The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-06-18

! alizc Russia, and manumit the serfs. 1t is
supposed that Nicholas, haraased by the re-
verses Of the Crimcan war, poisoned himself
Certain it is that he announced one day that
he should not be alive on the morrow, and
before the next day came he was dead.
| Within six weeksafter nc assembled the throne
Alexander RI. turned his attention TO the con-
dition Of the scrfs. There were at that time
100000 scrG, 22,OOO,O00 in mitigatcl
kind of sorflom, and 100000 persons who
had forfeited their liberty, making 1880, 900
slaves in Russia. The Car appointed COM
mittcc orthe nobility to consider seriiom,
and they reported against its abolition. lie
appointed two other committees, but they,
too, reported against manumission. And
thcir reasons were plausible They feared
that the native, freed from the restraints Of
serftlom, would return to his nomadc habits
and lapse into barbarism. In all the en-
pirc the poor serfhad but one friend-but
he sat on the throne. Tho Gar resolved to
signalize tho Tooth anniversary of the en-
pire by the abolition Of serfdom. At mid
night he attended church, and in the morn
ing all St. Petersburg was astonishcd to find
the palace surrounded by troops. The unu-
sual sight drew together vast concourso of
people. At noon the Gar appeared on the
balcony ofthc palace, and the imperial ukase
was read declaring free 49,500,0O0 slaves.
This act was effected without the cxpendi
turc of one cent or drop Of human blood,
and this in q country -barbarous while
in this enlightened land hundreds of thou
sands of lives were sacrificed and billions Of
treasure spent TO free 100000 slaves. But
this was not all that the Gar did He did
not leave his new-madc freemen helpless and
pennilcss. lie bought land from the mobiles
and gave it to the former serf, taking his
bond to repay the purchase money. Amer
lean slavery and Russian serfIom had been iu-
stitutcd about the same time, and they died
about the same time. twas in March, 1861,
that the Car declared the serls free, and it
was on the 2lst of April, 1861, that the first
gun fired at Fort Sumpter, sounded the l,nell
Of American slavery.
One object Of the Gar was to establish
middle class in Russia, and this he accom-
plished. The merchant and manufacturer
are now respected. At 4 recent city election
in Moscow a merchant was elected over a
descendant of the ancient nobility, much to
the Cars qualification. The recent mate
rial development OF the country has been
very great. Ten years ago there was but
one line ofrailroad in the country-that be-
tween Moscow and st. Petersburg; today
there are $4,000 miles, and as much more
projected.
The empire is financially as strong as any
country in Europe, and its bonds will bring
rs high price in London as those Of any
other government. The Russian courts of
justice are conducted with as much propri-
ETY. as our own. They have the trial by ju-
ry; but it is modified in wUy which the
speaker thought we might do well to initiate.
But two-thrds of the jury arc required to
find verdict, and two extra jurors are sworn
who sit by and hear the testimony so as to
take the place of any jurym0n who may be-
come suddenly incapable Of acting. The
government has thoroughly investigated the
school systems Of all other countries, and is
gradually extending good schools over the
empire. The speaker was glad to say that
the Russian, found the school system of our
own State 50 admirable that they have fol-
lowed it to a great extent.
The speaker then considered the probabil-
tiles Of a general war in Europe, which
seemed to be rapidly approaching. 1t is re-
ported that the difficulty between Turkey
and Montenegro has been settled; but any
day a spark may set all Europe in q blaze
Great preparations are being made for such
a catastrophe He was informed that one
firm in this country had a contract to furnish
Turkey with 600, 900 rifles, to be paid for in
London. Everybody knows that the Turk
has no credit; but England can furnish mUn-
ey easier than men. Every Russian, from
the Gar to the peasant, is resolved to go
there, and for his part, the speaker said, he
didn't care how soon the Russian got there.
lie didn't know what the rest of us would
do when that event took place, but he knew
one house that would be Illuminated, and ii
there was a big gun anywhere in his neigh
borhool il would bark. Among all the
crowned heads in Europe ii was a fact that
the Car was the only friend America had in
our late struggle for life. When war came
in Europe he would wish Russia well; but
We must keep ont Of the fight Then it will