The sun., 1880-12-12
YOUNG GOLDEN BERG's CONFESSION
The Revelations Alleged to have been Mado
by NihiiIst Prisoner.

The kcvetnttOna Aucucu HnNe Dccn MHtO
by ~ NIhiiIst Prisoner.
ST.. PETERSBURG, Nov. Tn November.
1870 Ave days before tho Moscow explosion n
Nihillst was arrested on his way to Moscow. In
his possession the police found about eighty
pounds Of dynamite. He was at onco carried
to prison and kept in solitary confinement. AT
first he stoutly refused to say anything about
his connection with tho revolutionary party.
But six months Of tho political prison destroyed
his physical health and produced n strange
change In his mind. On May 12. 1880 ho mndo
tho following remarkable deposition in his own
handwriting:
MY name is Gregory Godenberg I am "A
years old. q Jew, and OF the Hebrew religion.
studied In the Kiefr gymnasium. depended
on the revolutionary fund. In 1873 was ara
rested and examined on suspicion OF being
implicated in the murder OF the State At
tornoy. Kotllarevsky was not tried Dut6y ad-
ministrative order was oxiled to the province
OF Archangelsk. whence I soon made my cs-
cape. am Socialist and belong to the Ter-
rorist wing Of the Russian Revolutionary party,
We began the struggle for political rights in
order to change the existing political system,
and to prepare new system which would ad-
NIT tho free and normal development OF social
idens. We emuloyed the following means: Agi-
taton among The educated classes and in the
army In every possible form pOlitica! murders
in cases when they replace free speech and
free press. un .ormine the prestige OF tho press
ent system OF government or rid the Reyolu-
tonary party of dangerous and powerful enc.
mics. In order to prove my faith by deeds. and
in order to call the attention of the public and
OF the Government to the fact that the students
OF the Kharkon University were cruelty and
lawlessly punished hv the Cossacks whips by
order Of the Prince Krapotkin; also 10 the hor-
ribe tortures perpotratod on the political pris-
potkin: also to the fact thnt the students oil st,
Pstersburg university and those Of the Medieo-
Cossacks by order OF Gen. Zurofr; also to tho
falsehood OF the reports OF Prince krap9tkin on
l@s ressdns on Fb iss and Killed Prince
Krapotkin. This. my decd, confess in order
to free the Innocent persons who are now IN
Since tnen we nave seen n long series Of both
joyful and sad events. An attempt on the Cars
life the Moscow explosion. the Winter Palaco
explosion. the annlhilation Of the two secret
journals. the organs OF tie different wings OF
the Revolutionary party executions. suicides
among the reyoutionists, numberless arrests
and punishments, the establishment OF the Su-
tho lie Of Gen. Melikoii--ali these and the like
facts force US to think OF our past, present. and
future Solitary confinement like every evil in
the world, has its good side. In II cell man can
think Independently. without prejudces. being
free from tho influence OF all the current events.
again ali that has been done by tho Social.
lst party and particularly by the wing Of
the Terroriss: that hard and bloody wav which
we have pursued; those exrrions. suGerngs.
and tortures falling not only upon the Social
lsts. but on all the educated youths OF our coun-
| try; and have come to a very sad conclusion.
| that nothing has yet been accOmp ed ether
for the country. for the people or for the youth
| nothing And this in spite OF dreadful
| struggle in which men and women perish with
| out eud in the cells OF the politcal prisons, In
the far distant Siberia and SnGhalien. and on
the gibbet. l firmly believe that tho Terrorists
| set out on 4, wrong way thnt cannot bring them
t? their n2Glo aims which Ers t9e e9oSmiene ie
development, education and life in gem
eral. l have found out that the politi..
mi MN not nlu m hTn nIlArht
about. better order OF things, butt
Just the contrary; they have compeIed the
| and 80 we have had the unhappiness and shame
| OF seeing over twenty executions in short pc:
oph 2 that Dreadful and f1e's sea e
| which. like a nightmare. oppresses tho whoa
country and parayzes the efforts OF the Popu-
| lar party lnRrOdnikl) to arouse the people. Ihe
Terrorists ought not to have resorted to such u
| dangerous means as political executions. They
| ought to have known that the Government
| could and would resort to the same means.
