Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-05-08
=. -, ~ Z. ? = s. E'..&
Rus sian CiviliZatio

A good deal of vague and misty
writing has been done about Russia, and
especially about certain alleged reasons
why the United States should sympathize
with her. But certainly any attachment
to the prevailing lines Of governmental
action in Russia must BE- impossible for
an American who understands the
question, for the Cars government is the
last stronghold Of absolulism in Europe,
and all its energies which are not
employed in territorial expansion are
engaged in repressing the popular efforts
after freedom Of thought and representa-
tive institutions. The Russian masses
are stepped in ignorance and superstition,
and prevented from acquiring any en-
lightenrnent. There is no free press in
the country, even magazines having
lately been suppressed for daring to
touch upon politics. The universities
are ahder the most rigorous police
supervision. Every student has spy
at his back. The introduction of liberal
publications, even of scientific works
from England, Germany and France, is
prohibited. The fronties custom officers
are instructed to keep knowledge out of
the country as carefully as if it were
dynamite. The only authorized public
opinion is that of the army, and that
exer's an organized pressure in favor Of
foreign war and constant territorial ex~
pansion. The military sentiment in
effect dominates the gevernment-and
while the enormous AREA Of Russian
proper is but half settled and half
cultivated; while there is a century's
work close at hand for the school
teacher. the legislator, the journalist, the
scientific farmer; while corruption,
stagnant commerce and wastefu1 foreign
wars have exhausted the credit of the
country, the voice Of the army still clam
OTIS tor fresh mpaigns aud fresh &C.
QUESTIONS.
The idea that Russian conquest is
civilizing is delusion. What has been
done for the Central Asian Knanates is
simply to tranquilize them externally.
A stop has been put 10 tribal qaarrels and
raids but the White Cars rule is
neither paterual nor elevating. His
generals and governors fleece the Asiat.
les and pillage themselves rich. They
hold down the native races but they do
not help them TO 2 higher civilization
Indeed, it would be absurd to expect any
ether results from the Kauffmans, Tchcr.
naisffs and Kemeroffs who bear SWAY in
those regions. There is nowherelin Russia
any broad policy Of domestic reform or
improvement. 1T may be said that Nj.
hilisa has justified the abandonment Of
such policy, but ,he truth is that Nihil-
ism grew out Of the despair Of better
things. 1t has happened that Russian
conquest has supplantcd still more hope
less conditions in Central Asia, and it
might do the same in European Turkey.
But Russia is to day not a power from
which the world has anything to hope;
while her ascendency weuld involve the
menace irseparable from the successful
ambition Of semi mi-barbarous yet strong
power.
II Russian absolutisn coheres its ad-
vance must be disastrous to all true
progress ana real civilization. If it does
not cohere the country will have to work
out its own salvation painfully through
anarchy and revolution. But whatever
the character of it's future government, it
can do nothing for the general welfare Of
mani ind for long time to come, and at
present all its tendencies are dangerous
and threatening TO the eau Sc of democra
cy IN Europe.-New York Tribune.