Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-15
ZEE ASSASSINATION oF ZEE czAR.

IN advance has been gained by this crime.
No light dawns through such means. Ali
that is made clear is that the most elabor-
ate precautions are in the long run unavail-
ing when the life of an individual is sought
by determined and reckless secret organ
ization. That is a very poor result to OBJ
tain az such price. But the blunder Of
the Nihilists does not end here. They
have made Alexander the Third Emperor.
Have they anything more to hope from
him than from his father? If we may
judge from his past history assuredly they
have not. The new Emperor has been re-
cognizad hitherto as an upholder of what
is called the Old Russian party. He is a
pronounced Pan-Slarist, it is true; but
there is nothing in his past to indicate that
ne sympathizes with the democratic aspira-
tons of the restless elements OF the empire.
And it must be remembered that the men.
tai position of an heir apparent is necessar-
lily very different from that of reigning
sovereign. With responsibility comes con-
servatism. With supreme power comes
the desire to maintain supreme power.
It's the doom OF autocracy that it never
can indulge in liberal policies without en-
dangering its existence, and with the fate
of his father before his eyes there is little
probability that the new Gar will lean to-
wards democracy in any form.
The murder Of the late Emperor points
once more the satire of history. 1t is
seldom that the tyranny of strong ruler
is avenged during his own lifetime. France
was crushed under Louis the Fourteenth,
but his reign ended quietly. Louis the Six
tenth was liberal and well meaning
prince, bent upon extensive reforms, and
anxious to relieve the sufferings of his peo-
pie. His measures gave them the first
taste of liberty and justice they had en-
joyed for generations. And the first use
they made of their recovered power was to
destroy their emancipation. Under the
firm rule of the Emperor Nicholas Russia
groaned, but remained passive. His mania
of military government converted the
empire into camp. He banished dis
cussion. He excluded ideas. He sent
thinkers to Siberia. He encouraged blind
and servile obedience. The people pa
tiently submitted to all this, and even
when his system had broken down under
actual experiment they remained quiescent.
Alexander the Second not only contem-
plated but carried into effect unexampled
reforms. He gave virtual freedom to ten
millions of serfs. He removed the prohi-
billions from literature and the press. He
permitted the universities to inculcate po-
litical doctrines. He opened the door to
| progress and higher civilization. And
for all this his reward is assassination.
It is true that in the later years of his
reign he had largely abandoned his earlier
views in regard to the safety of per-
mitting popular IDEAS iull scope, but it is
also true that this change Of policy was
forced upon him by the reckless intern.
perance of the Nihilists. He had been
assisted in his emancipation policy by the
mobiles, who might have rendered that
policy abortive, but when this class
realized that the new conditions demanded
sustained exertion on their part, they
appear to have lost their patriotic enthusi-
asm, and for some time had seemed
to be observing the struggle between the
Government and the anarchists with CON-
psrative apathy and indifference. The
Nihilists had forced the Emperor to adopt
harsh measures, and then they cited
those measures as justification for Their
murderous plots. The folly of theiI
course has been shown from the first IL
the vagueness OF their programme. The
truth is that their leaders have been
almost without exception Missionaries, who
were not capable of anything but de.
structive efforts. Assassination is very
vulgar and british business, and demands
no intellectual force for its organization,
and the NihilIsts have never risen above
assassination.
| No useful end has ever been served by
such methods. On the contrary, their EN-.
ployment almost invariably leads to the
reinforcement of rigorous governmental
policies. The Revolution might have
saved France but for the Reign of Terror.
That put Napoleon Bonaparte at the head
of affairs, and brought on the Empire,
The Reign of Terror cost France fifty years
of progress. The assassination of Alex
ander the Second viii probably push back
the hands on the Russian liberal dial in the
same way. The man dies, but the system
remains, and it is the system which is alone
responsible for existing abuses. For years
to come, however, every appeal made tC
the Russian Government for more liberia
institutions viii be met by reference tc
this catastrophe This is the result o.
san attempt to introduce greater free
"dom," the new Car may well say
" therefore it is safer for me TO revert tt
the stern repressive policy"
There is no argument in assassination
1t is in fact an abandonment OF all argu
ment. No instance of it can be citet
which has bettered the condition of the
supporters of the policy. The Nihiistl
have done what they have long been trying
to do, and they have after all accomplished
nothing. A somewhat weak but not un
amiable sovereign has been killed, but
his successor is already seated on tht
throne. The system is intact. and it
enemies are stained and made infamous b.
a futile and wanton crime. Nihilism i
anarchic and ruthless, but it does not ris'
to the dignity of rational revolution.
! MALONE CASTS THE DIE.
Senator Malone has made his choice
and it is with the Republicans. OF cours
this is his own affair, and perhaps he ha