The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-29

Being Treated-The Dan
gers Menacing Russia
ST.. PETERSBURG, July 20, 1877.
The so.caed Netohayef conspiracy, the members
OF which are on trial. shows once more that though
the Latin races have been always considered the
most conspiratory the Slavonic races are by no
means behind them in this respect. The fact is
that Western revolutionary movements have made
more noise in the world and have been more feared
than similar Moscow attempts Carbonarism spread
terror all over Europe IN the early part Of this CEN
fury, and this terror has not given way for much
longer time than the "reminiscences OF the great
French Revolution, while Eastern countries, IN
GLIDING Russia, were scarcely ever quiet for few
consecutive years; but no one in Europe or America
cared much about what was gong on In those dis
tant regions.
RUSSIA AND ITS DEsTINIEs.
without speaking OF endless riots amid its pea
santry, Russia had two great murinies-the one In
the seventeenth century, that Of Stenka Razine the
other In the eighteenth, that OF Pougatchcf. Mill
ay riots were also frequent. and that Of the archers
during the minority OF Peter the Great was the
most important. On the other hano, Court conspra-
cies carried their work in the upper spheres ending
almost constantly in regicide in the case OF the
Emperor Paul. The middle classes and the small
landed proprietors were the only classes that re-
NAMED more or less quiet until about 1925, when
the so-called December conspiracy took place. And
since then Court as well as mob plots have COM
pletey ceased as II to give way to the revolutionary
activity OF the middle classes which began then to
gain strength with every year.
THE CONSPIRACY OF 1925
had for its aim the introduction OF constitutional
government into Russia 1t was organized almost
81 had
ihcatons in all the provinces 1t is well known that
the Emperor Alexander l. thought for some time Of
emancipatng the serfs and introducing parliament
tary form OF government. But the mystic DISPOSE.
tons ofmnd Of that sovereign, which led him to con-
clude the holy alliance, were speedily increasing, and
caused him soon to give up his liberal projects. This
was the chief reason that gave birth to the Deem.
Der conspiracy, which did not rlpen at the time Of
AleXander's sudden death, and broke out only on
the day OF
NICHOLAS ACCESSION TO THE THRONE.
Alexander died leaving no children. and the
throne should have passed to his brother COnstan.
tine, then Lieutenant OF the Gear at Warsaw. But
Constantne's personal character made him dislike
the role OF sovereign and scarcely fitted him for
the performance OF the duties imposed by that role
Consequently he resigned his rights already during
Alexanders reign, and formal abdication in favor
OF the third brother was deposited In the State
Paper ONCE 1t was OF this transaction, not yet
made known to the public, that the DekaDrists
(rnen OF December) expected to take advantage at
the time OF Alexander's death. Their chief aim
was to
IMPOSE A PARLIAMENTARY FORM OF GOVERNMENT
upon the new Sovereign, and the officers won whole
regiments to their cause But how well the mass Of
soldiers understood the matter be from the
fact that amid the revolutionary fight that took
understanding by that word not the constitution,
but the supposed wife OF Constantine. Nicholas not
only put down the movement, but managed to rule
Russia for thirty years as despotcally as ever a
country was ruled. Five OF the leaders OF the con-
spiracy of the 14th MISUNDERSTANDING Rileef,
Tie es Sent hT 70 Siberia i during this
ton that the rope OF one OF the condemned broke,
and the man exclaimed, ''In Russia they do not
know even how 10 hang man properly" For this
exclamation Nicholas ordered the condemned TO be
hanged a second tim" although the breaking OF the
rope, according TO immemorlal custom, was con-
sidered to be Go1s order for pardon But Nicholas
SAID he wanted to show that Russians knew how to
hang. AS matter OF course the most
DREADFUL SYSTEM OF TERRORs
was introduced into the political lie, ana the panic.
struck people renamed quiet lor several years until
less important conspiracy broke out at Kief.
partly with the same constitutional News partly with
tendency towards separatism on the part OF the
leading men OF Little Russia The plot, however, had
no organization, the members were almost exclu-
svey students and professors OF the Tn tversty all
OF whom were soon arrested and sent into exile.
or these couple were men OF real merit. Pro-
lessor KOstomaror, now already an old man and
the highest authority in Russian history. was then
a young, rising savant, as well as the celebrated
poet OF Little Russia. Taras sneftchenko Both OF
them suffered exile and imprisonment for long
years, and 1t was only the now reignng Emperor
Alexander ii. that set them again at hoerty. few
years -
another arose at 1T. Petersburg this time more
oos as IN Is. Europesn peyo1p
tion of ls4s communicated Its contagion to the
had been more or less paci1ed In the West OF Eu-
rope In sprang up II the East. few copies OF the
and secret society was formed with view to
propagate and establish sociallstc and republican
institutions. This conspiracy Is known by the name
OF Its leader
and was discovered before any practical steps were
realized All the chief cOnspirators--about thirty
I'm number-were tried by secret high tribunal and
condemned to be shot, without the public having the
slightest idea TO what the intentions and crimes
of the currits WERE The preparations for the exc
cution were already made on the Semenofsky Pa
rade Square and the condemned bound 10 the posts
an order committing the sentence and directing
some OF the condemned TO be transported from the
very spot directly to Siberia and some others to be
enlisted. convict soldiers into CAUCASUS regi-
ments.
Nicholas. Revolutionary elements were constantly
deveoplng themselves throughout Russia: but the
| Crlmean war awakened such an amount OF patriot
ism tnat no outbreak could have any chance OF sue
cess, and the subsequent death OF Nicholas post
poned for another five wears the revival OF these
movements. Since 1860, however, they have sprung
up with all the more force and never have ceased
since in this country.
THE COURSE or THE PRESENT EMPEROR.
The present Russian Emperor when he assembled
the throne IN 1855, anu during the first years OF his
reign, amnestied all the survivors OF the plots OF
1925 and l64e Many OF them are now quite old men,
enjoying complete freedom and living In perfect
peace with the government. thus the conspiracles
which have occurred in Russia since 1850 can be by
| no means attributed to the influence OF these re-
turned exies. 1t is the work OF new genera.
tion exertng Itself far more earnestly, and dong
all 1t 10 show that the past revolutionary gene
| ration was merely an assembly OF poor beginners.
Although attempts at the life OF the Car have been
made only twice-in PARIS by Beresofsky, and In
| Petersburg by KarakoZo1--bls assassination has
ever been the chief feature OF all the plots, and tho
I ESTABLISHMENTS OF SOCIAL REPUBLIC
| has been their almost nvariaDle aim. Another and
not less striking characteristic OF all these cOnspra-