The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1879-08-30
LONDON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence.]
LONDON, August 9th. 1879.

LONDON, August 9th. 1873.
Not only in England but in 9th
er parts OF -Europe aFe-tAer effects
of American competition begin.
ming to be indirectly felt. Ameri
can imports are largely diminish.
ing the external demand for the
cereals grown inthe fertile plains
of SoutheE4E~Ru SO
that in some districts land il said
to be going out of cultivation sim
ply because the raising of crops
has ceased to be renumerative.
cholera, plague, and d%iptheria
IRE raging with great severity in
many OF the eastern and southern
provinces, while others are afflic
ted by a ruiuous visitation OF To-
Gusts, and cattle plague i'll a very
fatal form is widespread. The vi
tality and recuperative power of
any great community are marvel
lous, but it is scarcely possible
that Russia can pass through
such Il concurrence of caiamities
without experiencing some starts
ling social or political npheava!.
There is no more striking evil
dence Of the superticiality of the
veneer of the Western civ:liza
ton which overlays the Oriental
ba, barism that is the actual con-
dition of the mass OF Russian So
cie!y than the savagery with
which the contest between the
Government and the revolutiona-
ry party is being carried on. On
the one hand sthe infamous at
tempt made Il few months ago Oil
the life of the Gar seems to have
provoked the authorities to sur.
pass anything previously known
in the way Of repressive vigor.
The prisons are everywhere filled
with people, most of whom have
been arrested OIL mere suspicion
at the arbitrary discretion Of The
military governors of PROVINCES.
In the large towns of the police
regulations are SO numerous and
50 minute that to people accus
toned to the institutions OF free
countries like ours, existence un
der them would be simply into!e.
rable:aE"Among recent items OF
news from Russia are such Incl
dents as the summary expulsion
from Moscow, by the order of the
Governor General, Of all the
pawnbroker and insurers in the
city; the prohibition by Genera.
Fodleben, Governor Of Odessa,
OF all coll;ctiOns of money fol an,
p%rofes>edly charitable religious o,
ct without official sanction; :.
demand on the railway compa
MES to furnish TO the authorities
lists of the christian and sur
names of all persons in their EN-
ploy, accompanied BY an order
not to take anybody into then
service without formal oficia
permission previously obtained
and the intliction Of heavy penal
ties OH persons who, even in pro
vincial towns, have dared to ie,
lodgings to strangers without gi,
ing information to the police. On
their part, the revOlutioni>ts d,
not appear to be discouraged By
the frantic eXertiOns and appal
ling seventies of the government
They have abandoned for thu
time the practice of assassinatins
objectionable officials; but tht
method OF warfare they have sui
stitutrd for it is even more terri
Bile. They have resorted to whole
sale incendiarism. Within The
past two months entire towns
have been devastated by fires
All official returIi states the nun
Der of contlagrations Throughout
the Empire in the single mouth
of June to have been 1901, caus.
ing damage to the extent of Ii
200, 900. Only about IA seventh
Of these fires are attibuted to in
cendiarism, but it may he safeI,
assumed that this is far too Low
an estimate. The most startIin.
instance Of the audacity Of til,
ilicendiaries, Az of the fierce ha,
tired of the old order Of thing.
which aniin!ta* them, has only
just been reported. A few days
ago an attempt was made ir
broad daylight'to burn down the
Kremlin at'Moscow-a place thai
has been'hitherto regarded as Sd
cred to patriotic Russians. There
Is, in fact, war to tile knife he
tween the Russian revolutionists
and the Government, and it seem,
to be only too apparent that al
the repressive powers the latter
eau bring into play are made.
quate to the task Of crushing the
enemies Of tile existing system.
fr Their First Tumhyen