Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-30
Pan.SlaViSnn.

Herbert Tutte in the June Atlantic.
When MOritZ Arndt undertook In his immor-
tai hymn, to find the true limits of the father
land. he drew them wherever he could find the
German tongue, German habits, German spirit,
and German traditions. The generous concep-
ton could thus be made to include peoples and
districts which for centuries had been politically
severed from the empire. But the test was still
German. for not even the poet ventured to claim
the entire Teutonic group of tongues and PEG
ples-England America. Holland, Denmark,
Sweden-and the craftsmanship of the age was
far less audacious than its poetry. Pan-slavism
is therefore more ambitious idea than Arndt's
fatherland. Instead of being only the dream of
poet. it is the aim of serious practical states
men, or at least an impulse which they are
willing to further and utilize. Instead of halt
ing at the frontiers of the Russian language it
reaches out into Prussia and Austria and Tur-
key. and embraces all men, whatever their DO
litical relations, whose idiOm Identifies them with
the great SiavOnie race. The Servians the Bull
garians, the Bosnans, the Montegrins, the Dal-
matians. the CrOats, the Poles of Warsaw, of
Posen, OF Galicia, the CZechs of BOhemia-these
all form part Of the future Slay commonwealth.
All are brothers, and owe one another the kindly
offices OF the fraternal relation.
In this novel domestic scheme the car him.
self has the part Of Great, or rather, as the
Slavs say. Little Father" Yet pan-Slayism
stops apparently short Of the idea of q close
political union under single scepter, or even
OF a confederation, as Germans, or Swiss. or
Americans understand the term and aims only
at species Of alliance with Russia as patron
and protector. But in this qualified form the
idea has powerful hold On the imagination of
the Russian peoples. Russians may be nhilists
or loyalists radicals, liberals or conservatives.
editors or lawyers plebeians or aristocrats, may
nave any opinion in polite or any status in
society: II they can only read and think and
dream, they are nearly certain to be pan-Slavists
and to defend the cause with ingenious feryOr
TO every patient listener. At the clubs noisy
patriots will declaim on the subject by the
hour. In the salons fair ladies' insinuate 1t
upon you, with all the art of the sex, as they
hand you your glass OF tea. The stranger whom
one meets in the train, or at the table d'hote or
at the picture galley, is likely not only to be q
champion OF pan-Slavism, but to discuss its
virtues with an enthusiasm and naivete which
take no account OF ones foreign birth and DOS
sible lack of interest in the cause Gen Skobe-
left was therefore perfectly justified in protest.
ing. as he did on his return from Paris, that he
had only announced sentiments which in Russia
every one holds and avOws.
No one can. indeed be more SURPRISED than
the gallant General himself at the political i'm
pOrtance into which he has suddenly sprung
Like every educated man or woman in Russia,
he is something Of politician. His opinions are
well known. and he has often expressed them
with frankness which, even in this country
public opinion and the etiquette of their pro.
fession forbid to high officers OF the army But
there was no special reason why Gen. SkobeIeH.
in spite Of his grave indiscretiOn. should be sim
gled out for the malignant attacks of German
Slavophobists. unless, indeed. a pretext was
desired for humiliating Russia, or provoking q
rupture