The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-02-06
RUSSIA
The Social and Political status Of nm
s 80 Autocracy,
where Strong Men Fear TO Whisper
Police Surveillance.
Why and Wherefore Nlhilism Exists,

Modern history may be searched Ia vain
| for the record OF o. parallel 60 the existing
state OF society iu Rua,1. Tho develop
/ men's which baye tDiloEod ina recent as.
| the secret polio 90 So Petersburg, throw
Ia bright light upon i've tu,ual condition Of
| affairs In the great northern empire, ana
present grim end horrible picture,
! strangely out OF keeping with The rculu1 ol
| the uiuc,eonth ccuuY, france before
| the revolution, was said o. De ruled by "a
! dcspct'sm tumg.lud bg epiWnmE' Russia
/ to-day Is under the heels q % dCspotism
! tempered only by usssusslngN1u. The
me lods Of the Euf h1utiC3in Ruiga--s'ern,
| relentless, bATbltuus-npd ihtr h'iing
| Counterpart In trt methods OF the fcYoiu.
/ ti0uists Prince hra9ctkiuc, a v, i'm OF
/ Russian pergecu'iOu, tells tho story OF The
| horrors Of Siberia In The cuuClt number
OF The Nineteenth Century, bud 10 iA q
/ story which goes iaI TO explain the
extraordinary zeal. the almost suptrhumau
| energy, aud the desperate defiance ~ iUic
which chargcicf gs u'I the movements OF
| the uihilisls. Some %, HE statements
made by Prince krapoikine are simply
appalling, and but for tine hirh reputation
| OF the writer anu the c0u0oerauyc cv.Gaucp
| which comes ifcm other sources urPht De
/ rCi cled as too horrible l'f belief 'aiAcr
| the beginning ut the frYentCcnlh century,
/ SAYS the prince. 'tIp low OF CEilca poured
/ iutu Siberia has never Censcu.' Seven 90
/ eight thousand ruua, according 90 this
authority, WCc ,.lti every year 90 the
/ begiuniHe Of thl. century, aud Ht tiC pfe5-
Cnt time the LuWner annually Trans ported
/ 90 The trackless wastes oittt1... 46 u..rcgu
/ $1,000 and 0UUI. Since the YCgl lH.l
! when the fret rtHII,a OF exile were .ahcI,
/ no less than GJ.,U.l Russian subjects have
| been driven from thaIr country Co iglI aud
| suffer and die iu thg Siberian mines. Tho
] d. 90 a. ell Ia. HH ... IH.H
| tiUu us attended rf.I horrors which iAu
mo4t eloquent pen is powCucm i' AIDE.
/ quotyly detcribg. lhe oyileg represent
| every grade of society, Murderer, va
| graats thieves che bas1sl and tho most
! DEGRADED criminals march side by SIDE
with men OF Intelligence aud cultivation,
delicately nuttured women Of refinement
| and high social position, and little children
| born among the most pleasant and Con.
| Portable Surroundings. The journey into
| the land OF exile S. made on loot, and ITS
average length 10 about five thousand
miles. Many who so 70 that terrible coun.
try OF lofty mountains, dense forests, wlid
streams, and irigid climate are wholly IN
Docent of ollense. Under the existing ter
may by chance incur the suspicion or
hatred of an official is liable at any moment
without warning, 10 be torn from home
and kindred ard dispatched upon this
awful journey, which IS often terminated
prematurely by the death OF his victim. In
deed II may be said that the shadow Of oS-
lie Is never absent from tho life OF every
Russian who thinks. Vast mullitude3 OF
the people carry in their bosoms sense oil
deep personal wrong, aud many who,
with different environment would be use
iul and law abiding members OF society, be-
come social outlaws, dominated only by the
passion for revenge, to crafty which they
l.. oil
with the recklessness born OF despair. The
nihilists hold their lives cheaply and throw
them awny without hesitation whenever
occasion arises for the sacrifice. The pow
er of the organization indeed arises not 30
much from its numerical strength as from
the character Of iis membership. Ten
thousand men Of Brains, education and
courage, who count themselves as nothing
when great responsibilities are 10 be faced,
are more formidh ole to the Russian throne
than twenty times that nun Der of ignorant,
unthinkiyg peasants could become under
anyLeadership
be little less than perfect Its rsmilicatioDs
extend all over the empire. It's agents are
found IN the czariA-;.alaae -. 81. Peters. |
burg and in the kremlin at Moscow. Its
members hold elevated positions in the
army and in the navy, on the bench, in the
municipalities OF all the large towns, and
inces. The secret police, OF which Colonel
Sudeikin was chief, is full Of nih.lists; in
deed his assassination was committed by
one of his trusted assistants. No sooner is
one revolutionary officer suspected and dis
placed than another Genes forward to fill
the vacancy. The great conspiracy 10 even
believed to number among its ahettorB
members OF the Imperial family itself, and
one OF tuem-the Grand Duke Nicholas
has long been in exile, partly because oil
his supposed nihiislic sympathies.
Who can predict what the near future
may have in store for Russia? The silua-
ton OF the country Is anomalous IL every
respect. lts enormous territory 10 suppos-
ed 10 be rich in natural resources, but is
not developed. Its population is very
small in proportion to its area and the
bulk OF it is stepped in ignorance and su-
perstition, The peasgntry regard the car
in the light OF god, and worship him de
voutly. They have no sympathy with the
revolutionary movement, and little knowl- |
edge otit. the finances OF Russia are at "a
low ebb its credit is low, and its resources |
strained to the utmost. Every department |
of the government is honeY-combed with |
corruption, and the conduct OF its affairs is |
characterized by waste and extrayeGence
Freedom Of speech and OF the press is I'M
known in the empire, ana all knowledge OF
. ,euts In the outside world is vigorously |
kept from the masses. Eighty millions Of
people who are presumably capable OF the
highest achievements OF civiliza-
ton are in condition OF ar
rested development. They are not ready
for seil-government, and, under existing
conditions, even n limited constitutional
monarchy seems beyond their capacity. 10
does not seem possible that the present
dynasty can be maintained many years;
but il Is not likely TO be overturned with
ont a terrific struggle. Are the scenes of
'9S to re.enacted on the banks OF the Neva5
VIII the executioner set up his engine IN
ST. Petersburg, and the streets of the great
northern capital be drenched with blood2
Are new Dantons and Robespierras to seat
themselves In the place OF the car and give
laws to his subjects? Will depotism be sue
ceeded by anarchy. and anarchy give way
to despotism again? These are questions
which the world asks itself and which
must be answered ere many years. Russia
can not much longer remain in her present
condition. She is certain, sooner or later,
10 be drawn into the current OF modern
progress. An absolute and barbarous
despotism In Europe is incompatible with
the genius of the century. What lies be-
tween Russia and her regeneration the
wisest can not foresee. There is little hope
that the present reigning family will be
able TO solve the great pi oblem. 1t is most
that Russia will be baptized in a
sea of blood before she can attain her free.
dom.
A ~, on tho cauap and nv remoying that