The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-22
Russian Peasants.

Unlike the SIaVe system as IL was Tor
merly in the United States, the serf
could not be sold, except with the estate
to which he belonged. They might
change masters, but could not be torn
from their connections or birthplace.
One-sixth of the whole peasaDtry of
Russia, amounting to six or seven mill
ions, belonged to the crown. They in
habited the imperial demesne and paid
an annual tax. In particular districts
many were enfranchised and became
burghers and merchants. The rest of
the serfs belonged to the mobiles, and
were the absolute property, and subject
to the control, of their masters as much
as the cattle on their estates. Some of
the seigneurs possessed from seventy to
more than a hundred thousand serfs,
and their wealth depended upon the
successful management of these small
armies of labOrers. 1t was occasionally
the custom to send the more intelligent
of these workmen to st. Petersburg or
Moscow to learn some handicraft, and
then employ them on the estate. I'm
other cases these skilled laborers would
be allowed to exercise their own trade
on their own account in consideration
of an annual sum paid to their masters.
1t was not unusual for master to give
serf passport under which he was
protected in any part of Russia. Through
this passport he was enabled to settle
in any city and engage in any trade.
Thus it occasionally happened that, un-
der such circumstances, an intelligent
serf would accumulate a sum sufficient
to ransom himself and his family.
The Russian serf was obliged to work
for his master but three days in the
week. The other three he might work
for himselfon a portion of land assigned
to him by law on his masters estate.
He was never obliged to work on Sun
day, and every saints day or fete day of
the Church was allowed him for a hOli-
day. This might be supposed to have
given him an opportunity of elevatIng
his character and condition. But such
was not the case. Whether the neces-
sary intelligence was wanting, or
whether the condition of bondage
crushed all spirit of enterprise, in most
cases the serf labOred grudgingly for his
master, or else earned barely enough to
supply himself and his family with the
rudest necessaries of life and pay his
annual tax. A few rose above their
condition, but millions labored like
beasts of burden, content with bread to
PNb III bhCiA AlOhbLcy anu uCNcI
of freedom.
1t was from this great body ofenslaved
men that Russia formerly recruited her
immense army, or, in case of an inva-
sion, raised in moment a vast body of
soldiers. Every person in the empire
entitled to hold land was known to the
government, as well as the number of
peasants upon his estate. Upon receiv-
ing an imperial order to that effect, the
numbers required by levy were marched
forthwith to the appointed spot. 1t
might be supposed that men treated in
this manner would have made bad SOL
diers. They owned no rod of land in
the whole country; they lived under a
yoke, and had not single incentive to
patriotism. Even the rocks, rivers, and
mountains that at least inspire local
attachments, were wanting; their only
surrounding in the way of landscape be-
ing immense level plains interrupted
by wOlf-haunted forests.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that
the Russian seifs rarely if ever failed to
exhibit an unbOunded love for the head
of the system of oppression under which
! they grOaned. 1t seemed a habit of
their minds to regard the emperor as a
! protector against the oppression of their
immediate masters. To whatever cause
1t may be ascribed, whether inability to
estimate the value of any change in
their condition, or a feeling of actual
love for the soil upon which they were
born, all history agrees that during the
invasion of Napoleon the serfs of Rus
sia presented a noble spectacle. The
sentiment of the whole country was
aroused, and the spirit of devotion
which animated the corps of ten thous-
and in the north extended to the utmost
bonds Of the empire. They received or.
ders to march from st. Petersburg t.
meet the advance of the French army
The emperor reviewed them, and is saiC
to have shed tears at their departure
Arrived at the place appointed, the story
is told that Witgenstein, the General il
command, thought it wise to fall bach
to a certain point. The proposition wal
made to the serfs; but they replied: mo
the last promise We made the emperor
our father, was that we would never fly
before the enemy, and we will keep ouI
word" Eight thousand of them diet
on the spot, and the spirit which ami
mated them fired the serfs Throughout
the whole empire. Certainly no CREATE
J display of patriotism is recorded in th,
annals of Greek and Roman history
At present the peasantry of Russia ar,
in somewhat that chaotic condition
which usually follows any great chang
ofScircumstances. During the time o
the emancipation, peasants and master
both INDUCED in the most immoderat
expectations. The serf looked forwart
to freedom with the enthusiasm of an,
being capable Of reason, and the mas
ters thought that Russia had enteret
upon new era of progress. Unhappil,
these expectations have not been real
lied, and the great majority of educatet
Russians are at present suffering from
the effect of shattered delusions. Ap
: parently the peasant has not improve
, under the influences of freedom, an
: observers are greatly puzzled to discove
2 how far his condition is bettered by re
= lief from bondage.
If the serfs had great many ill-de
fined obligations to fulfill, such as th
carting of the masters grain to market
the supplying him with eggs, chickens
= homemade linen, and the like, the
= had also great many ill-defined priv
a ileges. They grazed their cattle durin
part of the year on the manor land
they received fire. wood, and occasion
' ally logs for repairing their huts. Some
E times the proprietor lent or gave theI
e horse or COW when they had been vi:
4 tied by the cattle plague or the hors
o stealer, and in times of famine the
y could look to their master for suppor
All this has now come to an end. Thei
burdens and their privileges have bee