The New York herald., 1879-07-02

THE RUSSIANS COMMENTED.
In conclusion Mr.. Stous hton. after speaking
warmly IN praise OF the singular gentleness and hu-
nanity OF temper which the Russian people display
in their everyday life repeated with emphasis that
they thoroughly contented with and happy un-
der their government and devoted to their Emperor.
who. on his side was worthy of the affection his
people had for him. This is perfectly true. The
Russian people as whole are, indeed gentle, humane.
honest indusr. GUS. and by their natural qualities
fecty false is the assertion that the Russian people
are thoroughly contented with and happy s it irony
sarcasm under their government and devoted to
their Emperor. Bear in mind these iacts:-
The State Treasury yearly yields 10 0000 600 rubes
to the imperial family for their ordinary expenses:
the private imperial peasantry. domains gold and
silver mines in Siberia yield to His Majesty
annual revenue oil about 3o,0ooooO rubies. BY
virtue OF the autocratic power His Majesty has fur
ther the right to spend the public money as he
pleases. without account or responsibility.
2. In order to maintain his autocratc mower
against his ''loya and devoted" people it is neces.
sary to spend many hundreds of millions OF
rubes; raj for the secret police or the Third sec
tion fI FOR the army OF tchinovnks; cj for tha
large standing army lover one million) which must
be 50 equipped and drilled as to be ready at any
moment to Tight the people and to qnench promptly
the perpetual riots Of the peasantry, the Cossacks
the Poles the native revolutionsts and other num-
berless foes OF the Carbon.
g. At the same time the essentially dynastical cbn-
quering external policy constantly requires tho
raising OF more aud more millions by means OF for
eign loans. which add new charges on the people,
already overburdened with taxes Of every descrip-
ton. The financial condition OF the country is such
that the ruble is worth scarcely the half OF its
standard value that gold and silver are known only
by hearsay. and that the people thus certain
sense converted into involuntary '.greenbackers.'
A. All these enormous and for the most part en-.
trey useless expenses are covered by taxes levied
from the people; and almost exclusively d from the
the whole income OF the Empire representing a
total Of $50. 900 rubles. l10O0OO00 yielded
the working class and 3OOOOO.O0O by the
indirect taxes foremost OF which stands the liquor
la% Gut si9a' OF rubea has been
drawn from those miserable, overworked, Ignorant
wretches- the pea ants-whorl the Car has the
impudence to call 'his children" In this
the exorbitant land taxes already mentioned, as well
the local taxes. are not included Neither do we
mention the ruinous personal charges imposed on
the pc sants, such the mending country roads.
military service, rural police, &C.
5. Having reduced his people to state of brutal
and savish misery "little father, the Gar"
naturally keeps them in a most profound and hope
less Ignorance For the institution OF village schools
and tor primary instruction the Russian governments
has done nothing; copeck OF all the millions
cxtorted from the people has been spent for their
primary instruction. This Is fact corroborated by
official statistical data.
STATISTICS OF EDUCATION.
The official returns for 1877 show that among the
recruits only ~ per cent could read and only per
cent could write; the rest go per cent were per-
fectly ignorant. But the peasantry at large are
more ignorant Among them at least 95 per cent are
ilterate, 6per cent being scarcely capable of read
ing and writing. The peasant women are all Hitter
ate as a rule; official statistics admit that
among them only one-haf per cent capable of read
ing the Scriptures. Being overcharged, overworked
governed by violence deprived of ali instruction
peasantry reduced to the position OF domes-
tic animals. Living, as they do. in the utmost pow
erty and in state Of semi-starvation. they
kept quiet only by means OF perpetual state of
siege. Ii this state of siege be removed for one
week the whole world would their true
feelings OF "loyalty and devotion to the Car. They
gave an example of their attachment to the Car in
1870, during the well known Puzatchof nsurrection.
Small insurrections and riots have since gone on
uninterruptedly until the present time. but they
have been always partial, unorganized and without
capable leaders.
The present revolutionary party is dealing now
mainly with these peasants or moujiks promising
to return to them Gland and liberty and the prin.
ciples Of elf-government. which they fully
customed to from time immemoral. This self-gov-
ernment exists now but it Is paralyzed by the
and military force III the interest OF the
land owners and other parasites That Is the reason
why the government became so uneasy when 1t had
learned about the propaganda among the peasants.
because it very clear that il the peasants
should rise they would crush in one day the small
body OF their tyrants and oppressors.
One word more. The Russian revolution possesses
its devoted agents and allies in every country who
at all times capable of and ready to defend the
honor OF their cause against base and ridiculous
sander well to expose its true principles.
The Russian government III its turn possesses too
its official representatives in every country. to
whom the duty of defending the power they repre-
sent is intrused. Why the face OF our lthe revo-
lutlonists) accusations, in the face OF the public
opinion in all civilized countries, Justly turning
against the atrocious system now still subssting
in Russia-why, in the face of all this, do those
official representatives of the Russian government
keep q profound silence? Is it from indifference to
foreign opinion? Certainly not 1t is from feel
ing of shame. These gentlemen know very well
nounced by whole people against dastardly gov
ernment, no honest answer can be given. and they
are silent What Russian officials have not dared to
undertake. representative of the great free Ameri-
can nation has attempted to accomplish He may
rest assured Of the profound gratitude Of the Rus
sian Minister in this country for taking from lis
RUSSIAN NIHILIsT.
New YORK. June 80. 1879.
THE POLICE AND PASSPORT REGULATIONS At
cr prrrpspr,pf.- ANspopT rroS IN ct.
BERrA-LErrER FROM COLONEL GowAN.
To THE EDITOR OF HERALp:-
On my arrival here from st. Petersburg, where
have been residing for the past two find such
erroneous statements in the newspapers respecting
the position of affairs at that place that beg to
tradict some of them. A statement appeared in tho
columns of the leading London journal that over
1900 prisoners waiting transportation to
Siberia and intmated that they political prison.
All criminals banshed to Siberia; there have
been but three persons hanged in st. Peters,
burg two of them for attempting to shoot the Em.
peror. Early in the spring the prisoners that are to
be transported Siberia collected from tho var
parts OF the empire and transported in one
squad they usually number about 1000. These are
the prisoners that the London Journal erroneously
calls political.
THE POLICE REGULATIONS.
The only perceptbe change IN the regulation OF
dwelling houses simply that the dvornlck per.
son charge of tho doors of houses is compelled
remain the outside instead of inside the door; but
he never questions any person; every one passes
in and out freely ever. person may remain out
all night without the police or any else questions
ing them. paragraph In the same journal mcn-
toned that no could attend theatre or walk in
the streets without having their passports demanded
/ can simply add that during the past two years
have never shown or even seen my passport Tho
dsstardly acts of the nihilists abhorred by all
classes of the people. Still Russia is secure place
of residence any other. Travellers will ind
annoyance of different character than during
the past twenty years. Yours respectfully.
PARIS, June IL, 1879. JOHN Il. GOWAA
BOY BUCCANEERS.