The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-03-15
NlIIILISM.
THR RUSSIAN "PHILosoPHY OF MEGA
TIoN" AND ITS FOUNDER.

| TON" AND ITS FOUNDER.
Chief among the Soeialistic pailoso-
pliers of late years in Russia was Mi
chael Bakunin, scion of noble and
wealthy family, who was born in 1914
and began life in manner befiUtinp
his station. O., asa lieutenant in the
Guards. But he soon tired of army
life, resigned in 1885, and retired to
his estates near Moscow to devote
himselft to the study of the German
philosophy of Hegel. Completely cap
tivated by this system, he soon went
to Germany in order to become inti-
mately acquainted with HegePs disci-
pies. De took part in the revolution
in Saxony, was captured, sentenced to
death, delivered up to the Russian au.
thorities and sent to Siberia, his pun
ishment being commuted to impris-
onment for life. Ten years later he
escaped from Siberia, and made his
way gradually, via Japan and Ameri-
ca, to London, where he became editor
of a journal published in Russian, call
ed the Kolokol, which from being rad
lcal soon became revolutionary. This
paper gradually became unpopular
even With the class to whom it was
addressed, and il died in 1865. Baku-
min then went to Switzerland and be-
came an active member of the Work
ingmen's International Society, before
whom he expounded The philosophy Of
negation. But the Internatlonals re-
pudiated him and his PHI philosophy, and
he therefore conbpired against the So
clety. But this conspiracy against
conspiracy was harmless, and he con
tinued his futile rawlings at Berne un-
Til his death in 1878. Ten years pre-
yious to his death, however, he deliv-
cred an elaborate speech 10 the Con-
gress of the international at Berae,
which although rejected by t Inter-
national, became the gospel of faith Of
the Nihilists, and was Incorporated IN
10 the catechism of revolution, which
has been printed in enormous mum.
bers and penetrated to nearly every
palace and hut in Russia, despite the
censors.
The principles of this philosophy of
negatlon may be gathered from the fol-
lowing extracts: "This gospel admits of
no half measures and hesitations The
old world must be destroyed and re-
placed by new one. The lie must be
stamped out and give way to truth. 1t
Is our mission TO destroy the lie, and to
effect this we must begin at the CONS
mencement. Now the beginning OF all
those lies which have ground idown this
poor world In slavery IL God. Tear out
of your hearts the belief In the exist.
ence OF God, for as long as an atom OF
that silly superstition remains in your
minds you will not know what freedom
IL. When you have got rid OF the be-
lief in this priest begoLten God, aud
when, moreover, you are convinced that
your existence and that Of the surround.
ing world IL due to tho eongIomera ion
OF atoms in accordance with the laws of
gravity and attraction, then and then
only you Will have accomplished the
the first step towards liberty, and you
will experience less difficulty in Kidding
your minds of that second lie which
tyranny has invented. The first lie is
God, the second lie is right. Might in.
vented the fiction of right In order to
insure and strengthen her reign. Might,
my friends, forms the sole groundwork
of society Might makes and unmakes
In VS., and that might should be In the
hand of the majority. Once penetrated
with clear conviction of your own
might you will be able to destroy this
mere notion of right. And when you
have freed your mind from fear of
God and from that childish respect for
the fiction of right, then all the remain
ing chains which bind you and which
are called science, civilization, property,
marriage, morality and justice, will snap |
asunder like threads. Let your ewp |
happiness Be your only law. But In |
order TO get this law recognized and To |
bring about the proper relations which |
should exist between the majority and |
minority of mankind, yon must destroy |
everything which exists in the shape of |
State or social organizations. Our first
work must be destruction and annihila-
ton of everything as Ii now exists. You
must aceustom yourselves to destroy
everything good with the bad. For,
Ii an atom of this old world remains,
the new Will never be created. Take
heed that no ark be allowed to RESCUE
any atom of this old world which we
consecrate o destruction"
Such are the principles of Nibilism.-
Ideas at once SO devoid of reason and SO
full of crime must find a peculiar soil 10
take root. They took root in certain
portion of the Russian people, compris-
Ing both sexes, among mobiles, officials,
students merchants AMI
peasants; because of two facts-tirst,
the enormous reforms of the Emperor
Alexander had unsettled peoples beliefs
aud powers of reason, SO that nothing
seemed impossible or absurd; and, sec
Dndly there existed enough abuses In the
official administration to give some
to the proposition that the
whole should be destroyed.
THE New York Christian Re0ister,in
to case in police court where