Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-09

!
/ The excitement and apprehension in Rus
sin relative to the plans and movements Of
| the Ehilists is great and constantly incrcas-
! ing. Just what Nihiism means is evidently
n matter not easy to be completely or cor
rcctly understood in this country In an nd
| dress recently delivered in New York Mr..
Godkin of the Nation said that the move
ment has nothing Socialistic about it it has
not reached the working class, but is the re
suit of the intellectual growth Of the upper
classes chatting under brute force" Author
tiles on Russian life state that Il is something
to be proud of, and is looked upon as n sign
of intellectual Advancement to be suspected
of entertaining Nihilistic principles The
Nhilists differ from the Socialists in having
ready no programme with which to rcgener-
ate society their present policy goes no fur
Their than the clearing of the ground of pres
ent institutions. After that is accomplished,
they say, it will be time 10 think Of what fol-
lows. This is plainly the desperation react
ing from domination of relentless forcs.
In st. Petersburg letter published in the
Cologne Gazette April 22d, the following Wv
id picture of the condition Of affairs in that
city is given:
A universal feeling of gloom prevails. At
ter nine o'clock in the evening, nobody is ut
liberty to show himself in the street without
a certificate, upon which must be written and
attestcd the place from which the bearer
comes and to which he is going The meas
ures are stringent but at the Same time the
insecurity of st. Petersburg is daily on the
increase. Every day we hear of grenades
Il s., la fIxs 4l,.V. Loo.
not been serious consequences. For the
present the intention of the nihilsts is be-
lieved TO be to keep the police i'll a state of
constant excitement, and ut last tire them out
or lull them to sleep with the idea that the
danger is exaggerated. They claim that
harsh measures and arrests alc producing
discomfort among many people who, when
the time comes for a grand attack on the gov
ernment will join the rovolutonists. On the
night between Friday and Saturday, soditiOus
placards were found stuck up in the vicinity
Of the theatres, and at the corners of the bust
ness streets, and although the city police and
detectives at once hurried up and tore down
the manifestoes, they nevertheless appcartd
anew, as though conjurCd forth from the
walls by enchantment. Passers-by stopped
to read the bills, and in this one night the 20
lice arrested over $50 persons. Among all
those taken the police failed to find in sim
gle case rs much as a scrap of paper which
appeared to have anything to do with the
proclamation. The secret bill-stickor, on the
other hand, went on with his work indefatig-
ably, and the police could not succeed i'll dis
covering him. The alarm at last became so
great that two companies were marched out
and posted at the entrance to a number of
houses and in the street, but when the guard
had his attention called to the right, bills
were posted on the left, and after they had
been torn down on the left they again APP
peared on the right. Since the attempts on
the life of the Gar troops have been in read
mess day and night in every regiment, two
companies in marching order, equipped with
ball cartridges and all the accessories rcquir-
ed for active operations. Batteries stand
ready horsed and mounted in the hurfack
yards, and Il squadron of every cavalry rcgi-
ment stands in constant readiness to mount.
Both day and night. divisions of Cossacks
patrol the streets. On the 10th q peasant
was arrested in whose pockets were found as
snments for revolutionary troops Accord
ing to this document active operations were
to commence on the night between April lG
and II. Instantly the government made most
extensive preparations for defence. Grand
Duke Nicholas took up his quarters, with his
entire staff, il the offices of the general .taiT
opposite the winter palace. In the riding
of the guard were quartered while the bar
racks of the PavloiI and Preybrajensli rcei-
ments were crammed full of troops, and the
whole artillery of the guards received orders
to hold itself in readiness for immediate ac-
ton. The troops continued several days and
nights in the places assigned them, but the
revolution did not break out. Probably the
whole story of an intended outbreak was an
| intentional mystifcation.
The troubles in Russia are considered by
the New York World as threatening the ex-
istence of the Cars government, unless that
| absolute ruler is wise in time. 1t says that
''If we take further into consideration the
fact that all the powerful elements of discon-
tent are grasped and bound together and di-
rected to a common aim by a secret organiza-
ton unprecedented in the history of royolu-
tionary movements and led by men fanatic
ally devoted to their cause, men of iron will,
trained intelligence and indomitable purpose,
it will be seen that the chances preponderate
sternly against the decaying machinery of
czardom. If the government of Alexander
II. will not bend in time, it is like 10 break
with a shock which will be felt to the ends of
the earth"