The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-16
The Situation i'm Rnssin.

Tho action OF the Russian authorities
since the attempt upon the life Of the Car
implies not only the existence OF panic, but
the impotence OF the ruling powers to cope
by ordinary means with their Nihilst oppo-
nents. By n proclamation Of martial law,
not in one or two centres Of discomfort but
over wide areas comprehending a large
part Of the European population, they
have admitted the collapse Of the nor
NAL civil machinery. The stan Of gov
eminent has broken In their hands,
and it remains TO be seen whether the swift
and harsh measures Of military repression
will tend to check, or rather TO foment, the
growing disaffection. The attitude OF the
Car and his advisers would seem TO be
prompted by actual terror, and how far their
fears are well grounded will appear from a
review Of the events which have followed
one another with startling rapidity during
the past twelve months.
That body Of revolutionists who have
come TO be known abroad as Nihillsts, but TO
whom the term is seldom applied at home,
either by themselves or by their enemies,
have exhibited strength and a vitality, a
tenacity of purpose and a completeness Of
organization, hardly paraleled in the his
tory Of political conspiracy. With every
act OF violence perpetrated by their agents,
with every failure on the part Of
the police to forcstall or punish their
assaults, with each fresh discovery
made by the authorities and each manifesto
issued by the violators Of law, the revolu-
tionarY movement has seemed TO acquire
more formidable proportions. For time the
impression was widespread that the new
party was recruited mainly among vision
AIRY students, who could never prove a seri-
Gus danger to the State and a little later
some attempts were made TO identify the
aims Of the Russian conspirators with the
International Society. 1t Is now known
however. that while there are many vo-
taries Of the so-called Nihilistc philosophy
among its leaders, yet the true object Of the
movement is political and national, and is
indeed nothing else than resolute attempt
10 gain by violent means n constitutional
Government.
This demand for a Constitution, having
been repeatedly presented since 1925,
had been urged with especial vehomencc
since 1868, when scrfdom was abolished,
and at length, about year ago, it
broke forth in the most peromptory
lbIlls IlfltlOlOifi All' bikhHp VI WV iNAoT
sian royoutonists had been the Storm BlH
printed in London, and the Forwards, in
Geneva; but now new journal appears in
st. Petersburg itself which, under the name
Of Laad dad Liberty, has unfoldcd the pro-
gramme of the revolutionary party At first
this newspaper attacked, not so much tho
Car himself as the minister's and fayorltes
who interposo Il sort Of wall between the
sovereign ana the people. This wall. it said,
must be broken down ms the first and indis-
pcnsablo condition Of reform They exactcd
furthcr'the suppression Of the secret po-
lice, as we'll az sweeping changes in the
courts OF justice and in the procedure
followed in police examinations. As Il
guarantee Of these improvements, and of
progressive Moderation, they asked for the
Introduction Of Parliamentary institutions.
lnatmuch as no redress was obtainable by
peaceful agitation the editors Of LaAd ana