, 1879-04-23
Interview with a Representative OF
the New Russian Moye'
tnett.
Blhill,m ia the Palace, in The lristwraey, In The
ARM. Iu ths Church, in the unfserslttes,
and Among Tho Peasants.
The Important Part Played by Women
d. Nihilist Judgments - Severe
Measures Of Repression.

The reporter 4akcus W mt arc VIC PiiuSsplGs
md ae1nnnds Of tho people called Nlhi!tstsf
Arc these merely destructlyca .-.-.,
A.-At present the principles Of tho Nlhiassss
are destructive as we'll rs constructive, So lnr
as the present Government OF Russia Is coil
ccyncd, they are destructive; but Nihist prin-
ciples arc
NOT L1N1ERD TO pEsTRucT1vENEss.
They have ia view tho restoration Of the pco-
plc's Government which existed three centuries
ago throughout the whole Of Russia. Three |
esntur!es ngo thcro wns regular legislative /
BODY composed Of representatives from all parts /
OF Russia, md known as the Zenstvo; and tllis |
Legislature, or Parliament, mado rules Which |
wero then approved by the Gear. The 1reln.
bers OF tho Russian Parliament were elected by |
tho people, and the powers Of tic Cznr fu re-
gard to lawtnaklng were confined to the approval
Or d!sapproval OIL the nets Of tho Par'!amcnt:
THO Gar hLmseff hold hts office BY tl,s VIII 81
there arc Instances in Russiun history Of the
deposition OF Cars. Tile Nthi!ists propose tlut
Parliamentary rue shall be restored, nIld Auto
cratic government done AWAY ,..,. with. ,t, ;.
establish sociul md po!ttical conditions far
different from those That existed during tho
dominance Of the uld Russian farlnmenta
times of centuries ago, nml the nims Of the
chaures aud human progress. but the Nillfllsts
10 NOT PROPOSE TO suBvEnr TIE FAMILY,
or to cnfo1co uoyel Ideas in regard 10 the aocia!
relations. Tho charges of immortality and OF
Nihilists, are wholly fa!sc. It Is true TINT NJ
htl!sts ignore tho forms which the Autocrattc
Government Of Russia .prcacrbes as constl-
tut!ng leEa marriage; 1ua nihi!ist IL asoaas t';'
and as fatthful to their mutual pledges, rs
husbands md wives IN any land, md many
Nihliist wives have giyen exemplary, proof
Of their devotion and fidelity by following
thclr exicd llusoant1s into thr tnfscres mud prl.
vations OF life In Siberia. Nor arc thu Nhlsts
Communists In the sense ot the 'atter term
as accepted in Franco mud ~ America. Tiny
ain at O reformation Of the tcnura of land,
which would, In effect, DO n restoration OF tic
nil Russian custom when The lind wns pos
scssed by communities. Tue peasants, held
land 10 common, worked together, n1ll divided
tho CROP not according to tue nlin'bcr Of WORT
ers, but according to the number OF mouths IN
q family. The Autocsattc Government Inns tried
to abulish the old systcm, but traces Of IT yet
1emu1n. The N'hifists a!so propose to establish
opportunity to he freely educated at u,e expense
Of the State.
Q.-What political ehange dc. tho Nihllssta
aim to br'ng. abopt In the Russian system Of
government
A.-'lhc!r demand Is for
DEMocRATIo REpuhI1c,
in which each province Of Russa will exercise
ausonomy,-tho whole bsiug Joined in one cha!n
or federation,
tributei by thu press of Westcrn Europe to tic
Ali there & any cause for alarm In regard
to tho NihiIists, It Ii only, among tho creatures
Of Autocrncy that such catlsc exists. Tho
people can suffer no harM from the moEement:
The principles Of the NihEllsts are few, and
their demands very simple md easily UNDER
stood, mud the welfare of the people IL their
Q.-What is tho strength Of the Nihillst
movement In Russta1 How deeply has IL &akcu
hold OF the eighty Or ninety millions Of people
who are subject to the Czarl =,
A.-The humber OF Nihlists Ii, not large, II
you take Into uccolnt the millions Of peoulc Of
the various nations Ia the Russian Empire; hut
Il includes very largo proportion ot tl,e tntG-
lectuul, and whnt ore commonly known as tlic
higher c)asacB. The Ntltltst movement Is pcr-
ynstye throughout Russia, hut
IT'S sTRoNonoLps ARE TIE UNIVERSITIES,
w1ere the youth OF tho best families In slr lnlnl
aro congrcgnted. We have Bcyeu universities
in seySu different eittss,-st. Petersburg,
Durpat. 70 these youth, and to oii,cr NOM
hcrs, mnlc and fctnato, of the educated classes.
Nhism is Chiefly confined. But small pro-
portion Ut tho peasants arc 6ntliclentiy cdu.
tpia epies o Of Nihiiism. Hill Nevertheless Wills
Of clearly Understanding tho aims aud oi,.
1ccts Of thu hhlsts, yet .Mnny OF them,
Church, Byn,patlltxo with our movement, nntl
entertain purposes corresponaing IN u Ttnerul
way to the objects vi Nlhfltem. For instnnct,
there Is sect n Russia which Is eonse!cntions'y
members only remain u faw days III one place,
The Nlhiltsts find tue members Of this sect vcrS
useful IL disseminating N.hilBt views ultl pril'
yerts to Nihilsna, und travel about in!nslng NJ
l,lstc doctrines wherever tIiey III. Tile tuutla
,nontal principles OF N!hilsn, prcdomlnato tn
great extent throughout kassin, but ~ m undo
TIC Universities, which have already described
as stronglos!s oi Nihillsm, asu drawn frotn ul
purts OF Russia, md arc
MOSTLY MEMBERS or TitE AR1BToGRAcY,
although some ar0 sons oi wcll.tu-do merchants
The minority represent some grade OF Russlal
Q-k,hllstts principles have taken firm l'o''
among the BtlsdcNta1
AYES, sir. sllce 1870 no year has passet
account ot TIN prevalence ot this movement
All t},r universities are closed ut present Oh ac
count Ut thu demonstrations BY ife students a
Charfoy nn.l K!ov. Tho studcnts III tho Uni
ycrsity. Of Ct. Petersburg displayed sylnpatls
tor their fclUwa IN CharkaY mt ktev, ind pet
toned ior the liberation Ut those who Init bcc
put under arrest. The result was ttit ensl1's I
1ncu,'a OBJECT Is to rot rid Ut tic stndcnts VII
arc considcrcd dangerous. md to reopcn III
universities when Nihtltsn sE'alI hayo been 81
fc!ently crushed out. Even nlt ti'u 'nedsc'
Q.-ls IL degrading or disrcputablu to bc eu
pecicd nt entertaining NiIi,tistic pr!ucpcsl
A.-Nnt nj ull. 1t ts, rathcr, something to
proud oi, and ts locked upon 10 q sen ot iutc
GIN England, to be Radical IL to DC q
outlaw. -.
A.-ln lsussia the contrary. Even thoso VI
dttest 'Nillllfsttc PRINCIPLES seapect the int
1rrfN11ty Wlitr1l Eu r,f hck nttp,,