New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-11-05
RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES.
THE GROWTH OF RADICALIsM.


the share of learning offered by the legal fac
plty of that Imperial capital The lectures for the
6rst course we're limited 20 the encyclopaedia ot
jurisprudence. logic. Russian legal history and kus-
sian political law. upon which exercises were nc
tated A fat Russian eccesiastio with bery red
face acted as lopician. He taught from volumes
"sauci,oned by the most holy directing synod
considered Wolf the kernel and star Of all phiioso-
ply. aud was universally laughed 1T but also uni-
versally feared; . &c grcdn CAS- my neigbor the
Mahometan Prince informed mel was in the habit
OF having strange faces rejected at the examna'
ton in order 10 enforce attendance at Ina lectures
The representative of Russian political law was a
Young thin fair con pie xiOned tutor. Herr Andre
ieyski who had iust entered his office, and deuon-
strated the correctness of ms Opinions ~ wearing
in addition 10 the prescribed blue uniform coat a
blue uniform vest trimmed with metal buttons, ana
blue trovsers. The FIRST address of this gentleman
(who had made himself iavorablY known by some
monographs upon Russian legal histoiylwas accom-
panied by innnitobly comcal features la hgh'
nathe,ieally modulated tenor the worthy man en-
treated his auditors to follow m,with unselhsh de-
yotion to the cause of learning, INTO the sanctuary
of KNOWLEDGE ana advance iesrlessly and unwea-
riedlv urcu us thoruy path TO the desired goal, the
pesccptlon Of truth. This exhorIatIon formed the
introduction TO sn explanation OF the prluelples "'
the constitution of Russian courts and the rei"-
lions of the highest authority tc existing laws
Hinder u" Russian pohtcal law" Part /. was q col
lection of precepts of the most defective bureaucratic
organization in the world under Part IL. was c"n-
prise, fhe doctrine If the political rights OF ire
different classes. ard this " science" was consd-
cred SO important that only lie could aspire 10
the fifth ball" who knew exactly what husi-
ness was transacted in each department OF the nn-
is:erial of ces As the inst did not enter u-
on the Roman law and Roman legal history, the
theoretical departments" We're limited 20 the so
called encyclopaedia Of jurisprudence and Russian
legal history. The latter branch, wOrihlN repre-
rented by Herr kalmkov. awoke a certain degree
of interest especially those portions treating "l
more ancient times II was only pity that NO
trace 81 connection existed between the Older
law Of the Russians and tie puipou Of
the "ukases" contained in the code Of the
Gar Nicholas. and that the knowledge Of tie
..prawda Russkaja," and the various hypothesis
roncs mig it's origin were not taken into account
beside tine endless Of useless rubbish Z" he
committed to memory. which turned the scale IN
the examinations, and to which the Principal atten-
non OF teachers and pupils wasdlreCted-that tie
Encyclopedias Of Jurisprudence" afforded no real
gain in knowledge was settled 10y several cireum-
stances wholly independent of the teachers.
Excursions IN the domain of European public law
were legally prohibited. comprehensive cxp'ana-
lions of the influence OF Roman law were rendered
impossible because the students OF the first course
Possessed 10 knowledge OF the institutions and legal
history Of Rome and these branches moreover played
very subordinate part the representatives Of the
national" party five and twenty years ago knew
that the soil OF Holy Russia had always remalued
free from the influence Of tie justin an code and
canonical law, and for tins reason troubling
oneself about ancient times was unnecessary. II 1t
Ia also known that throc-quaItcTs OF all the more
prominent literary works upon history, political
law ana jurisprudence were forbidden. and the pa
pers and journals admitted by the censor were con-
fned to the "Norv." Creuzzciiuug," end half q
dozen others OF similar stamp an Approximate idea
Of the nature Of the scientific ana intellectual life
of our university may be formed. And yet IL was
universally acknowledged, hat the $50 students OF
the ST. Petersburg University in 1898 were 'ncon-
parahly better aud stood a higher plane Of intel
lectua development than tie 4s3 pupils of Char
kOv, the $40 of Kasan, aud GIG OF kiev who IN
consequence OF the geographical situation oi their
institutions of learning There were no railwayN
remained untouched by the indirect influences of
The world of culture, and among whom the
number Of poor and dependent young men was
much greater than among the pupils OF the alma
mater Petropolitana
TIE LIBERAL EXCITEMENT.
few years later. scarcely any trace remained Of
the condition of affairs above described the per
sons associated with II. Al the first contact with
the fresh breeze that after the preparation for the
abolition OF serldom and other measures Of reform
blew over the Sa:matian plain the old system Of
instruction fell like house OF cards. In the Spring
of 1858 the "most liberal" If all the CGiatoTs.
Kovalevsk of Kasan) took NOrv's place i'll the man
agement of the Ministry of War, and the mere nd
ings Of this change SUFFICIENT 10 cut the
ground from under the feet of Mussn-Pusclkin and
col1eavuee of similar views make Alexander IVAN
ovtsch's dreaded activity purposelcss, show the
door to the priests Of the Greek Church who had
been made professors OF philosophy. restore tho
prOfessorships Of political law and other forbid
dem branches of learning. and suddenly place
teachers and pupils III totally altered position
But before the statute prepared by the Min
is ers order had been completed and had gone into
effect the restriction of the number Of students
ordered in 1919 was removed. the right OF free
choice Of rector restored to the Council academic
Senate, the compulsion TO wear uniform set ASIDE
aud the Chinese method of examination checked
al these things had really become impossible since
The government had freely permitted travelling
abroad cast aside the Index rlohibitOrum, swtl'ad
TO foiO-y Olume by the action or the censoTs al
lowed the growth of periodical press devoted 10
the most advanced radicslsm,snd suffered llcrzou's
"KolOkoV 10 become great power incOmpaTghly
more dreaded than the third part political po-
liccl. Everything that had hitherto been valued
and revered suddenly experienced transfnrns-
ton the despised student, the standard bearer
of a better futGre.' became the favorite Of public
opinion young men II recognized liberal views
pressed IN tiIones 20 fll the Office Of instructors:
instead Of The veterans Of ihe older order Of thnc.
these young enthusiasts uttered the decisive word
In the councIl and doct finrs which declared warup-
on all previously received ideas 4 authority were
announced from professors chas. without any oac's