The Osceola times., 1880-03-20
COUNT JAK0WLEFP.
A Russian Nobieman Expresses his View
on Nihlism---The Country OF the
Gar ON tine Verge of
Reign OF Terror.

Post-Dispatch.
"How would You like 10 talk to newly
imported Russian?" said Mr.. Joseph
Bittner, the civil engineer, to a Post
Dispatch reporter this morning.
as he Nihilist?' queried the scribe.
"No; he is anything but Nihilist; he
is exactly on the other side of the fence,
firm believer in the mission of Holy
Russia to evaneelize the continent OF
Europe, an incorporating aristocrat,
and first-rate fellow; we were school
mates at Jena and at Strasburg. He is
touring American and is my guest.
am very sure you can get good talk out
of him.
"What is name"
"At home in Russia he is the Count
Jakowlen, but in America he substi-
tutes mister for count"
Walking down Seventh street to the
corner of Chouteau avenue, Mr. Bittner
turned into Won Gerichten's saloon, and,
walking over to one of the tables at
which a gentleman was turning over
the leaves of an old German Puck, he
clapped the seated party on the shoulder
calling him Michael" introduced the
reporter, and after ordering a supply of
lager, proceeded TO guide the converse
tion.
"This is Mr.. Jalkowlei's first visit TO
America" he began, "and it is u very
surprising one to him, he says"
"Yes," remarked the Russian, in al
most painfully faultless English, "there
are many things that you Americans do
that we Eastern barbarians tindsingular.
Now take this paper, for instance"
/ picking up copy of the TolksSimme.
and reading a particularly acrid edito-
rial from it ON the rights of man and
the wrongs of government, winding up
with worry pretty denunciation of all
existing things. snow Bittner tells me-
he continued, "that this paper is not
issued over secret press, but in the
broad light of day, and that anybody
can go to its Office and buy the sheet.
This kind OF thing strikes me rs very
queer"
"You think we are too free?" :
at may be one of the defects of my
education, but Icann 1t help thinking it,"
Russia is just the reverse"
"Russia is Just as she ought to be. We
need stronger, iirmer autocracy than
we have. IL was the different so-calied
eforms that have brought the country
.nto ITS present evil state"
"You think, then, that if Russia
could go back, say, twenty years, Nihil-
ism would not exist? Here in America
we look upon Nihilism as great popu-
lar statement that you have not gone
far enough forward"
"lIere in America, my dear friend, you
know nothing at all about the matter.
In the nature of things you cannot un-
derstand either the origin or principles
of this cancer that is eating its way into
our national heart"
1--WE certainly know the history of the
times, and we can see that Russia Is
politically diseased"
ADO you know what the Nihillsts
want?'
Further than that they are sort of
exaggerated communists, do not.'
"Well, sir, they openly demand an
archy; nothing short of the total sub.
version of church and State; the utter
abolition of any kind ofgovernment will
satisfy them. They do not want q Re
public as the Social Democrats in Ger
| many. nor a commune as the dissatisfied
Radicalsin France-they demand simply
/ that the present social structure shall be
wrecked thoroughly. Their very name
indicates their purpose. Nothing shall
be left in the shape OF government, re-
ligion or civilizations; all must go. They
do not trouble themselves to think out
the problem farther than that The IA
vofite figure of their poets and preachers
is that they will harrow the empire that
new system may spring from the
crushed and pulverized soil. | tell you
Russia is on the eve of an era before
whose history the records of the French
Reign of Terror will be dwaried. The
revolution is coming with terrible fast
stride and no one can see beyond it,"
"And what will you and your order
do?"
"rhe French noblesse taught us our
duty well, and when the time does come
| think that the Russian aristocracy will
die about the throne as Loyalty and as
bravely as the French"
GLOW did NIhilism take its rise?"
ooh, il began, as all such theories al
ways begin, in misapprehension and ig-
norance. In the first place,a great many
reforms were instituted when the ma
ton was not ripe for them. Beginning
with the emancipation of the serts, one
political blunder after another has been
committed in the vain effort to WOO this
Fata MorgaDa of popular content. The
people of Western Europe cannot un-
derstand, and especially YOU Americans
cannot understand, the situation in Eu-
rope, or how band of desperate con-
spirators can hold and teach such ideas
Some of the Southern States with fresh
ly freed negro as a disturbing element
might sympathize with us. Iou see,
during the present Cars reign, an era
of liberality has been introduced: trial
by jury and the English judicial sys-
TEN have been transplanted among us.
Legislative assemblies, Houses of Bur-
gesses IN other words, have been insti-
tuted throughout the empire, and liberty
of the press given at 81. Petersburg and
Moscow. This may have been all right
enough, but the results have all been
wrong. Ideas utterly incompatible, not
alone with an autocratic government,
but with any sort of government ut all.
have sprung up Here in st. Louis you
know how very modified form of our
incubus, the German Socialists, are at
war with law and order. If you can in.
agine these ranters suddenly infected
with mania for assassination, you can
picture our situation"
"Have not the universities had great
deal to do in spreading Nihiiism?"
asked the scribe.
"They have. Our Russian universi-
ties are at the best farce, and they are
gradually becoming plague-spots to
which the sharp knife of the surgeon
win have to be applied. While the
general cry was the good Of the people,
the universities were thrown open TO
~ peoees olaAsts aad tAsoneed with