Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-04-23
Reforms Under Alexander III.

The reaction which has set IN since
the withdrawal of the restrictions i'm
posed by Nicholas was complete. Not
only was the censorship no longer ex-
ercised with anything approaching
rigor-a negative change which had the
effect of calling into existence journals
innumerable, nearly all of an extreme
liberal tendency-but police super
vision was now so inadequately per-
formed that secret printing presses, all
used for revolutionary purposes, could
be established in the very heart of st.
Petersburg. It was in 1861 and 1862
that the first numbers of the revolu-
tionary print called "Land and Lib
erty," and of another called Great
Russia" were produced and circulated
from hand to hand, and that revolu-
tionary proclamations were for the first
time printed and posted up at night on
the walls of the public buildings. The
prohibition enforced by the censorship
of Nicholas time against all foreign
books of a political and philosophical
character had been removed with such
success that volumes which no one out
of Russia would consider dangerous,
but which had really the effect of excit-
ing and infaming the inexperienced
Russian mind, were introduced IN large
quantities. Buckle and Mill were much
read in Russian translations. "Mill on
Liberty" appeared in two versions, one
of which was enriched by notes from
the translator, who pointed out that
Mills notions on the subject of free
dom were meager and not sufficiently
advanced.
The first half-dozen years of the
reign of the Emperor Alexander formed
period less of reform than of relief.
1t was not until February, 1861, that,
after a long and painful process of
elaboration, the reform known officially
as the claw for the amelioration of the
condition of the peasantry" other
words, the emancipation of the serfs-
was proclaimed. Meantime the precise
constitution of the contemplated dis
trict and provincial assemblies for the
management and regulation of local in
terests had not yet been decided upon,
while the institution of open tribunals,
with oral evidence and the jury system,
existed only AS a project fully enter
tanned. But the newspaper press had al
ready been placed in quite new posi-
ton, and the censorship was exercised
with very light hand, both in regard
to publications issued In Russia and to
those introduced from abroad.
The universities, too, had been
thrown open to all who could or could
not afford few shillings a term in the
shape of fees; for a fund had been es-
tablished by the richer students, aided
by the professors, to which persons I'M
connected with the universities were
allowed, and even encouraged to contrib
ute, in the interest of those for whom
the almost nominal charges made
by the university authorities were new
ertheless too high. Exhibitions and
scholarships were founded for their ben
eft; and the actors, actresses, singers
and musicians of the capital were ex-
pected, and indeed required, to give en-
tertainments in aid Of the poor stu
dents fund, which it became so much
the fashion to support that the poor
student seemed at one time on the
point of himself becoming fashionable.
H. Sutherland Ed1Uards, i71 HdT-
peT'S Magazine.