence,
honesty and skill these qualities, summed up,
represent capital worth SO much" But Instead
Of leaving him the EMO. nent OF his value be
hires him out d keeps the proceeds of his Ia
Dor to himself. This is, in general, the method
adopted by the Russ ALI seriOwner towards his
human property, which, in most cases, he uses
with view to his own gain, pretty much as the
slave-Owner uses his nigcer. In fact, the
condition of the peasant belonging To the nobil-
fy depends entirely cn the proprietors will. lie
can SELL hire, exchange him for another, provid
ed he does not separate him from the land to
which he belongs When the serf wishes to
work outside OF his estate or village, he is oDlig
ed TO pay a very high price for this privilege to
il he il owned Oy a nObleman.
The condition Of the peasantry dependent on
the nobility j., in the main. worse than those de.
pending on the crown. The tool Of the caprice
of ignorant and exacting overseers, he !s crush
ed under the weight of forced labor, submitted
to extra duties interfered with in his family ut.
fairs, torlnented by local officers, severely pun
shed for the least icfractiOn, and sometimes
flogged to death. The scrf cannot make u COM
plant or serve a witness against his owner.-
He is compelled To Ike, p silent Oh his sufferings; ;
when they become insufferable, he either fOments
Il rebellion, srts the village Oh hre aid KILLS hi.
master, or else he emigrates with his companions
to some other part OF the empire, where he Is
overtaken, sent to siberia or put to death.
As "a general iue the serf pays bis owner an
annual tax called obrok: those who do not pay it
are liable to three days work This rent or this
service makes hinfree in his person aud his la
Dor. He Is besides obliged to perform certain
unpaid or statute labors, termed sorsee, such as
keeping OF roa,s, the lodging, feeding and car
rying of III" army, and do all sorts Of public
work grs,uitous!y. A large nnmoer OF serfs
pay a personal tax, called capitztiOn, which va.
ries f. ON one dollar aud halt tc one dollar and
eighty cents head. According to the last sta
tistcs, it has been calculated that the serf or
peasant pays annually to the treasury one million
one hundred and thirty thousand dollars for du-
ties and taxes; sixty TWO mill rs of dollars to
his owner 1.-THE crown excepted,) and eighty mil
lions for the expenses Of local administration.
These figures show that the peasant pays annu.
ally, out of his Eve months work, nearly two
hundred millions Of dollars, or two.thirds of all
the taxes of the empire.
The serf is either located in villages or in cit.
les, in which case he pays the obro, or rent or
be remains on the estate to which he belongs
and works three days in the week for his master.
In both cases he enjoys the privilege of small
house and of piece of ground sufficient for his
wants, and surrounded by An enclosure. As to
the serfs owned by the landless prOprieIors they
are hired and parcelled out among the mining
works and the manufacturing districts of the
country. They support their masters with the
labor Of their hands.
OF THE GOVERNMENT AND OF THE
NOBILITY IN FAVOR OF THE PEAsANrRY.
The facts We have just revealed have placed
Russia in condition of inferiOrity towards other
nations, which Museovite pride could not well en-
dure. Ivan GOlOvin, the historian, says: "Rus
sian mobiles wish for emancipation for three rea
sons. First, because they are apprehensive for
their own safety; second, because the country
grows poorer and poorer; third, because they are
ashamed to pass for slave traders in the eyes of
civilized Europe. The government wishes for it
too in order to white. wash itself before foreign
nations" lie might have added that lack of in
dustry and commerce, resulting from the social
state Of the people, the profound decentralization
Of some Of the governors and of the majority of
the subordinate officers Of the empire absentee
ism, bribery aud corruption in high places, the
ignorance of the clergy, the superstitiOns of the
masses, and many other causes too long to emu.
merste, have placed the empire in such a condi
tion that reform and emancipation have become
a question of life and death. The late Emperor
Nicholas l. was aware of it and attempted at dit
ferent times to dsfranchise the serfs, but failed
on account of the iIl.wi of the nobility on one
side, and of his too radical notions on the other
However, the memory Of his efforts was not lost,
and his plans aye now taken up by the people as
the greatest aboltionist of the empire.
Alexander IL, his son, a statesman and phi
losopher, has followed in the wake of his father,
and, aware as he is that the safety of Russia is
intimately connected with the freedom of the
people, has worked in one direction ever since
his advent to the throne. As soon as the Grim
can war was over, in 1857, he began his mea-
sures Of reform, and fortunately for the cause of
human treedOn u, was assisted in his task by the
cooperation of half his nobility, whose patriot
isIn, justly alarmed at the precariOus condition of
the finances of the country, at the revolutionary
tendencies of the Poles and Hungarians, and at
the discomfort of several of the provinces sought
for the safety of Russia in their natural defend
ers, the people. Preparatory dispositions we're
made to that effect. The census of the serfs
living OH the estates, the number of families in
each village, the amount Of lind allotted to each
of them, their professions and industry, the
mortgage held by banks upon property, the
amount of taxes paid or to be paid, the condi.
ton of the seif owners, were subjects Of long
investigation. To day this work is over and it
has resulted in one of the greatest events of our
age. the passage OF fifty millions of souls from
bondage to freedom.
NEAsCREs ADOPTED FOR THE ENFRANCHIskNENr
OF THE sERFs.
The first measure decreed BY the Emperor is
the removal OF several officers of the crown. OF
forty or fifty governors, or provincial chiefs now
in power, ten at least will be turned out on the
ground of dishonesty and ncapacity. With them
q host of corrupt officials will be driven from of
fee. This tribute paid to honesty will have an
excellent effect upon public opinion. "For, y
says Russian historian, "you cannot emanc:-
pate the serfs without emancipating the mobiles,
nor moralize the subjects without morslizing the
government" At the same time the adnlini>trs.
tive and judicial officers will be invested with
great power; business will be settled on a just
basis; the powers Of the city aud county attor.
neys increases, and justices of peace will De Gre
ated 10 pronounce upon the differences between
the noble and the peasant
Tne first officers selected by the nobility viii
have to be confirmed BY the governor. The 10.
cal laws and the police Of the district will De ad
mini fOr sha h.;p hv shx,l