The Labor enquirer., 1883-08-25

lifegbf Molesehott d DsrS The re.
mafk padsme smile. Th reader, also
wfliperhaps smile at it, But # is pro-
fonna b sincere and truthful. Had things
reach gd such ap extremity, the world
would perhaps have seen spectacle at
once tragic md comical; martyrdom to
prove that D! win was right and Cuvier
wrong, as two ehturies previously the
priest Abbaco nd his disciples went to
the stake, and amounted the scafoh, in
support Of their view, that Jesus should
be written with one ] instead Of two, as
in Greek; and thatthe Halleluiah should
be sung three times and not twice, as IN
the State Church. 1t is a fact, highly
characteristic of the Russian mind, this
tendency to become excited even to fan
aticism, about certain things which would
simply meet with approval or disapproyal
from a man of Western Europe.
But, in the case to hich we are refer
ring, things went very smoothly. There
was no one to defend the affairs OF the
gods. Among us, fortunately, the clergy
never had any spiritual influence, being
extremely ignorant and completely abb
sorbed in family affairs, the priests being
married men. What could the Govern
ment do against a purely intellectual
movement which found xpression in no
external act? ss@ =
Tie battle was gained almost without
and without effort definitely,
absolutely gained. Among people in
r ssia with any education at All, man man
I'd who is notsa material Isl thorough
matsrialistt would really be d curiosity.
The victory was Of the highest impor-
tance. ABSOLUTE atheism is the sole in
heritance that jas been presefv intact
by the new generation, agH ] need
scarcely point but how much advantage
the emodern regol olutio nary NOV vement has
derived from it,. NJ .
But Nihilism proclaimed war not only
against religion, put against Everything
that was netbased upon pureand positive
reason This tendency, RIGHT enough in
itself fAwas carried BY the Nihilist of 1850
to suoh lengths thatait became absurd.
Art rt,.asone Of the manifestations of ideal
ism, was absolutely denounced by the
togetL er with everything that
excites the sentiment of the beautiful.
Thisswas one Of the fereest conflicts
in which the old Nihilism was engaged.
One oi their fanatics launched the
famous apho that a 4 shoemaker is
to aRaphael, because the former
made useful things, while the latter
madethings that are Of no use at ALL"
70 an orthodox Nihilist, Nature herself
was Il mere furnisher of materials for
chemistry and technology, 7 say moth
ing of many other similar things, which
would take too.long to oenumerate.
But there was one question in which
rendered great service to its
It was the important question
Of woman. Nihilishn recognized her as
having equal rigga ! With man. The in
5imacy Of social I'D ercourse5 in Russia,
where there are either cafes nor climbs,
and where the drawing room necessarily
becomes the sole place of meeting. and
even more, perhaps The new economical
position of the mobiles resulting from the
Of the sesfs, gave to the
of the emancipation of woman
IN important development, and secured
for her an almost complete victory.
Woman is subjugated through love.
Every time, therefors that she arises to
claim her rights. tits only natural that
.ba sbould. Commence, by asking for the
liberty of love. Hwss thus in ancient
dav It was thus IN the France Of the
aiohteenth century, and of George Sand.
II was thus also in Russia.
But with us the question of the eman-
cipation of woman "; 5 not confined to
the petty right of1free love" which is
nothing more than the right of selecting
her master. at was soon understood that
the importantething is to have liberty
itself, leaving the question Of love to in
dividual will ;and as there is no liberty
without economical independence, the
changed it's aspect, and became
one for acquiring free access to superior
instruction and to the Professions follow
ed by educated men. The struggle was
lono and ardent, for our barbarous and