The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-13

wretches fell down on their knees. kissed the
feet Of their former master, or the neiRhboring
mtllowneIs, and cried for work: then even here
and there the highways began to be lined. With
corpses, and King brandy laughed as he has
never laughed before.
ut Is true, the Russian Is as yet only oy ne
cessty an agriculur.st, all his incInations being
yet those Of a nomad; he Is richly endo Ted oy
nature, but he is as unsteady and shuns working
as much as ever an Iudian or a ,lazzaroni AID.
This evil is too inveterate to root 1t up IN one,
nay in ten or twenty years. But SO much the
more Is II TO be regretted that the Governnent
was too shortsighted TO effect another great
change in the condition OF the rural population
was the only one that could have counter
balanced in some measure these pernicious
effects OF the sudden acknowledgements Before
the abolishment OF serfdom individual or per-
sonal property was to be found only In very
limited extent among the rural population. Tue
private property Of the peasant consisted in his
house and garden, the cattle, horses, utensils,
and all the other movables; but the whole
landmark OF the village belonged to the CON-
munily, every member of which had by nature
an inalienable right to claim part OF 1t, cor
responding, generally, in size aud value with
the number of the family members. Meadow
and pasture ground, the woods, and paths re-
NAMED undivided, and were used in common
without any sufficiently strict rules as to the
number of cattle every one should be allo wed to
raise, the amount OF wood he could hew, etc,
The arabic fields. however, were divided and
assigned to the patres' families for q limited
number of years. The village was generally
situated right in the midst of the land
mark. Proceeding from here the whole
tlllable ground was laid out in long, mar
row strips, out of which as many equal
shares were formed as were requested at
the time. The size of share did not de-
pend so much upon the quality of the soil
as upon the distance from the centre of the VII
lage. Every seven, in other parts OF the empire
every nine years, new distribution had to take
place to dispose of the lots Of those who died
or left the village, and to provide for the new
families and those who had settled in cities at
the time of the last distribution, and had re-
turned in the meanwhile. To avoid every par
tlality and injustice the shares were distributed
by lottery, those who had larger families being
allowed TO draw two, three, or four lots.
such were the primitive economical institu-
tions among the Russian peasantry during the
time of serfdom, and such they have re-
mained almost everywhere up to this very day,
with the only difference that in fve-eighths ol
the empre-in ten or twenty years 1t will be the
same with the remaining three -eighths-the
soil has really become the property of the com
munity, while it was formerly owned by the
master and held in a kind of eternal enforced
lease by the community. 1t is true, in the
emancipation ukase, the communities have
been allowed to divide their landmarks one and
forever, so as 10 constitute personal hereditary
property in real estate; but it was not enough
to allow it, The endeartng power OF habit,
added to the 'free and easy" character so enor
mously prevailing among the Russians, and their
dangerous propensity for communism, original
ing as we'll in their originality and socabIlity aI
In their super6ciality and carelessness, made il
certainty that they would adhere to the ole
| system, as long as they were not compelled tC
| effec radical change. 1t is evident that such
radical change is absolutely necessary, if the
| slightest hope shall be entertained that the
| peasants will ever begin TO look further than tC
| the morrow. Is it worth while to manure my
field carefully, TO drain and to fence it, to clea,
| it from stones, ETC., ETC., if may bet hundred
| to one that shall be compelled to part with il
| after seven wears to exchange 1t against my
neighbours field, which has been neglected OF
exhausted to the very utmost? The Government
| is now fallly aware of the fault that has beer
| committed; but now 1t is extremely difficult tc
repair it. Blt if it is not repare d, If no means
| are found to press interest, this sharpest of al
spurs, into the tenderest flesh of the peasantry
general bankruptcy seems to be almost
| inevitable. How will 1T be next year! The
| peasants have had no seed-cor