Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-30
THE FALL OF GEN. IGNATIEFF
How Russian Minister Fell over
the New Jewish Question.

Fifteen months have passed since tie
present Gar ascended the throne, and vel
he has already tried three Counts to govern
MS country, which has become well-nieh
ungovernable. In the first place, Count
Melikotf was the omnipotent Minister of the
Interior. There was not the least doubt
that he was equal TO his task but as he
urged the Gar to sacrifice his ausocratic
prerogativesfor the welfare Of his people the
| Count fell, and the Constitutionalist party
| Tor the time being lost its influence. Then
another Count, General Ignatieff, was called
to the post Of Minister of the Interior. and
along with him the old Slavophiles were
taken into the Czar's council. This Count
sought to establish order in Russia by bring
Ing the rest OF Europe into disorder. But
the Count soon reached the bad necessity of
requesting the Gar, on the pretext OF Ill
| health, to relieve him from his post.
General IgnatieH' internal policy has been
wise one. At the very beginning of his
administration he Issued circular declaring
that without delay a system should be
! adopted by which the peoples representa-
tives would be enabled to cooperate with
the government, and In pursuance Of this
project he twice invited a number of pro-
vincial representatives not only to discuss,
| out even to decide, some Of the most vital
State questions. The invitation to the pro-
vincial statesmen was but a preliminary
measure to the calling Of General Assem-
bly, OF the peoples representatives. The
idea OF the cunning Count Ignatfeff was to
relieve the CZsr of the task of ruling Russia.
and yet to preserve the sham of autocracy
Ia short, he wanted TO restore the
Zemsky Sober, or National Legislative
Assembly. Had General Ignatieff pursued
only bis internal policy he might have
done great things; but, unhappilv, he was
too much OF diplomat not to look abroad.
The Austrian machination on the Balkan
Peninsula made him crazy, and he reckless
ly undertook the direction OF foreign policy,
Whlch was not his business at all. It is
hardly necessary to state here that the brave
Gen. Skobeleh was the mouthpiece of Gen.
lgnatietf. When the young Gar realized
that there was danger OF q Russian German
conflict, and that Ivan's caps could not do
much against Krupp's cannon, the last hour
OF Gen. Ignatieff had struck. Mr.. Giers.
Minister OF Foreign Affairs, who felt deeply
hurt by the usurpatory tendencies of The
Minister OF the Interior waited only chance
to rebuke the usurper, and soon he got 1t.
The Jewish question had been brought
before the Cabinet of Ministers. 1t is well
known here with what extraordinary LENT
ency Gen. Ignatieff treated the gross neg
lect Of the local authorities to prevent or
suppress the anti Jewish riots; in fact, he
was ready to sacrifice the Jews in order to
people, who, for many reasons, dislike |
them. But Mr.. Giers stood up to defend |
the dignity of the law and the government. |
"The Jews" he declared, "are as much the |
subjects Of His Majesty as any other ma
tionality living under his sceptre, and |
therefore they have full right to expect |
from the government the protection of |
their lives and property" The other Min |
listers sided with Mr.. Glers. Thus Gen. Ig
natieH lost his influence, and he had to en- /
force the rules which he could not approve.
In pursuance OF q ukase of the Car. the |
Senate issued, on May 25th, the following
declaration:
The Emperor is pleased to inform his
subjects that the government has firmly
declded TO prosecute any crimes committed
against the persons or the property OF the
Jews, Tor they have the same right to the |
protection OF law as the rest of the Cars
subjects"
General lgnatIeff had to issue the order
that this declaration be read and posted In
all the towns and villages Of the provinces
mostly populated by Jews. He had also to
enforce another declaration of the Senate
that any civil or military officer neglecting
to prevent or suppress the snti-Jewish riots
should be dismissed from the service.
Meanwhile, In view of the Russian-Ger-
man conflict, and particularly on account of
The forced Jewish exodus, Russian foreign
trade has collapsed and Russian credit
abroad has fallen as low as ever before.
Russian capitalists bitterly complain that
General lgnatief was running the country,
nder such circumstances the Count had no
choice but to retire from Office.