The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-06-13
AIR EUROPEAN LETTER.
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You will, no doubt, be surprised to
of the Cars, but suddenly Summoned
TO attend to some important business
IN Stockholm, Sweden, and unable to
resist my desire to re-yisit St. Peters
burg during these Troublesome times.
where my stay will however be yery
short. arrived here only two days
ago. Thirteen years have elapsed
since last left the barbor of St.
Petersburg for America and ths time
has certainly worked wonders. Then
everything seemed quiet and peaceful,
now bombs, petards aud revolutionary
proclamations are the order of the day.
A reign of terror exists. General
Ghourka, an old and trusted friend of
the Gar has met with serious obsta-
Gle in the way of his celebrated repres-
sive measures. 1t will be remembered
that not the least remarkable of these
was the order to place watchman be-
fore every door in the capital. The
Nihilists have now posted a proclama-
ton under the very nose of the police
threatening all who take service as
special watchmen, with death, the con-
sequence of which Is that no men can
be found willing to accept the danger
ons post9, and it is almost certain that
II the decree is to be carried ont a
military sentinel will have to be placed
at the door of every house. The air of
81. Petersburg is full of wild rumors of
fresh assessinations and revolutionary
plots. Great CONSERVATION has been
caused by the arrest of peasant with a
letter in his pocket containing a plan
for an attnct on the WintergPalacc and
the Fort of st. Peter and st. Paul
The result of this has been the calling
out OF the entire garrison under the
command of the Grand Duke Nicholas,
while the revolutionists are doubtless
enjoying their grim hoax. II is stated
that the heir-apparent has received
several anonymous letters advising him
To leave the country if he wishes to
maintain neutral position in the
"coming revolution" The trial of tbe
three Russian students on a charge of
disturbing public order has resulted in
Two OF them being sentenced to nine
and one to four months impri, onment.
General Gonrka's measures have evil
dently done more harm than good. and
such is the dissatisfaction at the uniyer-
sites, that the students are leaving
their classes en- masse, and it is proba-
BILE that these institutions will have to
be shut up. i ilii vnnl
The gloomy fortress of Peter and
Paul promises in these trOubl6us times
, TO play prominent part in connection
win the revolution movement i'm
Russia. Founded by Peter the Great
1t early began an evil career as the
state prison of the unfortunate Cesare-
vtch Alexis, whom, rightly or wrong
~ posterity believes to have been done
to death by the hands of his despotic
parent. Afterwards, il became the
regular place of detention for prisoners
' of State, and, perhaps, for one hundred
! and nifty years the cells have never
e been without their complement of in
f mates. In GATHERINGS reign, the dun
geons were more than once so over
n crowded that whole patches had to be
e removed by boat to the Schlusselburg
1 fortress, higher up the Neva, Just as at
the present moment swarms are night
G ly smuggled away from its grim interi-
t or and despatched in hooded carts to
Siberia or Saghalian. Under the soy-
o ereignty of Paul, the number slackened
4 but Alexander soon ,replenished the
prison, and at the moment of his death
] at Taganrog the vanlts were crammed
f with conspirators. The first efforts of
n the Dekabristes after their revolt
i against Nicholas were directed towards
liberating their friends in the fortress,
/; and, falling in the attempt, hundreds
: were driven by the Cossacks inside
v the gloomy walls. Throughout the
rest of the autocrat's reign the fortress
J. maintained its evil reputation, aud
i under his son, the "Liberator," its
d notoriety has rather Increased than
otherwise. AS to the number of VIC
o tins that have lived and died within its
V limits during the century and half of
e its existence nothing with certainty is
known, and probably the world will
d always remain in ignorance of>the snf-
> ferlngs OF the unfortnnates who have
II rotted i'll its noxious underground
It vaults or persisted. in the lower cells
during the frequent foundations of the
" Neva. Constructed on the most ap-
n proved principles of Nanban, on an
u island in the midst of the city, it is
II wholly Inaccessible to attack, while at
!. the same time dominating every ave
s. nue. of the capital branching from it
~ In the winter roads across the ice con.
. meet it with the Winter Palace opposite
re and in the summer sloop of war il
,c mostly anchored in the river to pre-
serve communication between the
l. fortress and the Imperial Quay
g. While the army remains loyal 10 the
&c Gar the fortress will always keep the
city in subjection, as from its portal.
ID could issue at auy moment force suffi-
" cient 10 quell the fiercest street revolt
a There seems TO be no doubt that the
e, successor to the throne has received
2 anonymous letters advising him TO gl
J. abroad if he wishes to maintain neu
Is trail position in the impending revolu
,e ton, and similar Incidents are reported
from only too many parts of the Elm
pire. Many corpses are found having
ID ON their breasts the fatal slip with The
es terrible words, Doomed by the Exc
~ cutive Committee" Already the
to threat of Revolutionists is fulfilled
tn that the terror spread by the Govern
Id ment will be out done by terror lii
spired by the dread Executive Com
IL mittee. The Russian Government ar,
about to open negotiations with othel
tn states, with view to treat those whC
m attempt the life of foreign Sovereigni
gs as murderers aud not as politica
la offenders. An attempt will also bi
made to compel Switzerland to expe
ov Russian refugees, and to prohibit ih,
ok publication of Russian Revolutionar,
Literature which is nowadays chief,
Iprinted at Geneva. Among the hun
dreds arrested at Warsaw is Miasofl
ge the Public Prosecutor of the place, VIII,
re is charged with being a member of th
N, Russian Revolutionary conspiracy
er The railway STATIONS at st. Petersburg
ne and all the larger towns are strictl
all guarded, and arrests are being mad
Im promiscuously in every direction. Ii
Ill In fact, st. Petersburg absolutel
lr. teens with rumOrs of fresh attempts a
er assassinations and revolutionary plots
A stranger is at my door aph wishes {
see me-Is he detective?