The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-05

Poor Russia.
Those who know the northern empire well
affirm that Gar ALEXANDER yielded with
reluctance to the promoters OF the late war,
and solely with hope of reviving tho lad
ing prestige Of his dynasty. 1t may bc that
this end has been attained, that the House
OF RoMANoFF has gained u renewed lease of
life, and that the simple moUN Of Muscovy
will hear nothing OF current history beyond
the tale OF the fall Of plevna and the
splendid fact that Russian uutposts bcheld
the minarets ~ Stamhrul II IL not
the less true that Russia has been griev-
ously dscreditcd IN European opinion blythe
sweeping abrogaton of tho san S,ciano
treaty. Nor are the schemes Of Moscow
Pan-Slavc committees likely to be- much
furthcrcd by the insignificant fruit " Il tri-
umphant campaign. And now comes KARL
BLIND In the International RerieU TO pro-
nOuncc the prctcnsons Of Russia rs an cX-
poncnt Of the Slavonic race and the cham
pion of Slavonic unity utterly spurious and
unfoundcd. lie would shattcr her dream OF
manifest destiny by affirming that the core
and mass of her population is not fresh
and sturdy onshoot from pure Slavonic
incuraby stun,cd and tainted by ten ccntu-
rics Of dcspotism
Although the German ngitator scarcely
succeeds in making out his case, yet his
statements are worth considering. The
common notion that the Warnngian North
men under RURiK and his successors found
mainly u Slavonc people before them is
unqucstonably a mistake. Tho Slavic
tribes which they subjected were confined
within limited circuit around NOvgorOd,
while the rest of the vast territory con-
qucrcd between the Finnish Gulf, the
| rise Of the Don, and the Ural noun
tans was occupied by Ugrinn, Fmnc,
and other so-callcd Turanian races 1t
Is also true, AS KARL BLIND points out
| that the idiom Of Novgorod adopted as the
| court and commercial tongue did not gain
the upper hand in central Russia, including
| Moscow itself, up to the thirteenth century.
| Indeed, a decree of CATHERINE H., issued in
tho second half OF the last century, contains
an admission that the Muscovites are of
different origin from the Slavonians As for
the broad southern belt lying between old
Muscovy and the Euxinc and which
MAcKENzIE WALLACE divides into n BLACK
|
the process Of classification did not begin in
this quarter before the sixteenth century,
and is yet far from complete
But while KARL BLIND proves himself
| familiar with the obscure data ~ Russian
history, he seems TO have overlooked the
arguments drawn from pathological alllnl-
ties and social structure. The question Of
cthnic relationship is practically determined,
not by the heterogeneous origin OF its prim-
tive constituents, but by the nature Of the
dominant element which contrivcs Ia
impose it's language and social institu-
tiOns on the whole mass. II Is in this sense
| only that Great Britain can be termed Anglo
Saxon, notwithstanding the admiNturc of
Kclt, Jutc, Angle, Norwegian, Norman, and
| Angevin; nor in any other sense can Ger
many, with It's large Wcndic infusion on
the east, and absorption Of Latin
colonies along the Danube and the
| Rhine, be deemed Tcutonic. II is certain
that the tongue now spoken throughout the
length and breadth of Russia, both rs re-
CARDS structure and TO controlling extent
in It's vocabulary, belongs to the group OF
Slavonic languages. 1t also seems 10 be
established that in CHAUCrR's time tn,
ascendancy in the wilde central zone know
as Great Russia, than had the Anglo-SaNoi
speech in the kingdom Of England. W,
should add that just in proportion to the
growing asccndancy of n SaVonic tongue
in MuscOvy do we hear more OF the instltu
tion Of communal property, which wthou
being strictly peculiar to tho Slavs is at al
events their characteristic social feature
Under the circumstances KARL BLINDS
attempt to dispute Russia's right to repro
sent Pans Slavic aspirations cannot brdecmc'
successful But it is significant Of thu
eclipse through which that country is nov
passing that such an attempt should hav
been made. Only when n nation has bcei
stripped Of its costly acquisitions, an
thrust from its high place in tho eyes o
kindred peoples, could II tolerant hearing b
expected for an impeachment Of its othnica
Legitimacy. This assault on the part of
German Radical is one of many indication
, pointing to a strong current of anti RUSSIAN
sentiment in the German empire, whc
, there is reason to think has more than olsc
the sympathies OF the Court in the mind q
BISMARCK.