New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-21
RUSSIAN PROVINCIAL RULE.

The Russian system Of maintaining
power over and control of the people OF
its provinces especially those bordering
on the Baltic, must ultimately result in
disaster to the government Of the autocrat
of all the Russias The car is forcing
upon the people of these provinces the
sway of the Russo-Greek Church, by what
are known as the moral as we'll as the adj
ministrative measures of that church, sup
ported and assisted by government au-
thority As an indication Of this purpose,
the University of Dorpat has been re-
moved to Nina, thus depriving the youth
of these seaside provinces of the advan-
tages of such an education as kept them
free from the influence of the proselyters
of the Greek Church. A large majority
of the people of these districts profess and
practice the Lutheran form of worship,
which has virtually received complete toll
Grafton from the government. There are
certain provisions of the Russian laws per-
tanning to this portion of Russian territory
by which one who has once gone over to
the Greek Church is forever prohibited,
by pains and penalties, from changing his
mind.
These provisions of the law, since the
recent visit of the Evangelical Alliance
from this country, have been and are now
being enforced with greater vigor than
ever. 1t is not so much in the interest OF
religious unity that this policy is now
adopted, as it is believed to be in pursu-
ance of the traditional Russian theory
that uniformity of habits and customs
among the subjects of the car forms the
best guarantee for loyalty and security.
In Poland, since it's absorption as Russian
possession, the most savage and repressive
form of carrying out this theory has been
maintained for many years. 1t is only
recently that in certain districts of Lithu-
ania the military authorities have estab-
lished a system of Draconian severity in
regard to the use Of the vernacular
tongue. Most of the inhabitants speak
only the Lettish, and as treason is always
supposed to lurk under an unknown
tongue, the Russian officers being with
out knowledge of it, they have made it
penal offense for any of the natives to
speak any language but the Russian in
public places. This virtually prohibits
the use of their native tongue among
friends, neighbors or kinsfolk outside the
precincts of their own homes.
Thus far this tyrannical, coercive
course has not met with any resistance
from this people, by revolt or protest,
and therefore has not attracted the out
side world: but if the machinery of COM
pulson in the extinguishment of one Ian
| guage, and the forcible substitution of
another is set in motion, as it is proposed
to be by the Russian authorities, in the
Lutheran provinces of the Baltic, the re-
sulting connection will arouse the atten-
ton and shock the moral sense of all
civilized nations.
The tendency of the age is against all
such measures, and no nation pretending
to be civilized can practice them with
impunity, and without the certainty of
retributive punishment for such an act of
wrong and injustice.
These three provinces, which lie on the
eastern bank of the Baltic, form the most
cultivated and enlightened portion of
the Russian empire. Their united
population numbers nearly two mil
lions, Of whom more than three
fourths are Professionals. the other
fourth being divided among Hebrews,
Russo-Greek communicates and Roman
Catholics. No part of the empire is so
well supplied with schools. In none is
there so wholesome and active COM
mercial movement. The ruling element
is German, and they have sensibly
affected every department of life with
their own characteristic thrift and in
dustry. These provinces are compare
lively recent accessions to the empire.
Esthonia, which lies farthest of the three
to the north, remained under the au-
thority of the Swedish crown until the
war of Peter the Great with Charles the
Twelfth, and only became openly incor-
porated with Russia by the treaty of
Nystadt in 1721. 1t was in the same
year that Livonia was also wrested from
the Swedish rule and incorporated with
the other conquests of the car. Cour-
land more recently came into Russian
hands. 1t was formerly ruled by sove-
reign dukes owning nominal allegiance
to the Polish crown. When Anna be-
came empress, in 1870, her uncle Ferdi-
nand was made Duke of Courland, and
held power for seven years. The ad-
venturer Biron next occupied Ferdinand's
place, through the favor of his imperial
mistress, and left it as a legacy to his son,
who was forced to cede it to Catherine
the Second in 1895.
The people who inhabit these provinces
are not the weak and ignorant tribes who
are held in servile vassalage to autocratic
authority, but, to the contrary, are re-
fined, intelligent and highly educated.
For many centuries these three principal
tiles enjoyed separate and almost indie
pendent existence. Even when Livonia
and Esthonia passed under the sceptre Of
Sweden, they retained their autonomy