The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-30


ly. those who are employed at hard labor on
public works or in the mines. The miners are
supposed to be the worst offenders. and their
punishment is equivalent to death by slow tor
turc, for II is certain to kill them in ten years.
and ruins their health long before that time. a
convict. moreover never knows until he reaches
Siberia what sort of life Is in store for him for
in pronouncing sentence OF hard labor the
Judge makes no mention OF the mines. Ac-
coriingly IL the convict have money or nnu-
entail friends he had better use the time be-
tween his sentence and transportation
in buying warrant which conslgns him
to tho lighter kinds Of labor above
ground. otherwise he will inevitably be
sent under EARTH and never again see the
sky until he Is hauled up TO die in nm inflrmary.
II Il well 10 remember. also. that n Russian may
be sent to Siberia not only by sentence OF the
courts. but summarly by an Imperial decree
issued through the Police Ministry: in the lat
ter casc he is cuphcmislcalIy said to be- " await
ing the Cars pleasure" and no publicity is
given to his fate. His friends inquire for him
In vain. He Inns been privately arrested. lie
has disappeared. but whether he be lying in
some Jail pending trial. or Inns boon
spirited away to the quicksilver mines
beyond Lake B,LkalH there Ia nothing
to show. unless some police official. TAX
ing pity on the grief of bercaved wife,
tells her to hope In the Cars clcmency, which
Is tantamount to informing hor that she Is n
widow Russians. of course. assure strangers
that arbitrary trans 20 rtations ceased long ago
hut they confess the contrary when you have
known them long enough to get at tho truth
and then II appears that almost every man Of
note can quote a case in which some person was
sent away for mysterious reasons. 1t Is alleged
too. that almost all tho persons who are trans
fad IN Sthpria wit uithput trial
admit tho justice OF their punishment.
and this, in our authors judgment, is
very likely. since their only chance OF getting
pardOned or OF being suffered TO communicate
with their friends. lies in their making full
and penitent acknowledgment OF their guilt on
paper We hear nothing Of the captves who
refuse TO do this. and who pay the penalty OF
their high spirit by never being allowed
chance OF letting tho world know that they have
suffered unjusty. What is most revolving in
all this Is not the despotism that stamps out an
enemy 10y n ruthless process. but the canting
pretence Of humanity which confronts you at
every stop In Russia and would lead unsuspi-
cious strangers to believe that these iniquities
are obsolete.
We have seen how Russia treats one Of the
adjoining Slavonic peoples which In the fulfil
ment Of her destiny she is expected 20 absorb,
~ well "a the degree OF security for life and
property enjoyed by the citizen and the le-
ncncy Of the judicial punishmcnts Let Us now
glance at one OF the features characteristics Of a
progressive country and inquire what facilities
for education are open 10 the subjects Of the
car We are told that Count Dimtri Tustof who
has been for twelve years Minister Of Public In
s;ruction in Russia. is a man oflar-c ideas who
would like TO SEQ every polOk proficient in the
three Rs; but Prince Gortchakolhods different
views. and therefore when Count Tostoi wants
n grant, VI, de Reutern informs him that the
State Golfers are empty. There is always money
for troops and imperial fdtes. never for schools
Nor is It of any use attempting 10 set up any
considerable educational establishments 10y
private initiation. The project will be- fayora-
bly, entertained by the authorities. but nvaria-
bly, shclved. Tho original scheme was either
too small, and needed enlarging for the public
good. or too cNtrayagant and required cutting
down. In any case the Car has II under his
august consideration. g. II Is true however.
that every city in the Empire has its Lyccum.
and every town It's grammar school. but these.
As will presently appear. arc practically con-
fined TO the richer classes The charges for
maintaining boy as a boarder vary from $500
o 500 and AT the Rristo'ratic institution az ~.
Petersburg extras generally bring the sum
/ up 10 tl.250. In the Lyceums. French
and German are taught; In the gram
mar schools German sometimes but not
always English can only bo learned
I 1T 81. Petersburg. Moscow and Odessa except
by private tuition. But only a very small por
ccntage Of tho Russian population is urban; II
now we turn To the rural communities We find
them almost wholly destitute Of educational mp
planes There are few village schools in
Russia. and such as there are have sprung
from the beneyolence Of good-natured land
owners. and are little approved by the auth )ri-
ties. However. IL landed proprietor wishes
h. start primary school the Government will
not always prevent him, but may content itself
with providing r teacher thoroughly orthodox
and ignorant In the Mrs. or communcs. II Is
very rare 10 find n mouIik who can read. and
even the Mayor has 10 depend on the Pope for
the keeping OF his accounts. Now and then it
will happen that n village priest. taking fancy
to a young peasant instructs him, and tho lad
in his turn imparts his knowledge 10 his fellow
villagers. But II this gets known to the police.
he may come to trouble for teaching without Il
diploma. Even the 4 b in Russia must be
acquired in the official way.
There is a small number Of universities =
seven. we believe. in all-that of st. Petersburg
being the Sost nristocratic, whore all the mem
bcrs Of the Imperial family and all courticrs
sons are entered even when they do not mean
to graduate. Here, too. the chairs of modern
languages and Latin literature are ably filed,
but Moscow is said TO ENJOY greater reput
ton for law and medicine kiev for theology,
and Odessa for Greek and mathematics. The
latter university is also the most liberal, and
was for a long willie the resort Of Poles but
there is now some law which limits the
number of persons belonging 10 this per
secuted nationality who can be educated
here The life Of Russian students
in tho seven universities appears to he cross
hetwoon that Of French and German students
They drink huge potations Of yodki or corn
brandy. and smoke rank tobacco from the
Crmea. Their college is a kind Of barracks. in
which every student has one room. whore hc
lives as it suits him. taking his mouls 10y him
self or in messcs which he formswth others
Tho discipline Of the universities is very lax a
regards morals for the masters have no au
thority 10 ask n student for an account Of lii
timo. or TO insist that he shall be back in ms
lodgings by certain hour Of the evening
Rich aud poor who study I'm earnest becom'
Nhilisls-th is to say, professors of II phioso
ply defined by the author Of this work a.
uI a ma -