The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-03

The Story Of the Nibilisis-An Interview
that Hartman Has Read and
Corrected
Difference Between The Nihilists and TIE
rorists-L;st OF Assassinations by the
Cars and the Terrorists-The
Future of the Ierrorists.
Copyright. 1885. ]


In the report of my interview with Mr.
Hartman, the most famous OF the mis-called
Nihilists (who sre known in Russia as the
Terrorists. 1 stated that he read and cor
rected, with great care, the report that hac
made of a series of conversations with Rus
sian Hebrew Nihilist who had been one O.
the socialistio propaganda. After he had
made the necessary correch ons, he pro
Dounced the interview an acc 1rate aud
trustworthy account, as far as il goes of the
history, theories and purposes of the dreaded
secret revolutIOnists OF Russia.
Thus sanctioned, this statement possesses
great interest at the present crisis.
THE INTERVIEW.
Ny Russiun-Hebrew friend escaped from
the pursuit OF the Russian police only a
short time ago. He had served the propa
ganda az a schoolma ster. He is q man oil
Int erai education and thoroughly familiar
with every phase of the Russian revolution
ary movement. AS be enjoyed fur mauy
mol the, So the daily companionship oil
Mr.. Hartman. he has had the rarest oppor.
tuLities Tor knowing the truth about the d.
ings and policy Of the socialistic consplra
tors against the Car.
Il am Russian Socialist" be said. The
Nihilists are the advanced or radical Social
lists. But IL is not the Nihilists who war
'SoAhoe tuC uuc5iuh OJNt(umeuL tOUdV.
The Nihilists never shed q drop OF blood.
They were apostles not revolutionlsts. They
are now extinct in Russia. The men OF to.
day VINO called Nihilists outside of Rus
STA are the Terrorists of Russia.
What is thus known as Nihilism has had
two distinct The first is the era of
Tchycovskv. 1t ended in 1872, shortly after
the uprising of the Commune. Up to tbas
time there had been no attempts to inaugu-
rate policy OF bloodshed or terror, except
ing In 1866. when small circle was formed
aid a scheme TO kill the Emperor adopted.
1t failed, and karakosotf, its leader, was
hanged. The scheme was the first indica-
ten of a DESPAIR that was destined TO spread
rapidly. The young Liberals of Russia had
hoped that the Car Alexander, who had
lit Grated the serfs- although he did it re.
luciantly-wOuld give 10 Russia q liberal
constitution. But ne soon sho we'd that he
was as despotic as his father, ana his suo-
preston OF Polish aspirations proved that
he was as cruel, also.
THE founder of Nihilism was Nicholas
TscherDy shersky, editor of the greatest Rus.
sian magazine, the Contemporary. He
translated Mills Political Economy into
Russian and edited it ~ith notes in which he
expOUDded his socialistc ideas He was a
great writer on Political Economy and
sociology, and author of q famous novel en-
titled, what is TO be Done?" He was to
been to Germany. Twenty one years ago ne
was oanished TO Siberia. For eight years he
was kept ct hard labor and then his sentence
was committed to confinement to a small
town In one of the remotest regions of SHE.
ria. He is now at Astrachsn at the mouth
OF the Volga. but he is not permitted 10
leave it. All his books are strictly prohibited
by the Russian Censor, aud everything he
has written since bis condemnation has been
destroy ec-even grammar that he com.
piled 10 relieve the tedium of his imprison-
ment. He is still the idol of the Nihilists
and you may con ceive how his fate affects
them. For, however Government might be
Justified IN teyerely Furnishing the terrorsts,
Tscherny sbeTsky never advocated the policy
OF rebellion and never invoked bloodshed.
Nothing is known of his views of the policy
OF the modern Nihilists. but all classes OF
Russian reformers sdmit that they owe their
political and social ideas to him. This lnfu.
ence has caused Carl Marx aud La Sale to
be studied everywhere in Russia. You can
Dot lind an educated Russian who is not con-
velssnt with Marks Kapital," and La Sal
les works, and Mills Political Economy as
annotated by Tschernyshersky.
The Nlhillst warred against the corrupt
religion of the Empire and spread their rati.
onsistic ideas everywhere. They destroyed
the idea of God as taught by the priests. We
Russian Socia lists believe in no worship as
W iuC pIrcSul IellSlOQh. Inc lue8e
of Buchner and Dorwin have supplanted the
ancient faith. Our Greek priests had lost
all influence through their ignorance and
wor y-nindeGDess; therefore, the material
istic philosophy found no antagonists adc.
auGte 10 combat il. Ratioualism became the
religion Of the educated classes and the re.
suit was seen in the application OF its doc
ulnes OF individual sovereignty to every re-
tation of human life. Women were recog
nIzed as the EQUALS of men, with the equal
right OF independent action. For ten years
this propaganda was prosecuted by books
and papers secretly printed and secretly dis
tributeo, by the transations OF socialistic
writings OF Germany and France aud by oral
dis cussi0ns in the societies of the colleges as
well as In the salons OF the educ 4ted Glass.
THE Commune of 1871 bad great infiu-
ance on The movement OF Russia. The repres-
sive measures OF the Russian Government
had began TO throw distrust on the possibu
ity Of the success of the programme purely
pesceful. They were looking for some other
method. The whole element of the intelli-
gent class found vent for its feeling,
for its thirst, if l may so express my
self, In the French Commune. With the
coming in OF this French 10 d aence, the old
Nihilism of Russia vanished or it ceased TO
rely on ideas, intellectually advocated, and
Ii began to have faith in conquering a post
ton for ideas by policy of bloodsned. Nj
hilism entered on its revolutionary era.
I'm your American history, our Nihiism
cerrespoDded TO yoHr anti slavery agitation
under Garrison al 4 Phillips; while the new
era Of The Russian Terrorists is represented
by the men OF kansas and of Harper Ferry.
Necessarily, the craving for policy Of act
ion implied fierce struggle and demanded
men of fierce temper; the class OF
men of whom fanatics and martyrs
are made. And it was so. Nihiism Gas a
beautiful dream; Terrorism has been q hid
eous holocaust. Ga our side we have exA-
cuted, in 1876 aspy, a detective; IN 1877,
two spies; in 1878. Herkin. Captain of gsl
d'armes. and Mesepfzofi chief OF the Russian
gems d'armes; in 1879. Crapotine, Governor
OF Chsrcoh, one detective at Kieff and an
other at Moscow, in 1850 az informer at St.
Petersburg. in 1881, the Car, Alexander
IL, and detective at Warsaw second at
st. Petersburg; in 1882 the Procureur- Gen.
ersl SuelDicof; in 1883 and 1884 detectives
at Odessa and Sadeykin. Besides these exc.
cuiions We made attempts that were unsuc-
csssful-in 1879. on the life of the informer,
CORN ovifz. at Odessa, and on the lives of
Ger eral Trepof and of the assistant procura-
teur Cotliavevsky at Kieff and had made
preparations by Wittenberg Nicolalff) to as
sassinate Alexander II, and 10 kill the chief
nfo r M I'll