Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-19
Thugs and NihiliStS.

While no decent newspapers venture to ap-
prove Of the assassination Of the Car, many
judicious editors, refusing to allow themselves
to yie,d to an impulsive dislike Of murder, have
intlmated that Alexander lost his life because
he did not crafty the natural longtngs of the
Nth1listS by introducing reforms In The govern
ment OF Russia. This Is certainly an impartial
and unprejudtced view OF the matter, and 1t
ought to meet with the warm appreciation OF
people who are so constituted that they can
readily approve OF 1t.
Years ago there existed In Certain parts OF
India society popularity known as the Society
OF the Thugs. These interesting persons were
the worshipers OF the Goddess Kali. and they
were Zealously opposed to all who did not be.
long 70 their sect. The chief occupations Of
the Thug were murder and robbery. 1t was
held to be the duty OF every Thug to strangle
az many people as he could manage TO safely
attack, and to steal their property. No Thug
ever murdered another Thug. but, with this
exception, the Thugs were at war with all
smankind
The British government in India, with Its
characteristic hatred OF freedom, dislikei
Thuggtsm and undertook TO suppress It.
The measures taken were stern and oppres-
sive. The Thugs were hunted down by
policemen and soldiers: when arrested they
were tried like common murderers, and
when convicted they were hanged No Eng
Ishman was enlightened enough to foresee
that the true way TO deal with Thugism was to
happy and Contented. TWAS universally known
that the Thugs entertained an enthusiastic
yearnlng for the blood OF every man, woman
ana eMld outside Of the sect and wild long
1t seems strange to us that the British govern
ment did not recognize the right of the Thugs
to entertain these peculiar longings, and
craftsmanship required that reforms look
Ing to the ultimate qualification of the
Thugs should be undertaken. Had the govern.
mission to XIII a reasonable number OF people
annually, and had it been made lawful for
every Thug to rob, say two persons per month.
the Thugs might have recognized that there
was desire to do them justice and might have
become good and faithful citizens, numbering
and robp1ng only in accordance with the law.
Instead OF SO doing, the Tretched Thugs had
all their aspirations toward free murder and
untrammeled robbery ruthlessly crushed, and
the sect was so thoroughly extirpated that
doubts are occasionally expressed 10y ill-in-
formed persons as to the fact That such a sect
ever existed.
The Nihists OF Russia closely resemble the
thugs. They are the worsnipers OF NoChtng
and hold as enemies every human baiug who
W0rsh1ps or believes In any thing. Their OBJECT.
as defined by one OF their authorized Spikes
men, Is to destroy God and society. Like the
Thugs, murder Is TO them an end rather than a
means They do not xiii one another, but they
STAB, shoot. poison, and blow up any enc out.
side OF their sect whom they suspect or enter.
tanning any regard for anything. The late car
was early selected az g sacrifice TO NihiilSm
because he was known as the llberator CT the
serfS, as an enlightened monarch, and humane
man. The attempts which the NihilistS made
to Kill him led to repetition On the part OF
the Russian government Of the severity of the
British government toward the Thugs and In
the end the eXasperated Nlhilists succeeded In
blowing the unfortunate Car to pieces.
AS the judicious and unprecedented editors
have 1ntimated, the great mistake OF the Car
was In not making reforms which would have
satisfied the lOngingS OF the Nihilists. He
should have adopted some measure looking
toward the early abolition OF God; he Should
have decreed that marriage and the holding OF
property should De treated as crimes DuniS1a-
bic With death, aud he should have granted to
the Nih1t5tS the right to kill everybody who
0iffefed In any way from them. IT, In add
ton TO these reforms. the Car had abdicated
Joined the Nlh1ltStS and entered upon the ca
Teer CT an active and earnest assassin there
would have leen no more discomfort. no more
Wild yearntngs. no more unsatiShed aspirations
toward free crime among the NihiliSts. These
Wou' / have been the only reforms which could
have accomplished this grand result, for so long
as any Vestlge OF government or organized So
cety remains the N1h.liSts assure the world that
their longfngS will be unSatiSfled and that thev
Will continue to murder the rest OF mankind
1t Is thus clear that Alexander H. was really
the author OF MS own death. His dull. obsti-
nate, and ty ranncal refusal TO satisfy the Mill
ISIS left them no alternative bat to Kill him
Let US nope that the new Car VIII take warn
Ing by Ills fathers fate, and will sIgnaltZe his
accession TO the throne by granting the few
simple reforms already mentioned and BY
abandoning the wicked persecution OF the as
SasslrS FOR which tyrantS everywhere are now
elamoripg.-N. \. Times.