Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-26
THE GROWTH OF NlnuIsM.
some OF It's Teachers
tHnxr vnrH T,u>>n

-
Some Of Its Teachers.
New York Times.I
Inc Gar who succeeded Alexander l. sane
toned measures of extreme severity against Sill
outlets OF freedom of opinion. According to a
thoughtful German writer, who lived many
years In the Russian metropolis. and whose
recent work On bis Russian experiences has
Deen Carefully translated By Fairfax Taylor
she government, after the aoortive Instruction
OF 1925, openly avowed itself as the enemy OF
European civilization. A stern censorship was
established astride all Russian literature,
whether 1t was in the shape Of books, pampn.
lets. magazines or newspapers. AS it Was
believed that the demons OF assassination and
revolution sprang from France ana other free
thinking countries OF western Europe. the gov
eminent OF ST. petersburg considered 1t wise to
check as much as possible all intercourse
peIWeen its SUBJECTS and that same objectlona-
ole western Europe. Nevertheless, there
grew up again societies of educated men.
who debated questions OF religion and
pollucs IN bold, free-thinking manner. In
MOSCOW, the society of which Alexander Her.
zen, brilliant but vain and arrogant literateur
OF distinguished family. and Michael Bakunin,
an Intellectual lieutenant OF artillery. were the
principal ornaments, the principles of Hege;'5
philosophy were discussed WITH animation and
pe:tlnacity. An ordinary philosopher might
not be able to see In Hegel the rudiments OF
great political dogmas, but che case WAS differ
ent when Hegel's aDstruse speculations fell into
Tue hands or ambitious, young and restless
politicians like the clique which reco 5niza1
Bakunin as their leader. Hating his own cNun-
try, and ambitious OF being able one day TO he %
Els people TO secure their liberties, Michael
! BaEuntn fled TO Berlin where he stIdied NOR
intensely than ever all the mysticisns OF 6eSai.
La 1912 he was busy 10 Dresden, where he founl
that from Hegers Positlvism aud Negatlvlsm
ne could construct for himself a polit-
cal system Of revolution. He wrote sni
spoke necessarily about the everlasting
no. and was declared admirer and disciple OF
Negat1vtsm. Having completed his peculiar
education at Dresden, Bakunin went to Paris
and openly declared himself a Russian re'u
gee. He gathered crowd OF disconnected pa
triots around him. and he was able TO collect
large sums for the organization OF societies
which should work together for the liberation
great Polish banquet Of 1871. he made a speech
In which he fully described his Revolutionary
principles. He told the Poles and Russians
and whoever else were near him. that there
would quickly be a revolution OF the future;
that that revolution would make amends to
Poland. ard would also remove forever all diff
slavs, and unite the lands east and
west of the Oder into proper and
benificent federative republic. This speech,
echoed aa as 1t was Eop found
the Cars dominions. Representations were
made from st. Petersburg to Paris that Baku-
OF Russia and at the same time the Russian
government offered q reward OF $1,000 for
Bakunin's capture. The gentleman who had
discovered the art OF revolution in Eegelisn
thought 1t was wiser to fly from Paris than to
stay there and assert his rights to be a free
guest OF the people OF France. He next ap.
peared Ia Brussels. where he employed Bis
time IN dlsSem!n mating his revolutionary prin-
c1pies Then he fled again to London, where
he assumed the editorship OF the notorious
anti russian journal. the Kolokol. Thousands
we're smuggled weekly into Russia, and
the Government tried all 1t could to di scover
the smugglers. at the same time threatening
with fine and imprisonment all those VINO
might be discovered In possession OF the ob1ac-
ttonaole sheet. With the KotOhOI in his pc YER
Bakunin grew rabid In his political hatre1s
bis Hegelian Negat1Vism rapidly became
nlhlilsm, neither more nor less Destruction
became his idol. The length to which Bakunln
had gone In advocating pure destruction dis
gusted the majority of the intelligent political
theorists with whom he found himself In sym
pathy In his earlier days, when he was trying
10 discover as scholar and philosopher the
meanings Of aege They pa not only forsook the
ished secret voice Of INDEPENDENCE but when
Eakunin died, few years ago, they peic5Tie.
the fact as blessed delyeranco.
shortly after Bakuni0'S death the result OF
In Russia itself. Students, mechanics. male
ana female busybodies in politics, met together
m secret: established societies, and collected
IundS for the furtherance OF their schemes. A
huMoer OF assas5inati0nS OF prominent officials
were next perpetrated or attempted. Vera
Sassulltch shot at Trepof, was tried by jury
and acquitted. and the acqutttal was hailed
with delight by that portion of the Russian
public who were represented By the RuSsEi
A!r. the COOS, and the Noroe Vreneya. Muir
derS continued TO follow fast. In fifteen months
successful attempts were made on Me3anzeff,
Chief Of the gendarmerIe, Prince Krapotkinl
tne governor OF Kharli0n, and Baron Heyk!ng of
kietf; and unsuccessful attempts Were mate on
kotleTeVski the provincial proeulator az X eff:
iCnefkCT ard HubDinett, the two c1iefs OF the
Ell administration OF police; and General Won
Dfsntela, Mesenzen's successor The number
Or criminal prosecutions arising from these
AID other crimes was astounding. 10 1876
tleie we're tie trials OF the first batch OF 13S
hi.! n'hillsts, Of Brandt and his confe1erates,
the rioters at Po.tLya, Kharkoff and Oiess !,
anu Use" hcie-aH following eacn other In
RAPID succession. Nevertheless, the nlhilisU
5cciviieS continued 10 grow in spite of the
poi ce aad the extra precautions taken by the
SoyeiDueIt. Ceftain bands grew SO confident
IN tier strength that they were able to
demand. and successfully large sums OF money
Petersburg. and from other merchants 10
Moscow, kien and odessa. Tle nhll!sts
showed that they had other instruments of
destruction than mere knives, bombs and
pistols. Arson was to them as usefdl
weapon as any they could WELD. Ac-
cGoTdihhgly, tney burned down Irkutsk, Irbit,
by much misery TO tie Inhabitants, who doubt
less preferred the Cars rule, which, sc all
t scents, ielt them roofs above their heads.
tnetr wits ends. They were Invested with
almost absolute power. They could proceed
adm1nistratively-that is, do as they pleased TO
person, ana without question, merely upon
suspicion. Yet they could not SINCE any or all
OF the heads OF this monster Nihilism. They
sought to be successful by REFRESHING the little
liberty the press had left II. NJ. Korsch, on
account Of the exaSperating and petty censor
ship to which he was constantly subjected
threw UP the e1ltor5hip or the st. Petersburg
Gazette, ana With IL an expensive lease. The
G0los had warning OF suspension because 1t
Ventured TO express surprise that q boy OF II
years OF age had been excluded from the GYM
nasfum OF Odessa because OF his political opin-
ions! Such arbitrary interfere0ces shove
weakness. not power; and the NihtlistS re-
j0iced. Every one Is acquainted with the
numerous attempts which they made upon the
LIE OF the late Car before they succeeded,
The AutOCrat OF Germany.
Pail Mall Gazette
Count Gutenberg 1t seems, is going the way
OF all Prussian ministers, the way on which
Delbruck and Falk, Camphausen and Hobreoht,
FJiadenthal and IurinS with many man M