Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-03
THE CZAR,S REIGN.

THE CAAR7S RE1GNs The twenty fifth anniversary of the acces- sion of the Czar to his throne calls attention l to the reign of monarch who, in compari- son with his predecessors, seems to deserve something better than to be target for the Nihilists.
 When Alexander II, took up the rsins of the government (March 3, 1855) his first act was to issue manifesto declaring his intention to uphold the glory of the empire as it had been upheld by Peter, Catherine, Alsxandex and Nicholas. He had heavy load to carry, for Nicholas had left Russia engaged almost sin gle handed in 8 war against England, France, Turkey and Sardinia. On the return of peace, which was declared about year after his ao- cession, he showed his intention to do the best he could for his people by various reform atory measures. His first step was to reduce the army to the lowest number consistent with the safety of the empire. He relaxed the lines drawn to the utmost tension by his predecessors, beginning by emancipating the nation from it's military routine, which per meated every branch of the administration. He reorganized the standing army, establish ed common schools for the soldiers, dissolved the greater part of the military columns, freed public instruction from military discipline, and instead of placing discharged officers as tutors and professors at the head of the edu- cational establishments appointed men spe- cially instructed to fill such positions. He advanced young men of ability in the differ ent branches of public service, removing aged servitors by assigning them annuities, annulled the law which prevented Russians from travelling in foreign countries and inau- gurated that vast system of internal communi- cation which is to cover his immense empire with network of railroads and canals, giving new impulse to internal trade and industry At the same time he sought to develop the na tional commercial marine and to induce mer- chants to extend their relations with foreign countries
 But chief in the Czars scheme of reform, and that which will make his name immortal, was the emancipation of the serfs There were in Russian 21, 625, 600 peasant serfs and donaestics attached to the soil and owing ser vice to it's owners. In March, 1856, the Czar declared to the Marshals of the Noblesss at Moscow that he had not then the intention of annihilating ssrfage, but that the existing manner of possessing serfs could not remain unchanged. ssIt is better," he added, s'to abolish serfage from above than to await the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below" The Czar had hoped his words would be responded to, but they were not, being too vague to encourage those who favored abolition or to impress those who opposed it. The Government, therefore, was compelled to devise and carry ont the work of emanci- patton, which was completed on the 18th of February, 1861, when the law was signed lib erating the serfs already mentioned. The State peasants, who swelled the total to 4O,- 0o0, ,OOO, had their curious intermediate posi- ton between serfage and freedom amended by imperial orders in September, 1859, and October, 1861, and finally in 1866 were placed as regards administration on a level with the emancipated serfs of the proprietors. By the law then signed the serfs received the civil rights of the free and rural classes, the Communes retained the land they actually held, agreeing to pay the proprietor an annu al due in labor or money, and the Govern ment agree to help them to purchase these lands out-and-out. The change of course
 
 ceased to be felt. In February, 1864, the Polish serfs were also emancipated.
 Another great reform introduced by Alex ander was the creation, in 1865, of represen- tative assemblies in all the provinces. The higher classes and even the nobles erroneously anticipated that this measure would lead to the inauguration of national Parliament. Alexander also reformed the system of mili tary conscription, and introduced the practice of trial by jury.
 But the Czar's noble work of reform was not destined to go on unchecked. The insur- rection in Poland was put down with the most despotic severity, andsimultaneously occurred another event to change the direction of his lfe-work. On the 18th of April, 1866, stu dent fired on Alexander. He ttsurrounded himself with police and spies, who fed him with horrors to assure their influence over him and without securing his safety incurred the suspicion and contempt of his people. He had alienated the nobles by his reforms he vainly endeavored to become reconciled to them by attempting reprsssions which aliena- ted the people. The reforms of the educa- tional system had to be checked lest the seeds of revolution should be sown the work of lettering the press had to be renewed. The attempt at assassination by the Pole Berezow- ski at Paris, June 6, 1867, still further con tributed to check the work of reform. And now simultaneously began the Nihilist and Pan-Slsvic movements, and Russia revived her long-intermitted activity in foreign af- fairs"
 
 It is not our purpose to recount the success es of the Russian armies during the period from 1866, when the central Asiatic conquests were commenced, to 1878, in the early part of which year treaty of peace with Turkey was signed. During this period there was little or no advance of social and administrative re- form, and at the end of the wars the coun- try was in very bad condition financially, and the prevailing discontent greatly favored the Nihilists, who have been very active and skilful in taking advantage of it. Since they commenced open operations assassination and incendiarism have been their weapons. The Czar's ministers have been shot down. His own life has been several times attempted. He is not safe in his own palace, and there would be little surprise if it should be an nouneed to-day that he had been killed. It is a very melancholy period in a reign that at first promised so much for Russia.
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