New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-24
TOURGUENBFF ON THE RUSSIANS
A sEMI-BARBAROUS PEOPLE.
PROFESSOR BoYKsEN RECALLS SOME OF THE nov
ELIsr's OPINIONS.


ELIsr's OPINIONS.
Copyright. 1885.
1.-THE trouble with us Russians" said Tourguenef
one occasion, as | was sitting smoking with him
in his library I" is that have the Tartar so close
behind US. Wo are semi-barbarous people, just
civilized enough to have acquired the vices of CIV
ilization. We put Partisan kid gloves upon our
hands instead of washing them. We bow snd
scrape and utter polite phrases in ono moment
then go home and thrash servants We like to
declam about the future Of Russia, about her vast,
undeveloped strength and her manifest destiny to
gobble up the rest of Europe; and this patriotic
intoxieaton makes us blind and deaf to- the ho.
rble abuses of the present"
l have often had occasion to recall this converse
ton of late years, when Russia has taken steps to
fulfil her manifest destiny" and it seemed to fur
nish the cew to much that has seemed mysterious
in Russian diplomacy. OF course TourgueneH
though he loved his country had reason to love
its rulers. and he rarely spoke Of the Romanohs
except with bitterness or contempt The late
Car. Alexander H., he regarded as faiI type Of
the faTily-an INSCRIPTIONS Hbertine, externally
amiable and polished, but at heart relentless
tyraut The Czarevitch. who has since succeeded
him, no regarded as. on the whole better man
than his father. though in point of intellect his
inferior He had just character enough to be stub
born, but not enough TO be firm His zeal for
reform would, when he became Emperor, blow over
in day. No Ieformer of the family of Romanof
would ever sit upon the throne Of Russia
In the spring and early summer OF 1879 |
spent several months in Paris and during that
time passed an evening every week IN Tourgueneffs
company. His study was q luxuriousy appointed
room. with low divans, great oil paintings, and an
air Of dreamy Oriental languor The govt had then
got firm clutch OH him and he could not move
= a. IIa in elnniP wit In
ailng leg resting another chair, and talked,
with his head thrown back and his eyes half closed,
about Russia and the RomanOfs Sometimes he
was we'll for weeks: then imprudence IN diet would
bring on a fresh attack. aud he would be on the
rack. l noticed however, that pain made no per
ceutibe difference in conversational powers on the
contrary il seemed at times to rouse him to greater
vigor and brlancy His house was rendezvous
for miscellaneous company OF political exiles-
chiefly Poles and Russians. lie did not profess to
sympathiZe with them; but when they were starv-
ing ne helped them. When they quarrelled, they
usually did, he made peace between them; For a
very few who had practical sense enough to be
useful he obtained modest positions IN winch they
could keep soul and body together. met on differ
ent occasions in his study some OF the queerest
types Of the genus homo that ever laid my eyes on
One man whom shall never forget II grow TO be
hundred years old had spent seven years ~, IN
had been student at the University OF st. Peters
burg and had in that capacity presented an address
| to the Czarevitch complaining OF certain abuses.
I The reply of the CZaTevitch was To have him and
every ouo else who had signed the address thrt wn
| into prison, without trial HIS suherings DEFY
| description. He was never permitted to leave his
cell for any purpose whatever: he nearly lost his
sight; he lost his memory he became brute In
everything except form. When he was released. az
Unexpectedly he had been imprisoned, hetumbled
out into the daylight. which hurt his eyes, and his
only feeling was resentment at having been dis
turbed He crept back into his hole again on hands
and feet and was again elected. What should he
dof Seven years bad been boted out OF his llie or
worse than blotted out The Nihllists got hold of
him and TO keep from starving he became Nihills
He was sent 10 Paris by some charitable Tevolu-
ZIONIST. and there he became one OF Iourguenefs
many pensioners lie furnished the text for many
political discussions between his protector and
myself. ITO, ,-.i.i,, a., ,;fo .
said Tourgueneif. "merely effort OF memory
i'm order that he may regain his hold upon exist
ence. He comes once week ana reads me What ne
has written The most remarkable fact about him
Is the scientific Representatives, with which he
writes In his recital of the most narrowing eX-
perences there is not q spark OF Indignation Now,
that is Russan-it Is the horrible dreary hopeless
ness which does not even rise To- the dgn W Oh
despair. No man knows that feeling until ne mas
been In Russia-Or in Asia when you can slap
man I'm the face, and he meeky bows anu shows no
spark of resentment, you may safely sheiye that
man, in his own day ana generation aS asuOJeeI lor
civilization His great grandchildren may perhaps
be worth experimenting with. Or course tie
Nihilists and my other radical friends hate me
when tell them this but they cannot deny u. II
there was any process by which man could he
educated for liberty, except the enjoyment OF
liberty should recommend 1t for Kussla. Inc
terrible birth pains of liberty no barbarOns land
can escape unless 10 chooses TO remain Ill DarDarlsn
Russia cannot IN the nlneteenth century start at
the bottom of the ladder and develop clvl liberty
Inv slow and orderly degrees, as Englandsnas done.
Though / detest revolutions, believe tnat IN
Russia a rev outiOn of some sort IS lnevitaOle,as
prelnde To more sat sfactory condition. materially
and politically. When superficial CIVILIZATION
suddenly floods barbara country. abnormal
events aIe in order. The terrific ferment In the
minds of nearly all educated Russians at the present
time is evidence that they are vaguely expecting
something of a sensational character-tnby scrcey
know what shall not live to see II but should
not wonder II you did. The throne OF the Romanofs
is no more secure than any other throne OF bar,
barrie ruler-that is built upon millions Oh crushed
hearts and strangled aspirations That Drntahzing
force would, perhaps, be powerful enough Tor It's
own protection, if Russia were an Aslatlc Power |
and not a European one | refrain from active |
agitation because am old man, ana perhaps also
because am an INDECENT one. IL were young,
fondly imagine should go back ana endeavor 10 40
something and 20 to Siberia perhaps, or to JAIL |
lint / may be wrong. Just as likely L should 30 !
what do now-eat up my heart and DO nothing. |
You think not All. you are very natterlng. but |
my books, the Russians say. are dlsnear'ehlhs1Ias
if a hook about Russia could be anything but dis,
heartening if it were truthful. III my country VIII
furnish me with cheerful conditions to write aD0nt,
/ will write cheerfuly. i am merely faithiul
chronicler and write what see nc ; a,S
noyelty-but Russia bad produced men Deiore mo
who had done that quite as we'll. There ID Uogois
Dead Souls' not TO speak OF Lermonton lot
Eurone took no notice of them. Ii Is dangerous
thing with us to he an author-unlesS YOU h"Ppoh
To live in Paris as do"
What have reported above is fragments OF two
different talks of Tourguenef, belonging 10 dIner-
ant occasions One of the last times saw nun lie
thanked me for having brought Marx Twain 10
There he said with animation. ais real
American-the FIRST American who conforms 10 my
notion of what an American ought TO be-
He regarded Roughing L" as one OF tne Dess