Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-05-16
THE NOvELISTs WORK.

Americans are q free people, and
the oppressed or distressed in every
land find ready sympathy in tn cir
hearts and material aid from their
purses If it can be practically given.
This sentiment is almost universal
with the people Of the United States
and they have on many occasions
been deeply interested in the wars of
portions of the European population.
The struggles of the Poles have been
graphically portrayed by the novel;
ist doubtless greatly overwrought--.
and sympathy caused readers on this
side of the Atlantic to accept every
word Of fiction IS the truths of his
tory. Several novels we're written
on this prolific theme and they were
widely read. Perhaps there are few
persons in the United States over
thirty years Of age who have not read
one or more of them, and we believe
many of the writers for the press are
influenced to-day by the impressions
formed in their youth by reading
"Thadeus of Warsaw" or some other
creation of the novelist.
Another line of novels further in
tensifed the feeling Of American
readers against Russia some thirty or
forty years ago, and in lesser de-
gree even to this time. The horrors
of convict life in Siberia we're painted
in all the repulsive coloring known
to the pen of the imaginative writers
of fiction. The reader was first in
terested in a person possessed of
numerous excellent traits, surround
ed by an interesting family, COM
Portable if not oppulent, and then the
officers of cruel despot suddenly
broke in the front door some fine
evening and ruthlessly tore the hus-
band and father from the family en-
brace and hustled him into sledge
which never stopped day nor night
until he was landed in life.exile IN
frozen Siberia. The interest was
prolonged to the end of the volume
by the protrsyal of the horrors the
fellow endured in exile and the mis-
erv that developed his family in the
homo he could never by any posi-
bility zee again. ,-
History informs US that Russia has,
from the beginning of the reign of
Peter the Great to the present day,
made wonderful advances in civiliza-
ton and intelligence. In the build
ing up of Q great nation out Of wild
and barbaric tribes in northern
Europe and Asia, extreme and even
cruel measures have at times been
necessary. Stubborn resistance has
been sometimes met, as in the case of
Poland, and perhaps the war was not
conducted on either side in the hu-
name manner Of to-day. Repeated
revolts doubtless intensified the
severity of the means Of suppression;
other nations have employed cruel
measures at much later date, as
witness the blowing of East India
6epoys from the mouths Of cannon by
the English. Russia, like some other
European nations, established penal
colonies, and, barring the difference
of latitude and civilization, perhaps
the Russian convicts Jared little
worse than those of England or
France, OF the galley slaves Victor
Hugo so pathetically describes in his
LIES Miserables."
live are to judge by reading some
OF our contemporary journals, the
average American believes that Rus
SLAMS are heathens, or, if they have
any religion at all, it is infinitely
worse than Mohammedanism. The
mass of the people Of Russia belong
to the Greek Church, which is
branch Of the Roman Catholic
Church, and the mos: liberal of the
two though there are some portions
Of The population who hold to and
practice the rites of the Catholic
Church. and under the present Gear
all religions are tolerated. This fact
has been admitted by we'll informed
English writer since the declaration
of war BY Russia. All the arts and
sciences are encouraged in Russia,
and the last vestage of slavery was
abolished some twenty odd years
ago. Only in the general education