New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-05
RUSSIAN AUTOCRACY.
PICTURE OF LIFE UNDER THE CARS.


scrbner's Sons.
This ia an indictment drawn against Carbon by
Russian hand The author is man OF letters
Who was driven from his country because he darcu
IN advocate some approach to liberal measures ana
institutions. From his place of refuge IN Ehsianu
he has issued a work" Underground RUSSIA
which came as a revelation to the world generally
and through The London Times and. other Journals
and reviews he has done much to inform hulop1
concerning the real causes of Russian Nihilism ana
Che Tendencies of Russian governmental reaction
His knowledge on these subjects is tull ana accu-
rate and his statements have not been lmpusheu'
much less controversial, by the bureaucracy ne aV
tacks He is Ru ssian patriot, full OF enthusiasm
admiration and pity for the masses OF Ms
countrymen whom he believes to be fitted tor an au
vanced civilization; but burning with indignation
against the autOcracy which is crushing the Ie OUT
of the nation, and systematically sacrificing us
hest elements TO the maintenance of the colossal
scheme of official corruption and incompetence
which is paralyzng progress and preparing an III
eyitable national CONFUSION.
Stepniak has drawn a terrible picture of "Russia
under the Tzars,r and picture which Is undouot-
edy faithful and exact in the MAN, III is true tnaV
he has left out of view all but the darker aspects OF
Russian life but il is clear that the governmental
policy which he deals with is of character to In
feet every social stratum and to produce the most
decreasing and demoralizing effects upon the whole
community He begins by an account or the Mr'
the primitive village commune which preserves the
democratic spirit among the Russian masses ana
which while it is too deep rooted to be touched by
even the most despotc of governments, Keeps alive
certain rough independence which when the hapt
of submission to the Car is once broken may
become the nucleus of important advances This
veneration for the Car has been extremely mis-
cheyous causing all classes TO yield a slavish
obedience to the most intolerable tyranny, and
encouraging the measures of oppression which the
official class has urged the head of the government
to-
These measures have been carried so far that the
state of the Russian subject is to-day almost ncred
ible There never has been any justice IN the anu'
but now even the pretence of it is abandoned
EVERYBODY is liable to be descended upon by the
Malice Mt any time of the day or night These dom
icIliary visits may or may not end in arrests, but
whether they do or not the victims of them are ex
posed to punishment. For Stepniak shows that IN
Russia people are punished often in despite of their
acouittal. The decisions of the courts are OF no
effect A man may be declared innocent by TIL
buna yet be rearrested by the police as he leaves
court and be sent to Siberia. And there is condl-
ton known as administrative exile" which en-
ables the police to punish tie innocent. !! man
is arrested aud nothing is proye9| against him he
may be ordered to go aDdfive in distant province
under police SUPERVISION. Nor is it necessary that
any-rafsSn for such measures should be given. For
political offences there-s no flaw and no response
blity for the police. They arrest whom they please
without warrant and they imprison them as long
as they please without trial. The innocent are con-
founded with the guilty. for anonymous denuncia-
tions are received and acted upon, and malice can
ALWAYS crafty itself by such businesses because the
police are not obliged to give any explanation 10
their victims 1t is the system of the French Terror
and made Dermanent. snort. Anu
II operates against all that is brightest and best IN
Russia Intellect, patriotism, talent, energy, are
by their nature rendered suspect" Every socundrei
can min every honest man. For actual crime, such
as robbery theft, arson and murder there is toler
ance and fair play. For the heinous offence OF
liberal thought there no terms whatever
more horrible detestabe intoerable state Of thing
is inconceivabe vet Stepniak's evidence cannot be
lightly set aside for he gives names and dates for
every assertion and frequently cites government
repor;s in confirmation of his statements. His ac-
count of the way political offenders and arrested
persons against whom nothing is proved are
treated. is deeply interesting though much OF the
matter has been before made public 1t Is clear that
there never has been any despotlsm so extensive
and at the same time so crushing as that OF nus
sian Carbon AMI it is perhaps IN his descriptions
of the attitude of the Government toward educa-
ton that the immortality and stupendous crmi-
nalitv of that despotism is most plainly exhibited by
Stepniak The bureaucracy fears all popular en-
lightenment doubtless because it realizes that an
enlightened public would not tolerate its corrup-
ton and neciency. 1t therefore ressts all attempts
at national education. From the primary school
nm to the university the educational system is I'M
der the police, and the police generally pursue that
course with regard to it which will most completely
destroy its usefulness. In the primary schools the
barest rudlments of education are allowed to be
eiyen and even this would be denied did not the
Zemstyos the local legislative bodies from which
almost every trace of power has however been
taken come to the rescue and from the very slender
funds at their disposal supplement the studied
parsimony of the central Government. AS regards
the secondary schools the Government has put
every possible impelment between the primary
schools and them, and the same course has been
pursued regarding the secondary schools and the
universities The object is to discourage and pre-
vent the obtaining of a complete education, the
theory of the Government being that popular educa
ton involves popular discomfort and sedition.
The universities altogether under police
control Police spies watch all the students; the
professors are creatures of the minister social IN
tercourse among the students is either forbidden or
put under severe restrictions. Bayonets and Cos
sack whips are the chosen instruments of university
discipline. Even children of two years old are
watched by spies, and punished by the police.
And to crown all, the brutality and insolence of
this force aggravates the terrors of utterly ire
sponsible bureaucracy. The Russian people are alb
solutely at the mercy OF an oficehOlding class
which Is venal cruel and reckless This class is
determined to hold on to power and plumber by any
and every means. The Gar is no better than his
officers but he is kept in ignorance of what is going
on. The Government consists really of men like
Tolsto and Katkof unprncipled but tenacious,
caring nothing for anything but Oflicialdom, and
HI lroI