The New York herald., 1879-07-30
Tyranny Of the Czar the
Cause Of Success.
LITERATURE OF THE MOVEMENT.
Dark and Stormy Days in the
Near Future.
KIEFF, July Z. 1879.


struggling quaint capital OF Southern Russia In parts
1t 10 splendid in others dilapidated and is the centre
Of that Ukraine which in fertility may be called the
rival of the great West OF America. Ket is also the
city of pilgrims who assemble in the vaults of it's
almost innumerable churches around shrines filled
with the sacred remains Of those who 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'
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 q
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
nihilistc organization. Such is Kie. called "Holy
Kief" from Its many churches and embalmed saints.
NIHILIsM DEAD.
These political events Of recent date, and my
friends OF the condemned were yet in Keff. nowise
daunted by the fate Of their associates. and contin
uinn their work with the energy and sefsacrfce pc
culiar to nihists considered the chief city Of the
Ukraine the ttest place for the collection Of nforma
tion concerning the present status Of the conspiracy
Life IN either of the two Russian capitals.
and especially in st. Petersburg. ruled by Gen.
eral Gourko, with his Cossacks and Is 900 duorniks
or spies posted at the gates of private residences
comparatively quiet now and would lead one TO be-
neve that nihilism is extinct or dying. l am not
astonshed ut the statements put forth by titled
Ambassadors to the Russian Court and American
Ministers on leave that the importance and vitality
Of nihsm has been over-estimatod. the capital
having assumed quiet atmosphere of late.
Especially since Soloviefs trial the inhabitants
have had truce in the issuing of revolutionary
proclamatons and nihilistic posters in unexpected
places. They appear occasionally. but with dimin-
ishing frequency. Rumor asserts undiminished
activity of the secret underground presses but II
this is true the results not freely distributed
An interview with any of the leaders Of nihilism
penetration into their secret councils in any of the
capitals. have found to be utter impossibility.
Notwithstanding tho credentials in my possession
WHAT WAS HEARD.
Since my arrival in KieT 1 have seen moro fire.
quently evidences of nihstic activity anl met with
"
server Of the plans and doings Of the society.
Nihiliss share the sensitiveness to foreign
opinion observable in official and unofficial
Russia. The persistent statements of the
press to their annihilation by the Russian
government has not satisfied their of
selfimportance. and upon being convinced that
u contradiction of that assertion to your corre-
spondent would find its way into the HERALD the
much desired information which sought was will
1ngly given. statement of the names Of my in
eormants and the exact location of our trysting
place would be Of little interest to your readers
would be q breach of confidence my part. Suffice
II to say. that to secluded country house beyond
Kicf enjoying extended view from its door of the
bountiiul fields OF Southern Russia 1 was driven in
. "tcega." Within doors gathered q small but
noisy company OF Russian Missionaries OF both sexes
"sainovar" the illdigested lore with which they
had evidently crammed themselves from foreign
company to which "the American was introduced,
End ''tho American will lay before your readers
some OF the statements made TO him by prominent
members or that revolutionary coterle.
rHE NInILIsr
Taking advantage OF lull in the rapid Russian
conversation. wherein. as is customary In this
country all appeared to be speakers while listen
ers could be discovered, your correspondent ad-
dressed himself to o prominent member Of the
1T is tho opinion OF many in my country and dis
enguished gentlemen from abroad have fostered the
hioa by their statements, that the nihilistc move
plent In greatly exaggerated in the public mind. It's
nisinspring seemed to be restless activity which
constantly aiming unexpected blows ut royalty at
prosecuting officials Tho lull that has followed tho
storm seems to warrant the statement made to in
official circles ut St Petersburg that the
sures inaugurated by General Gourko have paray yzed
she leaders and checked IL not destroyed the power
OF the secret organization"
The nihiist's face expressed his amusement at my
question. ~ he replied ~ am afraid you have not
read the Ao,ra while you were in st. Petersburg 1t
~ clever newspaper, printed there. wherein the
opinions Of the moderate Russian reformcrs arc ex-
pressed far it is dared to place thom in print
have you seen It atelyY'
mot lately, said.
I MR. sroUuuroS AND LORD LOTUS ANSWERED.
'Lct me tell you. then" he replied. ..Itcontained
htcly full reply to your question. II is well in
Formed journal. and you will admit that IL any
ts entitled to opinion its editors certainly.
Perhaps you remember the warning to the govern
lncnt and conservative classes that they should not
be deceived into false OF security by the ap
parent quetude of political agitaors in cities dra
gooned by Gourko or Todleben. where nihilism had
Become o risky occupation The warning urged the
government to redoubc its vigilance. the conspira-
tors having retired to wider and more congenial
fields. The Moira was right. We are working
smcng the peasantry. where no amount OF
with our overtaxed and overtasked people. 1t s the
original field OF our operations. We never should
have left 1t II disafecton in the cities had not
ranied it,
.'why were the people of the cities disafectedq
What had they in common with the pcasant? your
correspondent inquired.
'You are aware" was the answer. 'that the in
solIigent classes were stimulated to great
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 the villages in
hand again"
1T is the opinion of the outside world" said,
hesitatingy, "that nihilsm has been driven out OF,
not allowed to leave, the capital. Has not force
been the causeS Have you not gone, necesseS"
decidedly notl' he said. rapidly. 'The game of
gaining converts In tho very midst Of the police
at the very gates OF the Cars palace, was
not worth the candle Tho time was not
propitious to rousng the cities to open riot and the
risk we were running with little to gain was simply
enormous. Therefore we have returned to our first
etrongholds ana are undermining tho power of the
Czar with tho vast rural population. Our work
moro slowly approaches consuinmation, but its re-
suit will be dondler."
THE PEASANTS.
"On what do you rely to rouse the peasants?"
I'VE will incite them to covctihg the crown lands
and tho large estates of wealthy rural property hold
ers---iand which IN equity Is really theirs"
"Is your government fully cognzant Of your new