New-York tribune., 1868-06-13

THE ERA OF REFoRMs-ABoLITIoN or sERFDoM

RUSSIA.
THE ERA OF REFORMs--ABOLITION or sERFDoM
From o. Special CouespOadelt
ST. PETERSBURG, May 2G, 1865.
Since the accession of Alexander H. the history of
Rnssa is one long series of reforms Of the highest
importance. But, strange to say while every mouth
halls the new era which has set III with unparalleled
energy an almost incredible bOldness and logical pro-
press while we Russians ourselves yenerate the In
peror as we never before Vcneated one of our CLars
and while we are eager 10 move forward on the way
he has opened for u.s. heads drOOp dcspondently,
because the actual condition OF the country gets worse
and worse from year 10 year. Many ask, almost III
despair where will this cndi is there still any hope
10 escape utter ruin is it still possible TO avert the
day on which the state must break down ih gtnclal
bankruptcy lt seems Ike % ridiculous cohiIadlc-
tion wears of reform, and nevertheless "A continued
deterioration III almost every respect lGL IN id't'
there is contradiction II We understand oily one
thing we are in the midst OF a revolution not less
radical and important than that of sy was Tor France
and the rest OF the continent except, Russia Now
are suffering all the evils when lneNlihbP nc,
company every great revolution; but the days WIZ
yet come when we shall reap the Ilch harvest "i ul7
time. The natuIe of this revolution ana thc
foundation which 10 rests, are Often h"t
wholly understood, and the least. perhaps
in Russia itself. Alexander H. Is the hfst Gar win"
has given Russia the possibility OF becoming Euro
pean power, a State founded on the political piinc-
pies of the West lie has given her this possibility
by the abolition of Scridom. The iranchsemeht
the fulillment of this task That Is the only true
light IN which this question ought 10 he cohsldeieu,
but IN which rs much as We know II mas never peh
considered before. The great interest Whlch Ahcca
feels in Russia seems, therefore To justify ua ia pro
pounding this question once more. though u was not
put "on the table yesterday week ago lho
simple exposition of the facts VIII Justify our sSei-
ton.
Until now Russia has never been allowed an nde-
pendent that ~ 10 say natural and organic develop
ment. A foreign tribe. the Warang, from the lar
North, brought her the irst ciyilzao ana foreign
became the rulers of the nnunlted ana pan no
madic hOrdes. Cruel civil and family wars between
the petty princes together with Their unmanageable
yassals hindered firm settlement of the state until
the Moppols broke loose from Asia. and their bar
barrie chiefs became the real kings OF the country.
When " the yoke of the golden horde was shaken
oil at last. the Reformation mad begun To dawn over
Europe The West was entering a new era, and was
about finishing the course which Russia was Just be
ginning. The Christian faith, and some fragments
of civilization, which she had received from Con
stantinOple. formed lnSuTmOuntable DulWaIk
between her and Asia. Alone she could not
stand because her geographical position put her IN
too close connection with the rest of Europe; and
she could not cope with tho West since she was ac-
ally five or six centuries behind. such were the
reasons that forced her into the most preludlclal
course of assuming European institutions, Whlesshe
remained in reality unchauged-4no imported
trimmings on n rough, hOmc-inaCc coat foremost
among these institutions stands sertdom. When the
West was about to root up this ugly and pernlclous
weed, il was suddenly planted IN Russia, ana.
strange 10 may SEEM he who dId ~ ana those VINO
urged him 10 do il had no idea what they were about
The country USUAL Hpll lulo lldlN ldiiluil7
whose quarrcls often resulted M bloody ARRAYS one
OF the principal tricks which the contendlhg noble
men used 10 play upon cach Otncr was 10 lauce tle
peasants to quit suddenly and If possible all at once
The estate of "A mighty "bOyard. uOrd) or bishop
and 10 settle somewhere else. 1hls had become such
a dreadful nuisance that the Gar B0ils Godunow
ordained in lGOl that the peasants OF the boyalds
courtiers distinguished Secretaries OF the Council oil
State. of the Government, of the bishops ana CON
yenfsD should stay where they were bdt tue peas
ants ''of the lower functionaries OF the children OF
bOyards and others should be allowed To 20 any
where, but mot all at once ana not more thah two
together" This law was not gwen 10 CONFER laYur
mon tbe dignitaries. II the intention 10 rob
the peasants of an important right III was simply
practical measure, meant 10 serNo no
strong bulwark against the malicious lntriRues
OF the naughty and tacious peers. But by anu by
tbe peers learned to understand that II was double
If one edge was turned against them. the other
conld easily be turned against the peasantry. The
peasants were now attached, not 10 the persons Oh
tbe peers but 20 the soil; and the SOIL belonged 10
fhe PEERS The peers now began To accumulate lab
ulons riches, and IN the same measure 10 estI;hge
themselves more and more from the peaSihtfy as
we'll as from every earnest eXertlOn toward raising
themselves to prominent position by hlgh dceds
or mental superiority. To live an idle and lXurl0us
life either at the Court or IN the regiments on guards
became their only care. The better endowed ana
1norr ambitious among them tried 10 get INTO the
njncpal Offices TO play prominent part III the
Cabinet and Court intrigues, aud to be the leaders
,y,, n noiace revolution was ut hand. With the rest
OF the peOpe they had no connection Whatever, ahd
tbe least with their serfs They were the stars round
the burning sun on me throne, elpg hd d fneies
The mass of the people including the lower nobility
existed hut 10 be- governed TO form the main armyIn
their ambitious wars. and 10 fill their pockets he
sciis were not cNhcliN tIedIcu o""S "' 'iO"' WY
When Peter the Great began to force Russia into a
new course the peers yielded to his ron VIII 80 al as 10
assume eo,,c thing of European VaTnsh IN their man
ncrs and habits. ut is most splendid sight--a Rus
Sian bear having like u conrtier of Versailles writes
Frenchman few years after the deaih OF fs,er. ,
But il was moi until the reign OF Catlmrlne H. tt
European ideas began 10 take root on somewhat
larger scale aud genuine Russians 10 catch TIE nfst
glinPses of European statesmallshlp, according 10
et of one man ar small privileged class, but tor IT'S
own sake So thaf the welfare OF the whole has 10 be
the principal law of the ruler II ,1o Is now very very
planned during this reign. aud that u
has never been forgotten since, except
by the mad Paul who hurled the State back mo M
Oriental despotism which was ten nmes more i'''u