, 1884-02-03
RUSSIAN CRUELTIES.
What Con d M ebay Ha. to Say
& Conosrning Them
A Contradiction OF the Reports of the
Anti Russia Press---A Peo-
PIE Genial and Hos

tCsssius N .clny, In Richmond Ry.I HERALD
/ lived In ST Petersburg for near nina
| years, and made Russian life a study,
mingling with all Glasses for that purpose. i
dined with the emperor and imperial family,
and took cabbage soup and blhck bread with
the woodmsn who came from the interior on
boats and rats. Perhaps there Is no Amer
lean living or dad who can speak with more
authority than / can on the real character Of
Russia 1 believe there is no more charitable
and humane nation on earth than Russia l
give the proofs. Thare are no deaths by alb
solute poverty In Russia, az in the great
cities Of Paris, London, New York, and other
European cities Besides the charitable as
pociations established by law, the hrst mobiles
In Russia, men and women, yearly by
organized societies collect funds by gifts,
needlswork, and other methods, for clothes,
~soup-houses, and bread, which ars distributed
all winter in ST. Petersburg; and such
methods arv pursued In other cities.
The infants that are drowned and thrown
into sewers In Europe and America arc taksn
at n day old, II need be. and brought up at
the public expense In St Petersburg, Mos
COW, and other cities. These children when
they grow up to n suitable age are put to
service and may mako a generous living.
Russia liberated her slaves, not by war ,yand
gave them lands. America did neither. I
diped with the nephew OF Prince Dolgorouky,
governor general Of Moscow tviceroy), and q
liberated ssrf or slave was at the table as a
guest, and made the best dinner speech on the
occasion. The Russians open all their pleas
ure grounds beside the public parks to the
whole people. They never bar the gates and
Close the doors against the 1rabble,"
as In England and America In
summer the yards are open and the
windows without blinds, that the
humblest peasant may see and hear the
music. On all great occasions Of a private
nature all the poor are Toasted or other wise
entertained by suitable means In England
and America even house servants arc treated
with contempt and my own family remon-
strated on my rvturp because I said good
morning, as was my habit in Russia, to them.
The Russian noblemen speak kindly always
to their interiors; the Englishmsn and
Americans out of the south rarely ever.
Russian empire IL large and sparsely popu-
lated, 80 that the means OF subsistence do not
at all press upon the increase Of population
In the large cities, as l said, no absolute suf-
fering for the nscessaries Of life Is possible. :
Now as to prisons. There was at no time
while l was in Russia, 30 far rs l know and
believe, one equal In its infamy TO the Ken
lucky psnitsntiary. And Gov. Blackburn
deserves not denunoiatiou, but eternal honor
for his manhood and philanthrophy, against
the barbarian clamors Of tho press, for
bis reform. When I was In St Pc
tersburg the cholera was several times
In that city Of 100000, and there was
no more sensation than II the measles
or whooping-cough prevailed. Every sub
ject Of the disease was taken at once to whole
soma hospitals, well attended, and then,
whom convalescent, returned without charge
to their homes. The streets Of St Petersburg
were q hundred times cleaner than the
streets, alleys and back yards OF Richmond
They never burned down tho psst-houses In
Russia, as they did the other day In Madison
county when smallpox prevailed.
As to prisons In Siberia, lam glad to have
an opportunity TO rsfuts some OF the world
wide alumnie of tho and- Russian press.
Siberia IL not 70 vile q country AZ the French
ponal colony Of the Cayenne, nor the original
Australia Of England Thrss Sibsrian-born
ladies married mobiles In st. Petersburg; one
che Prince Suwarrow, the grandson Of the
Primes Suwarrow of Napolson's time; tho
other sisters married we'll, ono an officer in
the stan OF the emperor. have heard them
speak OF the @FAtherland- as would a Ger
man And thess were the descendants OF
Siberian sxiles. l do not hesitate to say
that of all the people / ever knew tho Rus
slams are the most genial and hospitable. 1t
is true the ranks In Russia are very distinct
and marked. but the humane spirit Of Russia
thaws all GOODNESS, breaks all conventional
barriers, and fuses the whole into one ma
tionAl feeling as In no other land. That Is
the reason that Russians never eniigrnta.
That Is the reason Of the invincible courage
OF the Russian army. What calumniators
call "stolidity" Is unshaken and heroic pa
triotism- Icould all a book OF similar proof.