The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-02-22
A Defense or RUSSIA.
Mr. GrorEt hrnnan aa thr nisrePrrsrHIa-
tions of Ihr EnEli.h Frrsa---Thr Itus.u-
CirvnnsiaH MHr---Opiuians Based on LnH-
tish Information.

wish, us IA lover uf fair play and IA
friend of the Russian people, to JOIN
Mr. Burrltt IN begging the readers of the
IrtbHHt not to accept English statements
# Russian motives and Russian uccur-
rcuces as either hgr or Trustworthy. II
is the misfortune of Russia 90 hay, "a
language which is $50 diihcalt uf acquire
ment that few West Europeans ar Amgri-
cams ever learn H. Her periodical litrIa-
mrr therefore, is practically ID all thc
rest of tIc world "a scaled book. and the
scauty information which Americans get
with rcgurl 10 Russian ufurs comes
through the medium uf m uusympa-
thvtic and prrludicri, II not hostile
press. No other Eurupeau nation lAburs
under lhis great disadvantage Amer
can opinions upon Russian topics, such
as the Polish question. Siberian exile,
the Central Asian question, and the eau
casiau War, are based upon information
which hns been obtained exclusively from
English sources, and they are inaccurate
and unfair, as only opinions founded 0n
sr partt statements can be Even when
English journals intend t8 hr reasonably
truthful and impartial Ia their comments
upon Russian affairs, thrlr representa-
tiOns arr more ar lpss tueal With par
tlsan prejudice. ' .fhs Slnithate of
truth TO Gso a metaphor of Oliver
Wendell Holmes lh never tAe a,mc as
the Brovuute Of truth. and "a Russian
fact dissolved iu the British mind seems
30 acquire almost inevitably ueW proper
ties. so that when IL crystailize- again ia
expression il hAs au entirely new SGT Of
facets and angles
a au illustration ut the gIra, wrong
which Is dome Rassia, iu accepting Eng
lish accounts ~ her movements. and
English Interpretation, of hrr motives,
lrl me recall flr "a moment h,F famous
waI with ihe muuuiameer uf the Can
casus--a war Whose uI4uIu, history and
results. ! have studied uu tile Piuund
How Was that waI represented in Amcri-
cag it was declared hy English news
papers D. hc a cruel aud uuprayuked us-
ss,ult upon brave, noble and indepyn-
dent people. whose only crime was their
love ui liberty.
Ii WAS prompted. they -.sd l.y that
lnsatla.e ambition and thlt Inst of con
quest which are the guldIug principles
%. tIs-iall policy, and IL Was carried uu
with the brutality and uhstiuacy which
are .he distinguishing tr1ts uf th= Rus
sian character lu vain the +" brave hut
unfortunate Circa--Iuus, driven frnl one
mountain lsr.k tool. refuge uugn another
they were pursued. surrounded. aud cr-
terminated with relentless fcroc.ty.
Their final suhjugat.on WAS. according
90 the British press, "a crue against
which all Chr.strndum ought O. protest
Now. Nhsh ugt the facts from the
Russian point uf Gcw2 At the begin
ming uf the present century the Cau-
c.slau mountain range Was inhabited by
loo 600 ur more hapiy. brave, cruel
Mphammrlau hugaui- They had
breu a. war amulg Themselves ,r with
tAeir uelehuUTf lur "a thousand wears.
frui- were their uuly inheritance -re-
talaa,l,m and blood revenge their only
legal remedies. p-uudor their principal
means ui subsistence Immediately
south uf This mountain range las O series
nf fertile cultivated valleys. mhah;cl hy
civilized Christian people known rs
the Geo-giaus. over tA- hssls az these
Geureians the Caucs-5an moauj4.uecm
hung like living swurl ui pAmpclcs.
aui as often as that terrible sword fell IL
filled thr sunny valleys II kaEhctla with
the smoke ui burning yl,lsgcs. and red
lpuel The clear Georgian streams with
the best Christian blood Almost every
foot al thr beautiful country lsiug north
af thc River kuT WAS rayagcl and desc
lated hy rgidmg bands oi Caucasian
hugs.m,n, vlUylmr down from O height
ui 10000 feet like o mountain storm,
sweep; th, green valleys 81 the kur and
thc Alazau with fire aud sword. and then
vanished up some dark raEiue, carrying
with them scores oI arstcAei cgptycs.
and leaving h,h.ud them nothing hUt
the smoking rIins ui Georgian farm
houses.
Hundreds of Christian families were
annually carried up into tAc mountains
ot Dashrsian hS slaves, and thc young
est aud most beautiful of the women
were passed along the range 81 the
BLACK sea coast. where they were sold 60
the agents uf Turkish harpms - ter
rihle "a scuurgc did these maids ul the
Caucasian mountaiuerr, become % the
inhabitants ul the Georgian valleys that
tlc last Ge1rgiun king. after repeatedly
lmplulng the assistance aud protection
oi the RU>sian empress. Catharlnc H.,
finally in 1901 indicated his ;hrme M
favor of her successor. Paul H. He
wrote O. the latter : mourufnl letter, re-
counting the mid1rtunes and suilerngs
of his unhappy people. pleading the
cllIms ~ Christian brotherhood. and
ending with the pathetic cry For
Gods sake help ms The kingdom OF
Georgia has ceased 10 exist. II hns been
carried aNuy captive into the mountains
OF the Caucasus
RUSSIA responded promptly to TINS
call for and Six or seven battalious Of
Russian infantry moved up the Gcor-
giau valley from the Caspian sea coast,
and notice WAS given % the Caucasian
mouutaineers that their raids into terri
tory which now belonged Ia the emperor
must cease Not the slightest atten-
tiou WAS paid 81 the warning. The high
mndcrs continued to swoop down Ike
mountain hawks upon the Georgian vii
lagos along the base of the range when
ever the latter were left ungarrisoned,
and It soon became evident that, in or
der to protect Georgia. Russia must Mt
tack the mountainccrs in their native
Businesses. War was declared in 1901.
and hostilties continued with only occa-
sioual intervals Of peace for more than
hHli a century. AliI the htRiulff il
millions of money and tens of thousands
of lives the mouutaiuecrs were finally
conquered, and harasscd Christians Of
Gcorgin, for the first time i'm hundred
wears. could come ont of their fortified
churches aud look mp 10 the white peaks
of the Caucasus without q thrill Of
dread.
During all this time where were the
sympathios Of England ? With the per-
secuted. battle wasted. almost extermi-
natci Christians of Georgia Far from
It, Then, as now. the guiding principle
Of British craftsmanship seemed 90 be
with anybody against Russia. The
spectacle Of Christian people strug-
Cling vuinly for existence in the midst of
hostile Mohammedan powers, and borne
down at last by overwhelming odds, did
not extort from England a single express
sion OF sympathy or pity But the
wrongs of the unfortunate noun
tainecrs. who were not allowed 10 prove
their nobility and maintain their freedom
by saclSing Christian churches, burning
Christinn Villages and outraging Chris
tau women, were trumpeted through
English newspapers 10 all the world J
Journals like the PdH HdH gazette
which could more easily impute selfish
motives than understand noble ones, de-
nounccd the interference of Russia in