The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-02-24
THE HIHILIaTa,

events that aro transporting in Russia with =
lpelIng akin to wonder We are puzzled
We cannot mako up our minds whether Tho
party known rs NihiIsts really want to Kill
tho Car or whether they only want
10 Brighten him into certain reforms
they desire, And then agaln we aro dubious
whether II Is really tho Nlhllista who are
making these attempts upon tho lile OF the
Gar, There Is no doubt but that there Ia
bad feeling between tho Car and the Caro-
witch, and II Is possible that adhoronts of the
Czarowtch aro making these seeming at
lempts upon the llfe Of tho Gar TO Brighten
him into abdloaton, We might discuss At
length this aspect Of the caso, but do not pro-
pose to do 20 In this article, The iact we
purpose considering Ia tho ono Of dfsatIslao'
ton In Russia, Tho Nihllsis aro confined to
no particular class Of the Russian people, II
seems, but embraces members who are of all
castes. from the ox-aprf 10 the highest ranks
OF nobility Their organization is0ppaTently
perfect Now aud then amomberis found out
and answers with his life his devotion TO tho
principles of his order. Asar rule, however
they banlo tho police and tho Russian
police, Russia being n dospotlam, Ia the finest
In tho world. Now whit led TO tho exist
ancc of Nihilism This Is ono Of the grave
questions of ttlS day md time It's correct
answer affects our country rs much ~ Il docs
Russia, or England, or any other nationality.
Russia We know is dcspotism. Since the
days of Peter tho Great, that wonderful son
Of genius, who from the rough evolved
al mighty nation, up to date II
has been tho yeriest despotism. When
Peter the Great assembled the throne his
countrymcn were barbarous Without sea-
port, Russia was IN inland barbarlsm, with
people stepped in ignorance, tho willing
slayos of rude nobility who were tho croat-
uros OF priesthood that wanted no ntclll-
gonco in the land. Peter tho Great com
pretended futurlty, and with relentless,
stroug right arm, wrung from destiny
mightiness for his country, Without y sim
gle seaport ho wrcstcd from neishboring
powers territory on the Baltic soa and other
marine localitc', so that he could hoyo sea-
poiis cud build up navy. With tyrannic
disregard of human life no built ihe city of
ST. Petersburg in the lowest marshes Of all
Europe, sacrificing in one year thirty thou
sand lives, simply TO carry out his whim and
to prove that no was monarch Of all no sur
yeyed, AS he was n tyrant who cared
not even tho snap of his finger for
human life, so have the RomOnoGs,
the Imperial family of Russia, ever been. His
Empress the mighty Catherine, first the wife
of u Swedish soldier, then the mistress of one
of PEI, rs fayortes, was herself but an illus
tration of the tyranny that az ever ground
the Russian people to the earth. The
policy of tho present administration
Of Russia we have but little TO say
about, because we do not know
that there are any acts of oppression for
which itslould be especially condemned. 1t
is the policy Of the government of that
country generally, from the time it first
appeared in the arena Of European govern
nents, that is seemingly reprehensible.
While all the world has advanced, the peo-
pie of Russia along with other peoples,
apparently the government of Russia
has not But it is fact that in
Europe, where all the nationalities, except
ing of cours, always Switzerland, arc under
n,onarchcal forms of Government the
tendency of the people is towards Republi-
canism. France is Republican in name in
its Government, but its form is not such
Republicanism as we in this country can
commend. Here in these United States
the Republican party wants Centralism--
that is strong Government.
We know what strong government means.
We see lamentable illustration of it in
Russia. There hunger, ut this very time,
"make. countless millions MOURN" there
diptheria is an epidemic and thousands are
dying, carrying war and desolation into the
households of the people; there the strictest
laws are rigidly enforced, aud the walls from
the frozen plains and the mines of
Siberia make hearts ache in
thousands of households. Can we,
then, be surprised at such news as that which
appears in our telegram this morning, where
it says the Nihilists, having informed the au.
thoritics of ST, Petersburg that they need
not make preparations for the illumination
of the city on the anniversary of the Cars &C.
cepsion to the throne, as they propose to make
such an illumination as the world has not
seen since Nero fddled when Rome burned
Here in our Republican country, with our
Republican ideas, it may be that we cannot
understand why the Gar of Russia should
give such cause to his people for revolt He
is Romanof, the successor Of Romanofi,
and the head of a government that has never
had a constitution, that has never had law
except the will of the monarch on the throne.
He consequently knows nothing else than to
dictate, can appreciate nothing else than that
his word is supreme. His country
has advanced, he in his palace with courtiers
IL A.. l~a - IL