The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-05-09
NIHILIsM In RUSSIA.
History of the Origin, Rise and Progress Oh
the socisty-Its Terrors and It's hesoiu-
tion-Its Oath and It's Proclainstions.

History of the Origin, Rise and Progress OF
the socisty-Its Terrors and Its kesoiu-
tion-Its Oath and It's Proclaanstions.
from the New York Heraid.l
The attempt on the life of the Gear,
taken i'm connection with the recent
Assassination of Prince Krapotkine
and the attempted killing OF Gen. Won
Drentelin. attracts renewed attention to
the secret order which now keeps the
people of Russia in a state OF terror
ism. A brief sketch of the rise and
progress of this dreadful society Will,
therefore, be read with interest. The
birth of free ideas in Russia dates from
a few days previous to the accession OF
Emperor Nicholas l., in 1926, at which
time a secret society was formed, under
the name of "Decabristy" December
ists). called after the month in which
revolution occurred in st. Petersburg.
Citizens of st. Petersburg remember
that terrible day, Dec. 10, 1925, as one OF
dreadful carnage. All the principal
streets of the capital were red with the
blood of the victims. The principal
leaders of this secret society were
Pestel, Ryleff, Betsuzuff, Roumin,
Mouravieff Apostol (all of whom were
hanged), Ogareff, Bakounin, Hertzen
Islander, Satin and Toutchkof.
Though many members OF the
society were hanged and thousands
sent to Siberia by Nicholas l.,
many escaped or were unsupported, and
continued their work. The object OF
the secret organization was to dethrone
Nicholas I. in order to form a constitu-
tional Government, with Constantine
Paulovitch Gan elder brother of Nicho-
las L. at its head. Followers and mem
bers of the secret society established "a
journal in London, called the Kotokol
(the BelD, whose proprietor and editor
was the famous red revolutionist, HeIt-
zen Gskander), who died in Switzer-
land few years ago, an exile and I'M
der the death sentence of his native
country. Hertzen's ideas were exalted,
although he sometimes carried them to
extremes. Possessing great power OF
language, he acquired much popularity
and powerful influence over Russian
youth, who received, secretly read and
hid his journal rs some sacred relic, be-
ieving in Hertzen as in God. The
most remarkable of his productions
publ she'd in the Kolokol were Letters
from This Side" They contain mi
mute accounts of the most secret affairs
of the Imperial Government, as well as
the Gear and his family, together with
the editors views and hopes of the flu
ture of Russia. His sympathizers and
agents penetrated the seclusion Of the
households of the highest circles of
Russian society as well as the private
chambers of officials. Hertzen's chief
objects were to bring about a repre-
sentation of the people, to sweep from
the face of the earth every member of
the Czars family, the titled aristocracy
and the priests, and to make an equal
division of all lands. These letters con-
tain much valuable historical material,
from the fact that their statements are
true to the smallest details. His inhu-
ence continued strong in Russia until
1948.
HERTZEN's FOLLOWERS.
The boldness and fascination of his
writings, promulgated everywhere,
though secretly in Russia, had the ten
dency to encourage the formation of
new societies under various names,
such as Young Russia (Molodaia Ros-
sia), Land and Freedom, and others, all
having common sympathy and pur
pose with Hertzen. Leaving in the
background many of his opinions and
views as belonging to a past genera
ton, these societies advanced and
adopted new ideas more in accordance
with the new era of which they be-
lieved they saw the dawn. These
ideas were first expressed through
two popular journals, jSouremiennik
and Rltskoie SloWO, which were
suppressed about ten years ago by
the Russian Government, and some
of their writers sentenced to hard labor
for life in the mines of Siberia. Among
these were Czernyshevski, who wrote
the celebrated Russian romance,
What To Do" Mikhailoff Ga poet and
others. The principal leaders of Mill
ism at that time were Czernyshevski,
Mikhailof, Antonovitch, Dobroluboff,
Pissuref and Nietchaieff. Switzerland
gave up the last-named person in 1870,
on the demand of the Russian Govern
ment, under accusation of being one of
the assassins of Ivanoff, member of
the Nihilists, who attempted to betray
their secrets. They had had oppor.
tunity to spread their Nihilistic ideas
through these journals under most ia
vorable circumstances, as during the
interval between 1868 and 1872 compar-
alive freedom of the press existed,
which had never been the case previous
to that time. On June z, 1872, an order
was issued from the Gar giving power
to the Minister of the Interior to punish
any undue freedom of the press. Since
then there has been nothing but perse-
cution. The above men Except Met
chaieff) we're well. known and distin-
guished writer's, exercising powerful
influence in the conversion Of the opin.
ion of the Russian youth.
REVOLT OF THE WOMEN.
The sympathies of the women were
so far engaged that they became will
ing to make great sacrifices to show
their total disregard of the existing GUS
toms of society. They cut off their
long hair, and many entered profess
sions. Many studied successfully, and
became doctors of medicine. As such
A..