Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-05-14
[FrOm Our Regular Correspondent I
Our European Letter,
LONDON. Eng, April 81. 1877

Our European Letter.
LONDON, Eng, April 81, 1879.
Echoes from Russia are plentiful among
the political and social surfaces of the old
capital. for London is one of the Himalay-
an peaks in the civilized world, catching
the lights and noises from all points. As
you will imagine, without my taking the
trouble 10 suggest the reason why, En-
gland does not greatly grieve over the
kettle of hot suds into which the northern
bear seems to have been suddenly doused.
What the Moscow Gazette terms " the
moral plague "-otherwise the revolution
AIRY propaganda now rampant in Russia
is an aflliction regarded here as having
been sent upon Russia by Mrs. Partington's
g INSCRIPTIONS providence to deprive
her of the power further 10 mix herself up
in the eastern question at time especially
maldprOpos to her majesty's government.
And it really does look us though En-
glands belle noir were in a very tight box
on this occasion-that's fact. Indeed.
the talk in London is that Russia has
" gone STALE" or rather, that she has long
been stale, and that now she is TO be turn
ed completely bottom side up, for ventila-
ton and fumigation. Indisputable facts APP
pear to bear out this view. If the nihilism
movement includes all who are naturally
competent to belong to it by virtue of
having nothing and being nothing, then
about the sum total of the Russian peas
antry will have to be counted in. The
shortest possible description of the char
acter and condition of the common people
is included in the word " filthy" This is
not drawing-room adjective, but it is the
correct one. The condition of the large
towns and cities, from sanitary point of
view, is simply abominable. Neither st.
Petersburg nor Moscow has any system of
drainage, and the task of cleansing either
would put old Hercules to his trumps. The
crowded prisons are the breeding places of
Ill that is pestiferous and vile. Supersti-
ton and immortality ride the people rs the
old man of the sea rode on Sinbtd's back
Pardon the feeble pun if say this is be-
cause they have sinned bad, but tho gov
eminent is responsible. That vengeance
which, however long it may be deferred,
Of In 4
punish all crimes of despots against the
race, impends over the bureaucratic sys-
TEN of Russia, and the end cannot now be
predicted. Since the conclusion of the
war with Turkey matters have been grow
ing worse. Taxation, previously almost
uncomfortable, has been increased to meet
the expenses of II heavy military establish
ment, thousands of families are without
he Invaluable "bread winner" and other
thousands who lived to return from the
war are crippled and helpless for life in
I land where syslematized philanthropy
10 relieve their wants has not yet sprung
into being. In the face of this, and in the
face of state of things of the horror and
evil OF which these words convey no idea
| do not wonder at the nihlist movement
The warm hearted and hospitable Russian
certainly deserve better fate
han to wallow in the mirc rs they have
lone for generations, but whether they have
the capacity to relieve themselves from
it-whether the organic llion which now
puzzles the police with its secrecy and APP
pals the government by its audacity-will
prove the nucleus of anything better,
Heaven only knows. 1t is the toughest
in European politics nj present.
The death is announced of Mrs Rousby,
who at one time occupied II prominent
position on the London stage, and was
known rs the beautiful Mrs.
Rousby.' The deceased lady came of IN
old Devonshire Roman Catholic family,
ind was the daughter of Mr. Dowse, Il
physician residing in Jersey. She had a
strong natural aptitude for the stage, and
was married to Mr.. Wybert Rousby, di,
rector of the local theatre at Jersey, some
fifteen or sixteen years ago. She made
her debut in that island, where for some
time she played the role Of leading lady
in her husbands company. Her great
success in the metropolis was in the
queens theatre, where she acquitted her.
self with honor, positively taking the
town by storm as Princess Elizabeth in
Mr.. Tom Taylors historical drama of
- Twixt Axe and Crown" Her name was
,lso identified with Joan of Are in
which she sustained the character of the
heroine, and with Mr.. w. 6. Wills's
" Marie Stuart ut the princess's theatre
Her last appearance in London was in Mr..
Bandmann's adoption from the German
Madeleine Morel,' at the queens. Mrs.
Rousby was II fascinating without being II
powerful actress; she had Il silvery voice,
statuesqne attitu les, but no strong emo
JlOldl DOWtt. MUCH VI lllt SCClCI vi HCi
success lay in her personal attractiveness.
On Thursday afternoon II large crowd OF
females, numbering about IL thousand.
who were employed in the army cl)thing
d partment, proceeded to Westminster for
the purpose of seeking some redress of
their grievances. Their main cause OF
complaint is the reduction of their wages
from IS s. to 10 S. per week. AS
,emblng in the immediate vicinity of the
house of commons, few of the unfortu
nate government employees were conduct
ed by Inspector Denning to the central
hall, and they subsequently Obtained an
interview with Sir Charles Dixie and Mr.
Courtney, who promised to consider the
case laid before them, and to render what
assistance they can in promoting the
wishes of the compliments. This demon
stration was very silent, but was none the
less effective.
meant at the outset to throw into this
letter little more variety than in looking