The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-02-08
A DEFENSE OF RUSSIA.

| wish as lover of fair play and q
friend of the Russian people, to join
Mr.. Burritt in begging the readers of the
Tri6nnesnot to accept English statements
of Russian motives and Russian occur
rences as either fair or Trustworthy. II
is the misfortune of Russia to have a
/ language which is so difficult of acquire
ment that few West-Europeans or Ameri-
caiis ever learn it. Her periodical literl-
ture, therefore, is practically to all the
rest of the world sealed book, and the
scanty information which Americans get
with regard to Russian affairs comes
/ through the medium of an unsympa-
thetic and preiudiced, if not hostile
press. No other European nation labors
under this great disadvantage. Ameri-
can opinions upon Russian topics, such
as the Polish question, Siberian exile,
the Central Asian question, and the Cau-
casian war, are based upon information
which has been obtained exclusively from
English sources, and they are inaccurate
and unfair, as only opinions founded on
eE.payte statements can be. Even when
English journals intend to be reasonably
truthful and impartial III their comments
upon Russian affairs, their representa-
tions are more or less tinged with pal :
tisan prejudice. "Ths Smitnate of
truth to use a metaphor of Oliver
Wendell Holmes" is never the same as
the Brownate of truth, !" and a Russian
fact dissolved in the British mind seems
to acquire almost inevitably new proper
ties, so that when it crystallizes again in
expression it has an entirely new set of
facets and angles.
As an illustration of the great wrong
which is done Russia, III accepting Eng
lish accounts Of her movements, and
English interpretations of her motives,
let me recall for moment her famous
war with the mountaineers of the Cau-
casus-a war whose origin, history and
results, / have studied on the ground.
/ How was that war represented in Ameri-
ca? 1t was declared by English news
papers to be cruel and unproyoked as
sault upon brave. noble and indepen-
dent people, whose only crime was their
love of Liberty.
1t was prompted, they said by that
insatiate ambition and that lust of con-
quest which aze the gu;ding principles
of Russian policy, and it was carried on
with the brutality and obstinacy which
are the distinguishing traits Of the Rus
/ sian character. In vain the "braye but
unfortunate Circassians, driven from one
mountain peak took refuge upon another
/ they were pursued, surrounded, and ex-
! terminated with relentless ferocitv "
Their final subjugation was, according
to the British press, crime against
which all Christendom ought to protest.
Now, what are the facts from the
Russian point OF view? At the begin
ming Of the present century the Cau-
casian mountain range was inhabited by
1000, 900 or more hardy, brave, cruel
Mohammedan brigands. They had
been at war among themselves or with
I their neighbors for thousand years.
Feuds were their only inheritance-re-
taliation and blood revenge their only
legal remedies, plunder their principal
means of subsistence Immediately
south of this mountain range lay q series
of fertile cultivated valleys, inhabited by
a civilized Christian people known as
the Georgians. Over the heads of these
Georgians the Caucasian mountaineers
hung like living sword of Damocles
and as often as that terrible sword fell il
filled the sunny valleys of Kakhetia with
the smoke of burning villages, and red.
dened the clear Georgian streams Will
the best Christian blood. Almost ever,
foot of the beautiful country lying north
of the River Kur was ravaged and desc
lated by raiding bands of Caucasian
horsemen, who came down from height
of 10000 feet like mountain storm
swept the green valleys of the Kur and
the Alazan with fire and sword, and thel
vanished up some dark ravine, carrying
with them scores OF wretched captives
and leaving behind them nothing bu
the smoking ruins of Georgian farm
hou5es.
Hundreds of Christian families were
annually carried up into the mountains
of Daghestan as slaves, and the young,
est and most beautiful of the womel
were passed along the range to tht
Black sea coast, where they were sold t,
the agents of Turkish harems. So ter
rible scourge did these raids of tho
Caucasian mountaineers become to til,
inhabitants of the Georgian valleys tha
the last Georgian king. after repeatedly
imploring the assistance and protection
of the Russian empress, Catherine II.
finally i'll 1901 abdicatad his throne il
favor of her successor, Paul III. HI
wrote to the latter mournful letter, re.
counting the misfoltunes aud suffering.
Of his unhappy people, pleading the
claims of Christian brotherhood, ant
ending with the pathetic cry 90 Fo,
Gods sake help us ! The kingdom O.
Georgia has ceased to exist; it has beel
carried away captive into the mountains
of the Caucasus"
Russia responded promptly to thi
call for aid. Six or seven battalions O
Russian infantry moved up the Geor
gian valley from the Caspian sea coast
and notice was given to the Caucasian
mountaineers that their raids into terri
tory which now belonged to the emperol
must cease. Not the slightest attell
ton was paid to the warning. The high
LADDERS continued to swoop down like
mountain hawks upon the Georgian vii
lagos along the base of the range when
ever the latter We're left ungarrisoned
and it soon became evident that, in or
der TO protect Georgia, Russia must at
tack the mountaineers in their nativ,
Businesses. War was declared in 1901
and hostilities continued with only occa
sional intervals of peace for more thai
half century After the sacrifice O
millions of money and tens of thousand
of lives the mountaineers were fnall,
conquered, and harassed Christians 0
Georgia, for the first time in II hundre,
years, could come out of their fortife,
churches and look up to the white peak
Of the Caucasus without thrill o
dread.
During all this time where were tn
sympathies of England With the per
secuted, battle wasted, almost extermi