The Governments persocutions and execn-
| tions, developed in us n morbid appetite for the
blood of the Cars functionar es. and forced US
| to adopt the gloomy principle OF terrorism;
put me Governmrnt. In Its turn 1;M M ADOPTED ne ne
prisons with the educated youths Keeping
them Ia narrow cells during the best years OF
had demoralizing influence on many youths
even OF our own number. and some OF them In
| order to save their lives or freedom. have be-
trayed their comrades; ma we snS in the series
| OF political processes during 1879.
- These are the sad CONCLUSIONS 10 WDlcn
| have come after mature consideration. Ol
| course could Keep my thoughts TO myself.
| could lead men to peril would Tie calmly on n
| gibbet. II could only know that would be the
development OF Russia, But tho idea that my
| execution will not be tho Inst one and that on
| tho contrary it may be the occasion OF n poli,l-
cal murder to be followed in its turn bv re"
venge on the part Of tho Government mud that
this unequal struggle is to go on TIL the lass
| traces of our movement shnll be crushed out.
| this thought causes mo II dreadful anxiety. 1t
| ia In m TNNNg fN IENif tIluf iHp
| and warm wish to SEQ our country happy, our
holy love and sef-sncrlflcc for our native land,
| ali our great eXcrtiOnS and ready mnrtyrdoms,
| are 70 bring about only this one result, that the
| kuIikovO Field. the kOnnain Place, should bo"
come historical Tor the slaughter OF tha youths
| 80 dear and SO necessary To- lIussa, sed
| plainly that it il impossible to let things 20 on
| as they arc going now.
| gle. To bring about better order Of things and
| 10 save many comrades from dreadful !ne,
| have made up my mind to resort TO tho moss
! awful means tho mere idea Of which makes my
| blood bound IN my veins and the hot tears he;
fecimgs Of friendship and enmity and hato
land pray my friends to do the samel and 10
| perform new act of selt-sacrflce for the good
| OF the Youths or society and OF the country. dear
| to all OF us. | have concluded to bring to lighg
our organization. to tell the Government every"
| thing know, and thus to put aside those nor
rlnlh prosecutions ana executions wnlrn
| threaten my comrades, and a dreadful reaction
tngt oppresses tho whole St, county, EG NY
| ernment should revoke all the repres"
sive measures: and to bring about thls
| result there is only ono means left TO us TO
| nnclty the Government by proving to It that mo
Terr )rst faction Is not strong ns to need suAl
! extraordinarily severe measures Tor Its ann"
| hlHtlOn, am sure that only the Governm"hte
| ignorance of the real forces OF tue Terroris'S
| caused II to resort to these extreme measures.
| | cannot believa that II resorts with 4 NEht
| heart to the executions, for 1t must be aware
| that no gihhets and no hayonetS can stop
! political movement. At all events firmly ne
| lleve that tho Government Will appreciate ny
| good intentions, and will lenien!ly treat my
comrades. tho actors in the sad events. In Whi'hs
| however, they took part under the luilucneeot ot
| lh0ir clHll convictions, and into which they WvIo
| never led by any selfish interests"
| Alter this prologue Gpllonoorg described 10
detail tho murder of the Prince krRpOtkih, INC
| conspiracy against tho C2tr, tho conttrumlor o.
| tholhree mines TO blow up theimprrlal traln,aNi
! tho Nihilist organization. Hc CAV" m names ~
| ali his comrades, impllcatlng them In different
| crimes. Goldeulerg himself did not I'VE InuR
| enough to ba tied. lla died in he leSIo-
pauoysky Fort in July, tire, months oeoIo
| the trial Of his comrades, Naturally hose Weto
stupeliod at learning hat GoldenGerg HAD InAtSS
| such n confession. They We're brave ehouEh
not 10 deny heir guilt; Out they mos. det'aeIy
refuse to follow ms example, and they ioNGns
hari in order to hiring 20 light the cumstHng"1
| Of h,s dotth. Two Of them plaltly MrrnIVVu