Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-06-29
Exiles in Siberia.


TIE Terrible Meaning Of EriIatiOn to That
Country.
do not know how many exiled crimi-
nails Irkutsk has the honor OF harborlng
within her walls, but l should say at
least fifth part of the whole popula-
ton belong to this category. 1t is
generally assumed by writers on Siberia
that the proportion of political to crimi'
nal exiles is about one in ten, and
there are 279 politicals at the present
time in Irkutsk, all, like most of the
criminals, living in freedom in the city
but kept under strict police surveillance.
| do not care to 60 into the statistics of
exiles in Siberia at all | am not sent
here for that purpose but | am inclin-
ed to call attention to the very absurd
statements made by an English clergy
man, Mr.. Landsell, in his recently pub
lshed work entitled Through Siberia" ."
lie asserts that in 1880 only eighty pollt-
ical prisoners were sent to Siberia.
This on the face of it is a preposterous
statement for the banished Nihilists are
nearly all classed as politicals, and their
number is very large. OF the 279 politi-
cal prisoners in Irkutsk | should say
that two-thirds of that number are
Poles, who have grown gray in exile,
and in most cases have become estab-
lished in trade or have some useful oc
cupation. The Poles are the "gentle.
men" among the exiles; they are the
most cultivated men in the country,and
are deserving of all sympathy. Groups
of them may be met at diuner or sup.
per every day at the hotel where | stay
ed, fine specimens of their race, but
grown old and weary, despairing of
ever being able to get back to their own
country, not for lack of permission but
the necessary means OF transport. They
are dreamers still, these aged patriots,
preaming ever of grand future tor
Poland, but helpless as childred in rem
dering any assistance to gain that end.
1t seems terribly cruel thing to have
done wit these men, to have Wrested
them from the country and home they
loved and fought gallantly for and to
this more than useless life in the She
rian wastes. No one can grasp the ter
rible meaning of eXilation to Siberia,
unless he has seen these men, grown OLD
and desolate in this far Oft place, their
poor decrepit bodies thOusanes OF miles
away from the place where they have
left heart and soul. | would curse
heaven and humanity were | condemn.
ed to live forever in this souless coun.
try, away from all that is beautiful and
healthy in the world, away from the
life where tenderness and love reign
sweetly over hearth and home. And
there is no escape from this land made
hell for humanity except pardon, tardi'
ly granted, or, more frequently, death
and grave that is frozen all the year
round. These thoughts arise when
think of the fate of the Polish eXiles
still here. For the ordinary criminals
| have no sympathy, nor yet for the Nj
hilists, and only think it sad that any
country, however wretched, yet capable
of any future at all, should be hucdened
with their presence. OF the former,
droves may be seen on the roads every
day of the latter large numbers are
constantly arriving. On the 9Th OF
March the notorious DR.. Weimar, who
was implicated in the Nihilistic at
tempts on the late Emperor's life, pass
ed through Irkutsk on his way to some
place still further removed from the
world, but his destination | did not
learn, but probably somewhere in the
Amur province, where he will be
enabled TO make interesting studies i'll
the villages filled with diseased and rot,
ting humanity.