The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-06-20
RUSSIA.
The Feeling Among the People About
the War,


An English correspondent writes from st.
Petersburg, May 25: In a hasty journey
from the southern part of Russia northward,
| made such notes as we're possible OF current
sentiment The enthusiasm appears to me
to have been much exaggerated. The sham
subscription to the internal loan was the
first proof of this. The large public and pri-
vate donations to the war fund afford no
real contradiction to the fact. The former
are but voluntary on the surface, obligatory
in reality. The latter bring their own re-
ward in a variety of ways-reputatiOn, office,
decorations. Often and often have | heard,
not from an ignorant moujik, but from a
well-to-do tradesman, the remark, Nobody
can tell me what the war is for; it seemed as
if we had much to remedy at home ere
we sought to carry civilization be-
yOnd our frontiers" If this ignorance ex-
lists in the middle, or what represents the
middle class it is certain to be yet more
profound in lower grade. The car told
his people-the grand duke told his army
that the amelioration of the lot of the Chris
tians under Ottoman rule was the reason Tor
the war From no one i have heard, or
overheard the Bulgarians mentioned save in
terms of contempt From no one-Officer
soldier, merchant or trades person-have
heard word betokening belief in such an
object. The personal honor of the emperor
is beyond all question. He abhors the war
year of his life with dread. There Is no in
dividual in all Europe to be more pitied
Alexander III. is the lord, emperor and
| autocrat of all the Russias, but
he has been forced to act against
| his own feeling, his own judg-
ment by INSCRIPTIONS advisers, aided and
| abetted by some members of the imperial
family-not by public opinion, for it does
not exist, or can at any rate find no express
sion if adverse to the views of the govern
ment Nobody with any knowledge of Rus
STA joins in the wonderful nonsense that is
talked about secret societies, Nihilists, and
what not. There are secret societies in Rus
STA, but they are nothing more or less than
the instruments of the government and are
one and all under the direction of the chief
of the secret police. There may be a desire
to form liberal associations, but any attempt
at practical fulfllrent would inevitably en-
tail consequences too terrible for even our
imagination. | say that there is but a very
lukewarm enthusiasm for the war. | almost
say that there Is no enthusiasm for it at all,
but great dislike and dread for the conse-
quences. There is, however a certain desire
for favorable issue now that the matter is
in progress. But this | emphatcally declare,
that neither public opinion nor public feel
ing. nor secret societies, nor Nihillsts force
the hands of the government Not man in
Russia who does not understand how serious
is the situation, not one who did not foresee
ii. Think you that the 10000 people who
on the morrow of the declaration fled from
Odessa were anxious for the war, or the
bankrupt traders. the ruined families, the
starving laborers? What, then, were the
causes of the war? They were three: First,
unconquerable ambition; secondly, impend
ing bankruptcy; thirdly, the existence of a
constitution in the Ottoman domini0ns. The
latter was perhaps. the most urgent. Although
coercive measures may be taken and are taken
every day to repress any discomfort il
would have been impossible to prevent all
Muscovy from feeling that it at least was
entitled to the same representative form of
government which is enjoyed by every
European nation down to the brutal
savage, ignorant Turk" The secret police
and Siberia might have postponed a crisis
but the effect of such sentiment could not
| fail to be injurious to the sole remaining
representative of aristocracy. The Golos
limited at this aud was punished, as is every
journal not servile to the government. The
war diverts mems thoughts into other chan
nels Its results will occupy them equally
| So much for the causes of the war. Now,
| what is it's object? 1t has never varied :;
| it was and is Constantinople. No
body attempts to deny it now
Nobody attempts to put another object
forward. One al the most prominent of the
| ''pro-C hristianb Russians admitted it undis-
| guisedly to me the other day. The proof is
clear. II Constantinople is not the object,
let Russia lay down a point, boundary
north of the Balkans, south oil the BALKANS,
it matters not but an immutable line, to adj
vance beyond which would constitute in it
self cdsits belIi. But to no such course Will
Russia consent. Nay, she is already seeking
to pacify and ameliorate Bulgaria by laying
Asiactic Turkey in waste IL has often been
said, but / repeat it, this is war of con-
quest The emperor is powerless Unless
we take early steps to defeat it, the object of
the war will be attained 1t is CONSTANT
nople; and the defense thereof begins not at
its walls, but at the Danube. f