, 1881-10-30
TO PROTECT THE GAR.


erhood Formed for That Purpose.
| ST. Petersburg Letter t" Lond91 Daily Ntrx.
| Perhaps one of the most extraordinary signs
of the times, illustrating the unhappy and ul,-
healthy condition Of things in the Rus
T sian Empire, is the recent Institution
Of q secret society, for which tie
| model anu precedent must BE- sought
rather in the Middle Ages titan in tue actual
| nineteenth century. The new. society is
known rs the Swiataia Droujina, OF Holy
Brotherhood, its object being to protect the
person Of The Emperor, and to maintain the
existing order i'll the form Of autocratie rule.
1t is stated that the idea Of this Institution
originated with ~ Pobedonotsetf, with the
spccia1 approval Of an Imperial Grand Duke,
and that the principal contributors OF funds
are a wealthy Prince AMI Il we'll
known Jewish banker, 4 sum Uf S00,-
600 rub]es having been already subscribed
To organize and direct its operations the
n. Schmidt, formerly assistant to the Chief
oil the Third Section, ;lid Al: Pootilin, late
head IF the st. Petersburg detective police
who is now nj kef. N. Schmidt renlail15 ut
ST. Petersburg, where the society is now ar
work, and has alrcady signalizetl itself, not
50 r.uc!l bys the capture Ut Nilllists, rs
By inn0cently arrestiHg members vi the
ordinary secret police That sucll arrests
should take place wifi appe;r more cols,ical
thai! credible to English readers, but will
parts Of the Continent, where the French
system Of agents proSocateurs is better
known. AS Instances Ut such bluntlcrs, it is
currently reported that all aseilt Of iftis
police, and member of the Holy Brother
hood happening to travel in the saline rail-
way carriage to ravl0vsky, and having suc-
cec,'cd. IT'S they inlagincd, IN cticitins from
r:a;:h other dangerous or 1ilconvr!,iant cS-
pressin'ls al views in the course Of their con-
vcrsaEiu,,, found tl,umseives boil, under al
rcst before nigiltfaii Each had denounced
the other IT, their respective chiefs: :
Another instance il. the s;llne direction is
reported to have occurred during the last
few days, W|lcla Il member of the brother
hood eagerl; repaired to the Minister of tile
interior to Inform him that they hat suc~
cee,led III arrestifg Il Nihiiist in I'aris. The
Count quietly usEcd his name. The n:ltl,e
ehagrin may Imagined wien Count lGna-
tietf rejuincl, .'IIe is my AGENT The
Count had doubtless already been notified Of
the amusing situation in which one of his
is known Of the operations Ut this brother
hood up 70 the present time, excerpt THESE
arrests. But If it is correctly stated that the
headquarters and iirst contingent of menl-
bers are FROM the st. Petersburg Imperial
Yacht Club (so called, apparently, on the
lucus 4 noll lucendo principle, as the club
has no connection with yachiln,), this is
certainly onu OF the most curious and o,lir-
Gus features i'll connection with the society.
On the one hand it reads like satire that the
members Of this club, comprising the % jeun-
essc land yieitesscj tlort'c "afSt. Petersburg,
should thus form themselves into q ''loly
BrOthcriiood.''
While, IN the other hand, what is to be said
OF thought nE the state ct society in this
country it members OF one Of the most aris-
tDcratic clubs. for1u themselves into II secret
inStitltion-ln groups If tiye like the Car
honafi-;s{tl engage to s;tet RS sf'ies among
their CONNECTIONS and friendSa For against
WlOln else can their operations be- directed:
They surely cannot expect to compass; their
objects by cavesttropplll~ i'll tac public
streets. ar by watching and listening; ~ tile
conversation OF strangers i'll pubI13 places,
Of entertainment, or like the unfortunate !
railway travellers to l'arlnvsky, by draw |
ing out chance cfellow-paSsen@ers. Well niay |
the instinct Of honorable men revolt against I
such Ill association when its true object is !
male clear. kfa. wcll-knuwn person in ST. |
Petersburg Wa$ asked by * certain Prince to !
;,econe affiliated. The prompt ami Indignant |
reilly to the astnnfsl1cd npostIeof the brottltl-
1tuuu was: Why you want lle to he 4 sl,y!" |
Tie Prince naturally deurecatcd stleit |
a plai. explanation of the Institution,
but, Of course, could not t.ansay /
its truth. Will, equal prupriety AMI |
fOrce, when 4 Wetl-kllown General WIS asked
to become 4 member, lle is said ~ have re-
plied with simple anu ullanswerable logic: [
;. When took the oath Of allegiance to the
Emperor swore that would not belong to