The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-17
Nihilism aud its Origin.

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1t will be surprising to Americans to
hear that by far the greater portion of
news referring to the Nihilists reach us
from abroad. In fact, we who reside
here have few chances of obtaining any
local information about them. / at
tribute this to two reasons-the forced
silence of the press and the small i'm
portance which Russians attach to the
movement. The Nihilists reports which
are circulated abroad are very much ex-
aggerated, many of them having no
foundation whatever. A common street
row is turned into revolution, and a
lire at small grocery or hotel is re-
ported as a great Nihilist incendiary
movement. 1t would be idle to deny
that Nihilism and Nihilists exists; they
do exist, but in a very mild form
and among class of people of the
lowest type. In every country there is
dissatisfied portion of the population,
who give vent to their feelings and ideas
by breaking out into petty rebellions
and by fighting newspaper wars. The
dissatisfied in Russia can do neither
Their movements are too we'll guarded
and known to permit revolution, and
the press is not open to them. They,
therefore, plot and continue to plot.
Let us see who are the individuals
forming the Nihilist army. Very few of
them are Russians, none of them have
any financial Or social standing, and all
OF them are expecting the time when,
having caused anarchy, they will be able
to rob, pillage, burn and murder There |
is no doubt chat Nihilism owes its origin |
to the disgraceful behavior of those of |
the wealthy mobiles who reside abroad. |
While they were living in luxury their
agents, in order to obtain more money
for their masters, were driving the work
ing classes to desperation by cruelty in
various forms. They complained and
were turned into the streets. They
burned the mobiles property in revenge.
They were, as natural consequence,
sent to Siberia. When laborer could
not or did not want to find work he
joined their ranks; so did convicts and
all classes of disspated men and women.
The question which will naturally be
asked is: Where does the money come
from to support them? Hitherto it has
come from Catholic and Polish societies,
but now that the Gear and the Pope have
die for want of funds. When the first
Nihilist disturbances occurred the Gov
eminent, instead of inquiring into their
grievances, treated them harshly and
cruelty. This was just what the revolu-
tionary leaders wan ted.
They had been made martyrs and had
attracted the sympathy of other classes,
which had hitherto kept aloof from the
movement. / allude to the student
classes of both sexes. Thinking that
the people were ill-treated, and thinking
that they were suffering, young men and
women came to their aid, and at the
present moment the dangerous element
of the anarchists is composed exclusively
of students.
The peasantry know nothing whatever
of the movement; three-quarters of them
never heard the word Nihilism, and
would never believe that people exist
who are audacious enough to raise their
voices, much more their hands. against
the holy person of the Gar. Years and |
generations must pass before the bulk of
Russians will believe that any Gar could |
do wrong. To them he is God, and God |
cannot err.
Call Nihilism reform, strip it of assas-
sination and crime, and advance a lib
eral programme adapted to the country, |
and in your ranks within a year would |
be found all classes of Russians, from
the Gar himself and his Ministers down
wards. Assassination, pillage, robbery
and anarchy are strange to the country,
AID those who engage in them, or who
incite others to them, must and will be |
severely dealt with.-St. Petersburg Cor. |
San Francisco Chronicle.