New-York tribune., 1877-08-21

der the scorching blaze of popular scOrn. re
forming zeal ran riot. There were no Con-
servatiyes in Russia. Even the Car was
Liberal, and putting himself at the head of the
popular movement introduced colossal reforms
When the Treaty of Paris was signed he an
nOunced that by the combined efforts OF the
Government and the people, the public admin
istration would be improved, and justice and
mercy would reign in the courts OF law. But
the reaction against the repressive system OF the
Romanoffs did not end in administrative reform.
Twenty millions of serfs were emanclpated
and entrusted with the privileges OF self
government. A radical change was wrought
in the conditions of land tenure. 1rlal by
Jury in criminal cases was established through
out the Empire, new courts were constituted,
the code was simpliied, and the judicial
tribunals were raised above the level OF
provincial administration. Railroads were
constructed, inland navigation was improved,
commercial companies were formed. and rapid
strides were made in agricultural and industrial
progress. With free labor, local independence
and administrative reform, the era of national
regeneration seemed to be close at hand.
But nations, like sinners, must work out
their salvation with fear and trembling. Have
we not learned in America that it is one thing
to give slave his liberty, and another thing
to make him an intelligent and industrious
citizen7 Russia attempted far more than we
have done. She not only liberated the serfs
and endowed them with the rights of citizen
ship in the cOmmunes, but put them In the way
of becoming landed prOprietors NO nation
ever made so gigantic an experiment In social
and political science. Free labor has led to the
most complicated agrarian problems, and the
results have fallen short of popular expecta-
ton. The serfs have not been transformed
INTO sober and thrifty farmers. The
effort to create third estate of intelli-
gence has not been successful. Many of the
landed propretors have been ruined, and
few of the peasants have conducted their
farms proiitably. The economic and political
results of manumission have disappointed both
the educated classes and the mass of the pOpu-
lation. SO impartial writer as Mr.. Wallace
describes the great majority of educated Rus
slams as suffering to-day from shattered lllu-
siOns. The expectations which they enter
tanned at the beginning of this transition period
have not been realized. They have not es-
caped the harsh action of economic laws by
which the working classes of other nations are
weighed down.
And now another illusion is dispelled. The
army, which has always been the pride OF
their eyes, is ridiculous in the sight of Europe.
In Armenia their columns have been driven
back in disorder. In Bulgaria, after an ad-
vance that was as pretentious as it was tardy
and labored, their forces have been defeated in
the first serious engagement, and crippled for
many weeks to come. The prestige OF the
Russian arms has been lost, and even an over
whelmng victory on the Danube cannot re-
store it. If 1t costs such terrible effort to
conquer the Turks how can the Russians ever
cone with the Western Powers !