The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1880-05-12
Balraiiatt 6azette.
WEDNESDAY, MAY Il. 1850.
The Nihiilst Government.

Between Russia and the outer world there
rests an ominous silence. We have since al
most Immediately after the proclamation of
military law over the empire received no di-
rect or anywise definite intelligence concern
ing its internal affairs. Only occasionally
from private sources do we hear of the arrests
of hundreds, their torture, Imprisonment and
deportation to Siberia, occurring in every city
and mir of the country; the destruction of
families, the ruin of society, condemnation
and punishment going on without even the
forms of law and without regard to justice.
The car is trying the desperate experiment of
imprisoning people.
The victims of these arbitrary procedures
are certainly not all conspirators, not all chi
hilists;" they are arrested on suspicion,-and
suspicion is passion that grows by exercise.
Moreover, its exercise on innocent persons
feeds and infects the rest with the very fever
it would prevent Unquestionably the action
of the Russian government creates nihilism,
for human nature under persecution is the
worm that turns when it is trod upon.
The chief object of the car, or rather of the
tchin, the great ofice-holding class that gov
ems the car, has been to keep the people ig-
norant of the mode of government in other
countries Real education has been steadily
hindered, and the CONSUMPTION has continually
drafted into the army the inquiring artisan
class, whose superior enlightenment obtained
of late years in q manner unaccountable to
the authorities) made them constant menace.
These have been scattered over the wide en-
pire, aud wherever they have gone, they have
found friends in the Poles, who as officers and
privates are in every regiment and company
in the service,-men who have fought the
cars battles in the Caucasus, before Sevas-
and ENva hara
the Pole is propagandist of liberty. These
are not all. In every little village proselyting
agents are at work. They work at trades for
years without uttering word as to political
principles They exercise the greatest dill
gence in work and moderation in pleasure,
especially in liquors; they often marry in the
place; and when they have thus acquired the
confidence of their neighbors and certain in
fiuence over them, they begin to promulgate
their doctrines In this way the whole Rus
sian empire and army have been enmeshed
with nihilism.
No nihilist depends on himself or acts with
out instruction. he is surrounded by what
may be called human providence. The league
| guards him, employs him and records his
every action; following him eveIywhere,-a
home, in the army, in prison, in the casemate
of the fortress, in official station, even TO the
The organization of this powerful and in
visible league is based upon system of de-
| cades, every ten members forming a separate
| section presided over by chief of ten, who is
! appointed by the centurion, or chief of humid
| red, and confirmed by the head of the district.
Ii he acts contrary TO orders or fails TO accom-
modate himself in every respect, complaint Is
| made by the centurion and sentence of removal
! pronounced by the local chief. While in office
| the chief of ten receives orders from the CEN
| turian, who is the only member of the society
| known to him beyond those under him. To
him he is bound to report, as frequently as
! possible, npon the state of his decade, and
! communicate the information furnished by its
members, as well as transmit to them their
| orders from above. No one is received into
| the nihilistio ranks unless well vouched for,
and he responsible with his life for his fidel-
ity; honesty and enthusiasm for the common
cause are the only necessary qualification :
the oath to obey orders and keep secrets
| whether at large or in prison, is the only rite
exacted Each member of decade, guaran-
teeing the submission of his new subordinates
is allowed to collect decade of his own and
become himself chief of ten; in the same
way chief of ten may become a centurion
The chief of the district, or rather the chief o.
ten centurions, is appointed by the committee
established in every large city in the empire
and over these city committees are provincial
ones 1t is the duty of the district leader 10
make daily report TO his superior, the order:
of the latter being communicated to him by
means of single agent. Ali intercourse is by
conversation or a system of cipher, of which NJ
agent knows more than part, and no ingen-
uity from without could completely master
The larger bodies, though consisting of severa
persons, are strictly holden tn carry on thei
intercourse with the inferior and Superior
bodies by the agency of single person only
Every member of decade, and the society a
large, is obliged to implicit obedience to othel
members of the league; to carry on the pro
paganda among the people, and prepare him
self in every respect for active service in
revolutionary force.
There is, moreover, grand secret tribuna
called the central national committee. In thi
unlimited powers are vested This suprem
body does not reside in Russia, and consists @
but seven members, each one of whom re
sides in different country from the others
and not as it has been supposed in Geneva On
of the seven is known to the other six as tn
regulator, and is also called the head of heads
he lives in little city thousand miles frot
the Russian capital. Each member of Ihi
national board attends through his subordi
mates to some special department, the division
being as follows: ST. Petersburg and Mosco,
affairs, provincial affairs, foreign affairs, con
troll of the Russian police, matters of financ,
and the press The minister las we may we
call him) for the latter department is ais
charged with the establishment of secre
postal service throughout Russia The hea
of heads or regulator has no special depart
ment, but directs the rest without the druid
gerry of details.
The present passiveness of the nihilists
because the word TO rise has not been ISSUED
So long as the grand committee are silent NJ
battalion will move, ard no word will |
given till the army is thoroughly impregnate
with the fever of liberty. The committee full
understand the political state of Europe, the
know the strength Of the Russian army, the
know the resources of the car, they fee
moreover, the great responsibility which res
upon them. They love Russia, and they WI
not sacrifice her blood and her peace uselessl
They recognize that partial outbreaks ca
only end in universal humiliation and de-
pair, and they prudently and mercifully ha,
restrained thus for the impetuosity of the
countrymen. But every now and then the
make their power felt. An offending offici
is tried before the secret tribunal, and, if col
demned, his life is forfeited. 1.-THE wor
calls it assassination, and the Muscovite cry
murder, but the true friends of Russia ca
Injustice"
A Curious Tradition OF Jerusalem.
The story says that in the days of Oma
1 II. + I ~