New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-13
RUSSIA.

SDeculatOns to the contrary n0twlthstand-
ing, the great brute power of Europe is not
eager to seek new occasion for war; but
there is undoubtedly some cause for uneasiness,
if not vet for positive alarm, in the German
movement in the Baltic provinces to which
the Car is now applying the rough mechanism
of what is termed in Europe the process OF
classification. To give it rude but proper
Interpretation, this process is the gobbllDg up
of live nationalites, with subsequent difficulty
of digesting them. Poland is lamentable IN
stance of this exploit of swallowing dag
gers-the Baltic provinces in a less de-
gree indicate some Of the lnconven-
fences which belong to the indiscriminate
deycuring of races A Germanizing movement
which has been detected in that quarter is SAID
TO have received the secret cOuntenance OF
Prussia. Two editors compelled to flee from
Livona, have set up anti-Russian organs IN
North Germany, and the appointment OF one
of them to the COnfederations COnsulshlp at
Lemberg has given offense to the ST. Peters
burg Government. The Car has retOrted with
all the traditional barbarity of the Russifying
system. He has, of course, abolished all Ger
man newspapers in the Baltic provinces. lie
colleges in the manufacturing towns into
| Russian schools, in imitation of the crushing
policy adopted toward the Poles. Thus, while
Russian university has been substituted
for the Polish hlgh-schoOl at Warsaw, the
directors Of the German colleges In Poland ana
Iivonia have been ordered to use only the
Russian tongue in teaching An equally point
ed example of Russifylng is the case of the
| Dorpat professor, who. having defended the
Baltic provinces from the assertion of Mos
COW author that these and all other provinces
of the Car have always been Russian, had bis
rcply suppressed and was dismissed from his
chair.
Poland, transcending all nations in the pain
of martyrdom, is the browning example OF
classification under difficulties. Since the
beginning of the last experiment OF
this kind in Poland, one hundred and
forty thousand of its inhabitants IN
Guiding nine prelates and two hundred
and eighteen priests, have been exiled or sent
TO the mines thirtyseven priests have been
! executed by court-martial, and two hundred
! have been imprisoned and are still serving
out their terms Only two representatives OF
the Catholic hierarchy remain in the country
I all others are eAllcu OI hdfc hNu' NS'Ni'HN
less, the brute-minded and iron-handed scheme
of classification is pronounced n failure by Its
chief instrument, Gen. FIedercks, the Com
mandant in Poland The Catholic clergy and
religion were never so dominant in the Polish
heart rs in this hour of national suffering, and
the stupid but resolute attempt to externnate
the Polish language and customs has broken
down The districts of Kiev and POdOiia are
extremely dsaffected, and in one Of them the
| tomb of a Russian general has been hung with
pasquinades. The popular excitement in War
saw attendant upon the reinterment OF the
remains of an ancient Polish king conveys
| some proof that the nationality of Poland is
not dead, and may yet survive the Russifying
rack. But what adequate conception can be
formed of the thousand-fold barbaritics of the
system OF torture thus put in remOrselcss
| operation by one nation upon anotherY The
history of Poland is written in blood by the
| exccutioner, and illustrated with torment, and
| the sole return which accrues TO Russia for the
preparation of this general crime is bloody
memory and menacing fact. What with the
Hirghizes on her Eastern flank, Polish
| hatred ut the West and discomfort in
het interior, her situation seems not strong
enough for new imperial ventures Russl-
fcaton rs applied to Cossacks, Kirghzcs,
Liyonians, Poles, is still but an awkward and
embarrassing experiment
TIE True THEORY or PUBLIC PUNISH