The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-03-23
THE RIVER PR E S

mans the balance Of political influence ovel
both, and boih came to recognize in this
men the natural leadership, which finally re
suited il their calling upon their friends in
Denmark and Sweden for military aid. and
ambassadors were sent inviting them to
take possession Of the field. Rurick. with
three others, accordingly came, and took
Novgorod and soon after wards Kief. and his
son Oleg made the latter point the capital of
the little empire which was to expand until
it covered one six of the surface Of the hab-
table globe.
Between 912 and 1910 the little empire was
subject to many vicissitudes, as the Norman
rulers had subdiVided it on the death of Ru-
rick, and q series Of broils for the suprema-
cy ensued, which resulted in nothing until
Vladimir succeeded in subduing them al, and
making himself supreme. This was the pi-
yotal event in the history Of the Russian en-
pire, for there at last existed one power
last which overshadoWed every other in the
whole domain OF the country occupied by the
Sclavic people. Nearly two centuzjes had
elapsed since the handful of Normons had
become the ruling power, and they were
almost amalgalnated into the Sa1ays. but not
without first creating 9 ruling caste which re-
tanned all the civilizing influences of the Nor
man, and a great deal more which they had
borrowed from the b zantine Greeks in the
several incursions made on Cons%tantinople,
and which they had impressed upon the rul-
ing factors. The conquering race had not
troubled itself with the peculiar communal
organization Of the Sclavs, and the Sclavs
themselves, being left secure in their ancient
privileges, cared little who ruled the proyin-
ces, as their idea Of government did not ex-
tend beyond the Commune itself, and their
ancient habit of discipline under the despotic
rule Of their village elders made them easy |
to rule and perfectly unimpressible.
Sunny Vladimir extended his empire from
the Vistula to the Don, and from lake linen
on the north to the falls of the Dneiper on the
south. He did one thing besides conquer he
became q convert to the Christian faith, and
his example had been followed by the whole
National process which had been maturing
gradually for 8 century, and this was accom-
panied by the appointment of a Metropolitan
by the emperor at Constantinople.
Thus was the greatlink formed which was
to hold Russia in the list of Western civiliiza-
tons and Western powers, in spite of the ter
rible vicisitudes and almost total humiliation
which We're soon to follow from the over
flowing torrent of HE Tartar host, which
for two centuries swept with irresistible
force over the country and then gradually
receded like a tidal wave, leaving the former
free communes comnunes still, tilling the soil
on the same communal principle, and electing
its village elders In HE same old way, but ap-
proprlating lands, communes, and elders.
and holding the Whole as chattel property
and leaving them all in the condition of slav-
cry known to Us as serfdom. No other sys-
tenn but one foundd purely upon the land
and agriculture could have withstood the
shock. A commercial people would have
been robbed and ruired at the first overthrow
and scattered beyon{ redemption. But land
could not be taken,and the Russian Sclavs
to the land, as .reemen, as slaves, and
with no right but the right to pay taxes, and
still clung until in The fnllness of time they
have again their freedom and their lands,
on the same old tenule they held it twenty
centuries ago. When land was sold by the
invader the people were sold with il,
and would not be separated from it, and like
g rock, when the great yave receeded it was
there where it had stood for SO
many centuries; left scared and barren, but
still standing, and just enough of the virgin
soil left in which the old seed would ger
anew and bear d fruit which is not
yet ripened, but which bidsfair to be good1y
no be cont5aA6d.)
- EN@