The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-16

now TIE CzAa-fROTECTfNG ASSOCIATION CANE
no ne DESTROYED

now THE CzAR-fR0TEcTiNG ASSOCIATION CANE
TO BE DESTROYED.
Russian correspondent sends the Her.
ord the following account OF The abolition
of the Holy League: IL was started soon
after the assassination Of Alexander H., at
the initiative OF noblemen OF high stand
ing. who issued an appeal to nlnoer OF
weil-known men who could be relied upon
IN io,n In the work. The idea was 10 fight
tbc NihIlists with the latter's own weapons,
, saye that the bombs and dynamite were
TO be dis, sissed, though prisons ana
administrative deportation might be put
An use. Those last extreme means
~ conversion were, however, to be used
In exceptional cases, and even without tbe
knowledge OF the majority OF the members
Of the HOLY League, who were mostly nom
orable men. holding administrative abuses
In very much the same horror as they ola
Tho Nibillstic deeds. II was proposed TO
entice the vacillating members OF society,
and even former Nihiists, TO enter into
communication with the Holy League on
the promise OF the latter 10 help them get
employment or even give them the means
10 leave the country In case the police
should make II too hot Tor Them
in Russia. Declarations and invitations TO
that effect were distributed in great num-
bcrs. but with great discrimination, ana all
written communications were requested 10
be directed poste reStante to Dir. n. l..
Kiedus. For some time the affairs OF the
League were prospering. There Is no
statement, OF course. rs TO the number OF
"copyersionsv achieved by the Holy
League. but its financial condition was
brilliant, since many OF its members, VINO
wore mostly rich and influential men, sub
scribed large sums TO the maintenance oil
the League. Ii is even stated on good
authority that Prince Demidof, OF San
Donate, has at different times gwen
10 the League, OF which he was
member, no less than half million
rubles. The Government Is known to have
spent over three million rubles on the Holy
League during the eighteen months OF It's
existence. Yet, apart from the influence
given by money, the League has gained OF
late a great amount Of power in the En-
pire. Strong already through its aims TO
protect the life OF the Car, the League
steadily applied itself to correct the abuses
IN different departments OF the Admins
tration, whose chiefs were led TO consider
their ministries very much in the light OF
personal estates, where they can do as they
general exigencies OF the Empire or the
demands Of the other Ministers.
Most Of all were annoyed by the League
the Minister OF Juatice, Mr.. Nabokoff, and
the Minister of the interior, Count Tolstoy.
Different means were resorted to in order
to destroy the League. IL was more than
once attempted to prejudice the Car
against it by representing TO him that the
League was aiming at establishing kind
OF oligarchy over the country, overshadow-
Ing even the person OF The sovereign. But
all such insinuations were cOunteracted
by some men who were much trusted by
tile Gar. as Count Voroniz-Dashkof, Min
lister OF the Court, and others. At last
Count Tolstoy directed powerful blow at
the League and killed it outright. 1t came
about In this way. There exists new pa
per i'm st. Petersburg called the Nelo Times,
edited by A. 5. Souyorin, devoted servant
OF Count Tolstoy, who, in recognition OF
his constant laudations Of the Government.
received for years the handsome annual
subsidy Of $4,000 rubles from the Ministry
Of the Interior. In his determination to
annihilate the League Count Tolstoy order
ed Mr. Souvorin to publish in his paper q
satirical description OF the Holy League,
IFS methods and its aims at converting
NihIists. Until then the gagged press Of
Russia never uttered word about the ex-
istence OF the Holy League, though its ac-
tivity was well known and much comment
ed upon. Now, at the order OF Count
Tolstoy, Souvorin published the desired
article, explaining even that the person to
whom the Leaguers directed all written
communications to be sent-Mr. n. /. Kie-
dus-was no other than the chief OF the
secret police OF the Empire, Sudeikin,
whose name was only spelled backwards,
with initials made out Of the last two
letters.
When this article appeared it threw such
a heap OF ridicule upon the Leaguers that
it was generally expected that the latter
would Immediately destroy the Nelo Times
and its editor. But here Count Tolstoy
outwitted the Leaguers again. He hur-
red to Gatchina ard explained to the En-
peror that Souvorin meant no mischief, but
tried to counteract some foolish rumors
current in public by explaining the true
aims Of the League. In view OF the public
ridicule nothing was to be done but to put
an end to the League by publishing an inn
perial ukase abolishing call secret societies
in the Empire" Count Tolstoy has tri-
umphed this time again. and the subsidy
OF the editor Of the Net0 Times has been
increased to 10000 rubles year.