The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-09
Russian Serfs.

Ahc olldhCip utlOu Oh SPr1S at q
single dash by the present Emperor of Russia,
Is one OF the boldest strokes of policy ever at.
tempted. Its effect is to reduce at once to
beggary nearly the whole of the Russian no.
bility, hitherto the ruling power in the State
Ii is unders TODD that almost all of them are
in debt, to several times the value of their
whole estates, leaving out the serfs. These
constituted the principal capital of the whole
country. The emancipation act, therefore, de-
stroys at a single blow so much capital, and
SO much credit This cannot be done, in any
part QG6he world, without producing shock
which must be felt throughout the whole
range of civilized society. We know not at
what value per soul the Russian serf NAV
be estimated. We cannot suppose, however,
that 1t Is less than $500. AT this rate, the
Emperor of Russia strikes dead, at a single
blow, five thousand millions of capital in
the hands of his subjects All Russia
must stagger under such a blow. The
whole world must feel it. Commercial re-
vulsions must inevitably ensue Credit
must be tried to its utmost capacity of bearing
STRAIN. There never was such an expert.
ment before upon the prosperity of nation.
In round numbers, the entire superficial area
OF European Russia is z, zoo, 900 square miles
Every square mile contains $40 acres. Conse-
quently the entire superficies of European
Russia is about /, 4OO, 600, 900 acres. The Oar
has thus destroyed at a blow property equal
In value to all the land in his European en-
pire at four dollars an acre; price which we
are assured 1t will not average. The popula-
ton OF Russia in Europe is about 65 900 ,OO0.-
The Gar destroys property equal to about
eighty dollars for every human being living
in his dominions.
There is some recompense, we scarcely know
what, for this enormous sacrifice of tho pro
perty held by the Russian MOBILES 1t can be.
however but inconsiderable. There is also
some provision for exacting a certain amount
of labor The hope is even entertained. that
there will be no scarcity of labor The hope
is a lost hope. The example of the negroes
In the West Indies shows that men who have
been slaves all their lives, will not work
when released from bondage We have been
told that this is a peculiar trait of the
African. 1t is no such thing. 1t is a trait
Just as much of the Russian. We have read
many descriptions of the serf. He is the
LATEST and most thoughtless of mortals. He
delights in nothing so much as Sleep He will
sleep upon the slightest opportunity. in the
most dangerous situation, sometimes on the
thousands of carriages are passing He can
not be made to work, unless by some one
having the authority of master over him
Money cannot induce him to do it, neither
can good will or fattery. Set him free. an d
get any work out of him if you can. If we
be not mistaken, ALEXANDER II. will find
this job the worst he ever undertook. He will
find his revenues falling off, agriculture neg.
lected, manufactures brought to a dead halt.
and his whole Empire threatened with ruin,
If revolution should come at the back of all
this, he will have nobody to blame but himself.
The Russian serfs are white men, of the
same blood with their masters. We do not
pretend to say that they ought to be
treated as African slaves that Is, never to be
at all. Far from it. We think
they should be gradually absorbed into the
class Of free white men. Many of them are
allowed to exercise their own talents by their
masters. They are merchants, lawyers, d.
vines, and eyeryt thing else that man can be
In Russia. A nObleman sometimes owns a
wealthy merchant in Moscow OF St. Peters
burg. They are of the same color, and the same
blood with their masters, and therefore they |
ought to be emancipated. But not after this |
fashion. Not 30 suddenly as to produce |
dearth Of labor to cultivate the earth, and |
carry on the various avoca tions of civilized
life II