Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-12
THE REVIVAL OF NIHILIsM-TEE TOR.
TURE OF sUDEIKIH.

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progenitor. Beginning with compare.
lively mild plea for reform, it has passed
through variety of stages, increasing it's
demands and the severity of it's methods
with each, until the original revolutionary
party has ceased to exist, and the Terror.
lists, SO called, alone represent Nihilism in
Russia.
But Terrorism in the Empire feeds upon
no mean food it draws it's forces from no
despicable source. Unlike the Socialists of
our own country, Nihilism in Russia has
for its mainstays the more intelligent
classes. The universities are completely
environed by the spirit of the movement :;
women from the best homes of Russia de.
vote their lives to the cause the free.
thinkers come from among the reading
population, the thinking multitude the
army, the civil service, the nobility and
even the household of the Autocrat of all
the Russias contributes to the Terrorist
party, both lives and money. Such yer.
min as Herr Most, citizen Schwab and
their low browed, vulgar and berry col.
leagues, are not to be named in the same
breath with Tchernyshevski, Bskunin and
Hertzen. The former ape the rashness and
caricature the courage of such as the reck
less but gallant student Myshkin, the de-
voted Vera Sassulitch and the scholarly
Dragomonoff.
If, since the coronation of the Emperor,
the Nihilistc methods, kloody, cruel and
merciless, have been inactive, it has not
been due to any decline of energy or loss of
heart in the ranks of the Terrorists. Who
ever has kept pace with events and devel.
opments in Russian society, which has no
parallel for rawness, and disordered condi-
tions and tardy progress, must have no.
ticed that there has been actual growth CT
Nihilism. 1t has broadened and bettered
its views somewhat, but has not relaxed
the bloody system of its relentless code
1t has swept into its embrace the very
flower of young manhood, and while the
small farmers and shopkeepers, traders and
mechanics have for about a year shown a
loyal disposition to stand by the Gar, the
truth is that their representation in tae |
Terrorist party is greater to-day than at any
prior date. The open adherents of consti.
tutional reform declare that they are not of
or from among the Nihilists, but it is well !
known that nine-tenths of them secretly I
sympathize with the party of violence, and |
will not lift finger to do it harm.
The Gar ad 1T in his power to have
seriously weakened the radical Socialists
the grant of meager reforms would have
crippled them but he has taken the ad.
vice OF the suppressionists, who believe
that the revolutionary spirit can be crushed |
out by force. A greater error could not be
made. Nihilism is radical, cruel and
violent vanguard of the advanced ideas of
the age. It will never succeed in it's aims,
but it will break the way for better sys-
tens and the tirmer establishment of the
rights OF men. 1t is infamous in it's
repugnant in many of its doc
trlnes, and despicable in it's secre5 plotting
to do murder but none the less it is
factor in the process which is steadily
going on, and that will eventually lift Rus.
sian society and Russian government to a
higher plane.
The news of the entrapping the other
day of Colonel Sudeikin, his cruel torture
by chosen inquisitors of the Terrorists, the
shocking methods employed to wiring Gov.
eminent secrets from his tongue, and
when these were obtained, his wanton
murder, in order to close forever the lips of
the witness to all this cruelty, has thrilled
the civilized world with horror. 1t was
barbarous, bitterly merciless, and incom-
inhuman. Such rectals in
romance would all but excite contempt by
their improbability. But, on the other
hand, unless we assume the Terrorists to be
simply madmen, irresponsibly insane,
mere ravaCiug animals with reeking jaws,
we must conclude that the inspira t on for
such deeds is born of loyalty to belief,
alteration to principle, and a self-saoritice
Of which the world has given US but few
As political sect there have
been none that have guarded their secrets
80 well as this not one that has given so
many unfaltering martyrs TO the sacrifcisl
Tres OF cause, or that has so unwaveringly
adhered to the single purpose of orgsniza-
ton.
The Nihilists Of Russia are men who are
seeking the enfrsnchisement of their coun.
try from the grasp OF most absolute despot-
SIN; they are misguided, unquestionably,
but nevertheless liberty lovers, friends OF
representative form OF Government. They
class religion among the systems to be
overthrown but 1t is because the religion
Of Russia represents political system that
Is the sum OF their hatred. Their leveling
process would assault some Of the sacred
institutions OF civilization, but it is because
IN aristocrasic Government has intsrposed
them as barriers to progress. They employ
issassins as the means to an end, but they
i've in an atmosphere where the cry for
mercy has fallen upon deaf ears, and where
the knout, police espionage, Siberia, the
ax and the dungeon and the bullet have
been the reward of independence OF
thought and the ordinary manifestations
If manhood. In snort, the Nihilistic doc
.rine of to. day, should the Gar be over.
thrown, would represent the EXTREMIST
view Of self-government, and when shorn
If its absurd, improbable and dangerous
logmas concerning the relations between
men, between labor and capital, State and
citizen, the home and society, would stand