, 1880-12-29
THE TRIAL OF THE NIHILISTS.
iFrow the Times.l

Tbs trial of the 10 political conSpirators now
(Novemberl proceeding at st. Petersburg
10 in many respects the most important, and
certainly the most interesting one, that
has yet taken place in Russia. The act Of
sccusation-a bulky volume of manuscript
lis q complete history of the conspiracy
in it's later stages of development. None
Of the books and pamphlets published
abroad on Nihilism, utterly misleading as
most of them are, can furnish such a gra-
phic description of the Nihilists as this
official document. Even the term NihiliSt,
which ia always applied outside of Russia
to every kind of Russian revolutiOnist, is a
%misnomer, for Nihilism pure and simple
has been only an element in the formation
Of the Socialistic Revolutionary party for
some years past.
The Is prisoners now underg ding trial
appear to have constituted at least a
part Of the terrible Executive Committee,
which for SO long a time struck terror into
Russian society previous to the pacifca.
ton of Count Melikoff. They were all
intimately connected with each other and
with all the alarming cries of their party.
Their present appearance at the bar of JUS.
tico will probably be the last we shall hear
Of the party of terror. Not that the evil
has been altogether eradicated, for the
wa Of the People still continues 10 appear
at irregular intervals, but this organ has
already adopted a less offensive and thrca-
tening tone. Perhaps the better time
which appears to have set in, pregnant
with projects of Liberal reforms, and the
credit Of which the Socialist Reyolutionists
take to themselves, will now reduce what
remains Of the movement to the most
harmless proportions. At least the active
phase may be looked upon as closed. The
chief conspirator in this trial is Kiratkof.
sky, who is charged with completely in
the explosion within the Winter Palace.
The others are respectively Kobilansky
and Drigo. gentlemen Zundelevitch,
Okledskoi, and Priesnakof, artisans /;
Thiraoff and Ijklionoff, peasants /; Boukh,
son Of q Privy Councillor; zuckermann,
merchant; Nephen Martinofsky Chancey,
servant; Zuekofsky, son of . priest.
Bulitch, doctor; Sofia Ivanoff, q majors
daughter; sGriaznovoi, peasant woman !;
and Figner, g~entlewoman.
The points which strike one in reading
the act Of accusation are these-that the
Russian Revolutionary party. in all it's fac
tions-Socialistic. Democratic, National,
mot been, that utterly u~norganized and
Individually responsible movement which
great many people have always main.
tanned ! that the various groups or circles
al over the country are, or were, not isolat.
cd and Independent in their action, but
thst even after the splitting up of the
main body into various sections, both
scttve and passive in their revolutionary
programmed, they all remained more or
Ae6 Intimately connected with one general
organisation, aud had q common agree.
mt. In the next place, one becomes
swsroin perusing the case for the prosecu.
tin the capture Of the prisoners now
6ei and the knowledge which the
o~unoDeetoo display Of the whole organize
To- ord the plans Of tho party are due
entDoDy b tho disclosures, voluntary or
sthe1wisa q the Jew Goldenberg, who