The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-12-01
From the Pittsburgh Telegraph
Slav Movement In Russia.


Prince Mes,chersky, in the Russian
organ. lie Nord, has recently published |
concerning the Slav movement in Rus
sia a brief statement which has come |
interest in connection with the threaten
ed conflict between Russia and Turkey.
The Prince begins with the remark
that not only foreigners but even Rus
slams of the higher classes often fail to
comprehend this Slav movement in fa-
vor of the Christians in Turkey, about
which 20 much is said nowadays. In
order to understand this purely national
movement, he says, one must understand
the genius of the the Russian people,
the .pirit OF their historical traditions,
their sympathies and their sentiments
rather instructive than rational. The
democratic elements in the Russian peo-
pie, according to the Prince, are by no
means identical with those democratic
elements which everywhere in Europe
constitute threatening phantoms for the
old social and political edifices. It is
common mistake to confound the two
things which are very unlike. There is
positively a great gulf between them, an
abyss which it is impossible to fill up.
Russian democracy is as ancient as Rus
sia itself, whereas democracy in West
ern Europe has its sources in the new
traditions OF the French Revolution.
Russian democracy has for base and
principle everything that European
democracy excludes from its catechism
in other words, the popular force in
Russia tends to preserve all that which
the democratic force in Europe tends to
overthrow, namely, the church and the
sovereign.
/ Whenever these two great principles
are menaced in Russia the democracy
awakes, and to preserve those principles
it reveals an energy of which few per-
sons in Europe have any conception.
Under this aspect, Russsa In 1914 elect
ing its Car, and Russia in 1876 crying
aloud to its sovereign-"theya are killing
: onr people, we must help them"-are
both the same Russia strong, united and
Essentially democratic. In 1914 the
monarchical principle was involved, and
in 1876 the principle Of the Russiar
Church in the persons of the Slsv breth
rem ia the subject concerned.
There ia, however, considerable diff
ference between the two epocha. In 1871
we have before us the Russia which hs
seen the emancipation OF the serfs ant
e the great social reforms which have fol
lowed. In the last twenty years Russi
has received a large increase of intel
o lectual force, which, aided by railroad
e and improved local institutions, place
e its people in position to comprehend
!. and to express their ideas by acts mucl
n more rapidly and effectually than il
y former times.
: In conclusion, the Prince affirms tina
the great movement IN Russia whic
u has 80 much excited Europe of late be
II gan and took form in less than a weeL
e In all the chief cities and towns, an
e even in the villages of Russia and Sci
/ via few days sufficed for the Slay pee
pie to assume the attitude of resolutio
and defiance which they now exhib
y II ia a spontaneous outcome of over
e powering sympathy and common faitt
I, which must be satisfied by result, befor
20 it can subside. Thus the Prince ir
d formally denies the operation and influ
.e ence of those secret societies of whic
,r Lord Beaconsfeld has made 40 much.