The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-29
RUSSIAN SOCIETY.


AND COMMENTED UPON BY THE PoPULAcE-
Is RUSSIA IN DANGER!
ST.. PETERSBURG. Dec II, 1873
The town in a state of considerable excitement
yesterday. At midday large crowd Of about eight
hundred students of different high schools assembled
before the palace of Czarewitch and declared to
the officer duty at the palace gates that they
wanted to the heir to the Throne order to speak
TO him and to present him petition. The officer
went in. and the students had to wait for ten
minutes outside. In the meantime there as
sembled dense of passers-by, who
were all curious to know what going
on; policemen began to peep out of every corner of
the colonnade near the palace. and finally there APP
pcared quite suddenly squadron of cossacks and
another squadron of gendarmes. 1t must be stated
that the students behaved all the time with per-
feet order and camness; there not to be-
heard loud speaking among them. At last there
appeared one of the aides-de-camp of the Care
witch, and asked the deputation 10 come in. About
one hundred and nifty persons having gone inside the
yard OF the palace, the gates shut behind them.
and many Of them arrested by the police without
even having had the chance of speaking the Care
witch. who was reported to be sick. The petition
which these students wanted to present to the Grand
Duke consisted, reported, of the following
quests:-
To intercede before the Emperor about the reopen
ing OF the University of Kharkof. which shut
three weeks ago on account OF some disorders OF .
non-politcal character.
To restore to the Russian universities the rules in
vogue previous to the year 1S63-the rules under
which the students had their own tribunals. COM
posed Of their own brother students. who Judged
and settled all their affairs without the interference
OF the university authorities.
That an order may be issued to the police officials
toroaalhs them to make visits OF inspection to and
thus disturbing them in their studies without any
sufficient reason) without giving any previous
ing OF the contemplated arrests even to the unver
sity authorities
THIS CRIME.
II will be perceived from the above that there was
nothing unlawful in the students request, but they
nevertheless arrested for endeavor present
petition to member of the imperial family-an
act strongly forbidden by the police and University
statutes Their only intention was to make direct
appeal to the Czarewich, who is known to be of the
most liberal and generous disposition The police.
hearing of their meetings and preparations did not
of take any trouble to ascertain the nature Of
their intended request but put down to the account
OF socialstic and nhstic proceedings and arrested
a number OF them in their lodgings the night pre-
vious to their going to the palace. Afterward. rs
above stated, many OF those who came out as a
population for handing over the petition to the
Grand Duke taken in charge. OF course
yesterdays events not at all
toned in the local papers, The result is
that many quite exaggerated versions Of the whole
affair circulated The students who took an ac-
tive part i'll the proceedings had intention of mix
ing political questions with theirs For the most
part they were not at all unruly. turbulent youths
but that their petition is invested with such
mystery they reported by the well-intentioned
part Of society to have been socialists nihists and
all sorts Of other dangerous people, bent on over
throwing the existing government, on undermining
the foundations of individual property. while the
true revolutionary disciples contrive to get the ut
profit for themselves OF the actual disorders
in their endeavors to prove that nothing short of
revolution mend things in a country where such
simple requests not allowed to be brought before
high personages who alone have the power and tho
will to redress the many wrongs done to peaceful
offending citizens.
SOCIETY
Unhapply such malicious Islander falls on ground
well prepared to receive it. After the attempts made
on the lives of the Emperor William and the Italian
King great fear felt among the public here that
similar crime might occur in Russia For the last
three weeks latent fear of serious disturbance
universally felt The underground" literature of
the country has been very busy spreading all sorts
of insnuations and for the last months.
The articles in the organ the secret society journal
Zie,alia e Volta fLdnd and Liberty, grew and
more aggressive and impudent. Many private per-
sons received cautions about attempts being organ
lied to kill them. The manager of the Gotos got
anonymous letter in which the day even named
tthe sth of December) when universal st. Barthe-
lemy to take place and all the wellto-do people
were to be destroyed. The carnage tso ran the
sive) to begin with the personnel of the office
of the Goios if that paper did not change till then
its mode of spreading among the public unwholesome
and perverted notions about the rights Of people.
The alleged object Of the letter to offer oppor
tuny to the manager of the Goio to his life and
be made useful in he would consent TO see the
truth and embrace the OF the Socialists or
young regcnerating party of the Russian nation,
they call themselves. The gentleman in question.
of course did not to show the white feather to
people who afraid to encounter their opponents
face to face in an equal struggle and he told them
SO in the leading editorial article of the Goos next
morning. This article wholly directed against
the socialistic propaganda. without mentioning the
missive which led to that explanation.
Is LIBERTY?
These menaccs, as so many others from the same
source, led to nothing aud proved to be only the
tried for frightening people in order TO induce
them to hold their tongues and remain inactive.
saw the manager of the Gotos the same day he re-
ceyed the letter. and he did not conceal his annoy
ance ut that occurrence. We had opportunity to
talk the subject over, and was quite convinced
from his manner and his countenance during that
conversation (which free from any restraint
his part that it not the fear of any danger in
Cured by himself which made him SO nervous. but
grief for the fate of those young inexperienced men
who are always involved in such disorders without
being able to obtain anything they strive for The
students Of the high schools offer always the
necessary inAammabc material required for the ap-
plicaton of such coups d'efnf and the manager as q
former professor OF the university knew well who
to pay the end for all the cxtrsvsganccs of those
rampant towards. the Socialists who apt to
conceal themselves, putting forward only youths.
who appear to suffer Tor serving the right cause
have spoken since to many serious people interested
in the matter who not only acquainted with the
classes from whom all these letters and menaces
come. but knew the leaders Of the party i'll former
DAVIS Among these people there were TO be found