The New York herald., 1879-07-30

famous forbidden fruits and asked my informant
If he could not favor me with a look at some or
them.
''We don't keep such books ON exhibition in Rus
sian households" he said. but come this way and
/ will give.y you some idea of our literature.
Leading the way To upper room. he left me for
a few moments aud returned bringing with him
select collection of nihilistic books and pamphlets
bound i'll gaudy colored paper and printed III lius-
sian characters.
"You will notice." he said. "that most of these
writings i'll the Little Russian dialect used ex-
clusively by the peasants OF that region These
large, green covered volumes are copies Of the
Xr0nadd u magazine published at Geneva the dwell
ling place OF the famous Vera Sasulitch and ner
sThe excellence of the language aud the size Of
these books observed 'seem to indicate that they
for the use of the man of education and refine
ment A peasant would hardly understand such
arguments and logic as notice here. and could
never find time to finish one."
.Here are the small guns-the mitrailleuses which
scatter our doctrines broadcast" Going to the
table he took up suall. neatly printed pamph-
lets. 'Ihese offer none of the objections you find
alone, Let me show you which is fair example
of them all. This little book, which be read at
sitting you see, is entitled Pro chliborobstr yak
cUpon Farming; or, How Land is Divided and How
it ought to be Owned.9 1t is tair example of the
doctrines of rural nhism. 1t shows some ability
in literary way, and like other writings of this
class has large circulation. Most of these books
are Conversations between peasants. who discuss
nihilism and public affairs"
read the book through rapidly and was surprised
to tnd that II was more given to absurd reasoning
peals for riot and demand tor the Wholesale murder
OF Russian officials.
OF THE pAMpuLEr.
The following is an outline of the book
An ancient rural philosopher introduced under the
name Of Karpo, asserts i'll the first chapter ofsthe
innocent looking little book that III the happy
OF his verdant youth the steppe WAS mans land
and that the pernicious practice OF finding
an owner for each parcel of the earths
surface is of quite recent origin. Another
rural wiseacre. Myhayio by name. defines
propretors of large estates as either of
np pn Of he
called princes and czars, had been endowed with
tates for such service or descendants OF merchants
OF their egalized theft III landed property Although
their descendants-says the philosopher-indulge in
the habit OF spending twenty years OF their youth
III various Colleges they are not mentally superior
to the heaven inspired mash (peasantl. These men.
ne goes on 70 say; farm their estates badly which
is an additional reason for their cOnfiscaton
to the people, to be held in and farmed
cordins to scientific methods by tho unlettered
muSatks. Myhaylo presents an enchanting picture
OF h,omdda commune) organized upon nihili. tic
principles, commune that merely an enlarged
family. as it was originally in Savonc communities
and partly remains this day in Serva and Monte
negro two countries held up as comparative models
of social organizations War; that source Of all DIS
order and unjust distribution of soil, will not be toll
Grated in Myhaylo's commune.
WHAT Is PROMISED
The free commune of unlearned men Will abolish
all lords and higher branches government MAIN
tanning by it's strength and authority n true
order among the human family Each individual
member of the commune will have to obey the
wishes Of the majority with aacrity quite equal
to that with which, in the days OF serfdom, he
obeyed his lord All the nations of the Slavonic
stock conederated into powerful republic
will adopt the communal syesem $50 well adapted to
their genius, says Myhaylo. Here philosopher
displays some knowledge of the pecuarities OF
other nations giving it as his opinion that such q
system may not be practical IN Switzerland or
America the Teutonic element of which, has, he ad-
mts. either by nature or force OF inherited GUS
tom. desire tor individual holdings. "9ut
only two or three slavonic races. none
of which are OF much Importance"
well acquainted with the objections which will be
urged by Western writer's against despotic COM
mune endowed with the power OF forcing its meni-
| bers into uncongenal work but he maintains that
the contscation OF all property for the benefit of
the peasant and the increase OF wealth and comfort
| thus gained by that class, will fully compensate
them for any loss OF nd vidual liberty (which after
ALL " he says philosophcally "amounts only to the
liberty of farming badly and suffering starvation" "
| The promise or land grant is repeated III every
chapter OF this and all similar publications circu
lated among the rural population. Do this and the
broad lands shall be yours is the burden OF the
nihilists promise to the peasant 1t is continually
repeated final answer to all objections, and
though this method of winning the people by rous.
ing their greed may be criminal, every observer Of
the Russian peasanry admits its effectiveness among
the wretched covetous people of tins great empire.
THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE
! As laid down tho book l realized that it made
little difference now. from whom the Russian peas
AM had received his first teachings OF socialism.
| My informant claimed that the seed was sown and
watered by the government. and that the nihiist
was merely turning the harvest into his own grana
|
was due to the literature sown broad.
cast the land by the nihsts. From
whatever he absorbed it. the Russian peasant
is to-day deeply possessed with the spirit of social
ism and being urged to desperate political
ton, the result OF which, the prime movers
knowledge they cannot themselves forecast.
DARK DAYS AHEAD.
AS we went down stairs again, the nihilst poured
into my his belief i'll great future for Russia
$50 radical change as we seek to effect cannot be
''kussia dark days of riot and bloodshed
fore the end is reached Car and peasant arisocrat
and lsborer radically opposed to each other
and each Will exhaust has las; before the
battle is lost and won. Trying as the ordeal will be
the Russian people ready the battle. and hav-
ing tailed by every other to regain their
rights they will soon be quietly arming behind
every hedge and wood through hout the land. 1t
spasmodc effort; we are moving slowly and surely.
THE MOVEMENT UNIVERSAL
1.-THE movement il widespread. and the official who
believes nhism is dead is sentry voluntarily sleep
ing on his post. Already the country districts are
seriously affected that the Czar himself, in this
circular his Minister OF the Interior has sounded
note of alarm Nihilism is living. moving. acting
and pregnant with great results for Russia 1t is the
darkest before dawn. but Russias day will be long
and bright and peaceful"
The samovar had ceased its steaming the night
was tar advanced and tho lttlo company had broken
Kef. thinking Of my evening among these po-
litcal axitators, and the radical doctrines
had discussed. III VIC remember tho persist
cnce OF nhist missionaries and that they work.
ing upon the villagers with direct appeals to their
greed. and il We remember the disadvantages under
which the government abors outside of the cities in
suppressing tho agitation, tho implicit belief my
nihilistc friend that the peasants generally would
be melted to open riot and boodshcd ut no ant
day throughout Russia, does not seem utterly i'm
possible.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.