The New York herald., 1879-07-30
RUSSIAN NIHI!LISM.
A Visit to the Quaint Old
City Of Kieff.
HOW THE REVOLT Is FOSTERED.
Tyranny Of the Gar the
Cause Of Success.
LITERATURE OF THE MOVEMENT.
ha IL to, l.
HOW THE REVOLT IS FOSTERED.
LITERATURE OF THE MOVEMENT
Dark and Stormy Days in the
Near Future.
KIEFF, July 7, 1879.

KIEFF, July 7. 1879.
write from this historical city of Russia. full Of
old "reminiscences and curious relics; the city Of
many churches and of queer byzantine cupolas. all
gilt and FURNISHED. which tower above the large
struggling quaint capital OF Southern Russia. In parts
10 splendid in others dapidated and is the centre
OF that Ukraine which in fertility may be called the
rival Of the great West of America Kie is also the
city of pilgrims who assemble in the vaults of its
almost innumerable churches. around shrines filled
with the remains of those who are considered
saints by the devotees of the Greek Church. Once
year is assembled within the city all the elegance
wealth and business ability of an immense sur
rounding territory. Russian princes, victorious
generals who have been endowed here with
landed estates Polish noblemen. foreign residents
connected with the most important industries Of
the country. crowd of wealthy and Of tattered
Jews; in fact everybody owning landed property
or dealing in agricultural products congregates at
that particular period in the 'city the Dnieper"
to conclude contracts for the year and to buy ana
sell all kinds of products. And this is the city
which has been lately prominent before the world
by the desperate resistance offered here by a
body OF nihilists surprised by the police
authorities. by the late riots, by the remarkable
trials resulting in the Punishment to Siberia of
and women OF good families. fair education and
great wealth, condemned accomplices in the
nihilistic organization. Such is Kieff, called "Hoy
Kief from Its many churches and embalmed saints.
NIHILIsM NOT
These political events Of recent date and my
information led me to suppose that many of the
friends OF the condemned were yet in Kieff nowise
daunted by the fate of their associates and contn
uing their work with the energy and selfsacrice Pc
culiar to nhlists considered the chief city Of the
Ukraine the ttest place for the collection of informa
Life in either of the two Russian capitals.
and especially in st. Petersburg, ruled by Gen.
eral Gourko with his Cossacks and Is 900 dporniks
spies posted at the gates of private residences
comparatively quiet now and would lead one to be-
Neve that nhiiism is extinct dying. / am not
sstonished ut the statements put forth by titled
Ambassadors to the Russian Court and American
Ministers leave that tho Importance and vitality
of nihilism has been over-estmated. the capital
having assumed quiet an atmosphere of late.
Especially since Solovieffs trial the inhabitants
have had truce in the issuing Of revolutionary
proclamations and nihilistic posters in unexpected
places. They appear occasionally. but with dimin-
ishing frequency. Rumor asserts undiminished
activity of the secret underground presses, but IL
this is true the results not freely distributed.
An interview with any of the leaders Of nhlsm or
penetration into their secret councils in any of the
capitals have found to be utter impossibllity,
Notwithstanding the credentials in my possession
HEARD.
Since my arrival in Kie1f have seen moro fire.
quently evidences of nihilistic activity and met with
agreater Willingness speak freely Western Cb-
Of the plans and doings of the society.
Nibilists shise the sensitveness to foreign
opinion observable in official and unofficial
Russia. The persistent statements of the
press as to their annihiation by the Russian
hao
self.importance. and upon being convinced that
q contradiction OF that assertion to your CORE
spondent would find its way into the HERALD the
much desired information which sought will
ingly given. A statement of the names Of my in
eormants and the exact location of our trysting
place would be of little interest to your readers and
would be breach Of confidence ON my part. Suffice
II to say. that to q secluded country house beyond
Kicf enjoying extended view from it's door Of the
bountiiul fields OF Southern Russia driven in
. "tcega." Within doors was gathered q small but
noisy company OF Russian visionaries Of both
discussing while gathered about the steaming
"samovar" the il-digested lore with which they
had evidently crammed themselves from foreign
radical literature. Such the place and such the
company to which s.the American was introduced
Hnd ''tho American" will lay before your readers
some OF the statements made TO him by prominent
members OF that revolutionary cotere.
THR NIuILfsr PRESS.
Taking advantage OF n lull in the rapid Russian
conversation, wheroin as Is customary In this
ers could be discovered. your correspondent ad-
dressed himself to prominent member Of the
ut Is the opinion Of many in my country. and dis
einguishcd gentlemen from abroad have fostered the
hiea by their statements. that the nihilisic move
nent Is greatly exaggerated in the public mind. Its
tisinsprng seemed to be restless activity which
constantly aiming unexpected blows ut royalty at
prosecuting officials. Tho lull that followed the
storm seems warrant the statement made to in
official circles ut St. Petersburg that the
Sures by General Gourko have para
Np md cl Qkad ~ he rfNxvn
OF the secret organization"
The nihist's face expressed his amusement at my
Question. he replied ~ afraid you have not
read the MO,ra while you were III st. Petersburg. 1t
ts clever newspaper. printed there wherein the
opinions Of the moderate Russian reformcrs
pressed far 1t Is dared to place thcm in print.
Have you seen 1t latelyT
mot lately" said.
MIR. sroUaHroN LORD LOTUS ANSWERED.
''lct me tell you. them he replied. 1T ltcontained
htcly full reply to your question II is well in
formed journal. and you will admit that If any
IL entitled to opinion its editors certainly.
Perhaps you remember the warming to the govern.
yncnt and classes that they should not
be deceived into false OF security by the ap
parent quietude of political agitators In cities dra
Rooned by Gourko or Todlobcn where nihilism had
Become q risky occupation. The warning urged the
government to redouble it's vigilance, the conspra-
tors having retired TO wider and more congenial
fields. The Mord right We are working
dmong the peasantry where amount OF
police control prevent our constant intercourse
with overtaxed and overtasked people 1t is the
original field of our operations. We never should
have left It II dsaection in the cities had not war
rAnted 1t.
''why were the people of the cities disaflected?
What had they in common with the peasanty' your
correspondent inquired
"You are aware was the answer. that the In
telligent classes stimulated to great
sacrifices during the lato war by promises
OF administrative reforms These promises were
not kept, aud the discomfort resulting in
tho cities from disappointment added largely to our
numbers. We have taken advantage of that discon-
tent to appear in tho cities, and mission there
being fulfilled. we are now taking tho villages in
hand again"
~ tho oe I
hesitatingly "that nhism has been driven out OF,
not allowed to leave. the capital. Has not force
been the cause2 Havo you not gone, necesseS"
decidedly notl" he said rapidly. '.The game Of
gaining converts in tho very midst of the police,
st the very gates OF the Cars palace. was
not worth the candle. Tho time was not
propitous to rousing the cities open riot and the
risk we were running with little to gain simply
enormous Therefore have returned to first
strongholds ana are undermining tho power OF the
Gar with the vast rural population. Our work now
more slowly approaches contamination, but its re-