New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-17

16mo. 230. William b. G0ttoDerger
The interest and attention given to Russian 1T
ersture of late cannot be explained by asserting
the superior intellectual force of the Muscov''e
writer's In depth in artistic skill. in POLISH III all
which denotes culture and extended experience,
they are far below the standard OF the outside
world That they have attracted so much notice is
dine TO their possession of qualities opposite to
those with which their admirers are most familiar
furupe M the close of the nineteenth century Is In
q condition of expectancy, uneasiness and general
dissatisfaction. On the one hand rs found
wealthy element which is sated bored, emptled OF
all faith enthusiasm and hope on the other hand
Is element stepped IN poverty, which Is de-
manding more Hercelv aud menacngly every day
why IL should remain poor. The resemblance be-
tween the conditions which preceded the Revolu-
tion In France and those which nearly all Europe
exhibits now is too close be alarming; and II
IS the disQuieting because the French Royolu-
ton showed the futility of all the theories OF
social reorganization which are now being repro
duced.
1t seems that the invention of man in this direc-
ton is exhausted. Believers in the evolutionary
PHILOSOPHY necessarily hold that efforts after pa
tent methods of removing poverty are useless
that whatever reforms are effected must be the out
come Of education and slow changes tha' however
deplorabie many phases OF the existing SITUATION
are the whole status of society Is nevertheless the
best that the conflicting forces IN operation cou'u
have produced and that II IS as unressonaoie 10
complain of the backwardness OF the race as II
would be to find fault because the unnedgeo
englet cannot emulate the soaring flight OF the
mature parent bird. But philosophy counts for
little in the direction Of world movements The
ideas which move the many must be simple, dlrcct'
and as a rule must appeal to personal interests
The foundation-sto OF the Socialism whch Is
now upheavlng the lower strata OF society every
where are of this kind. Nothing is so easy as TO
convince those who softer that they are wronged,
unless il be to persuade them that those VINO 90
not suffer are their oppressors The Have Nots
need little argument to demonstrate the lnlqulty
Of the HAYES. That property Is robbery appears
almost sef-evident to such as haye never pos
eessed il, and are conscious OF mcapaciy
to do so by their unaided efforts. Thus the basest
and yet the strongest impulses, passions and ten
denotes of the weakest men, are played upon. In
cited set in activity The intellectual classes
mean W he cast about for a remedy IN vain. Pollt-
ca economy, which Is based on reason and the as
sum ptlon of ordered condition OF society. oilers
no means of escape from movement which Is 80
independent of reason as to suggest rather the
working of one of the blind forces OF nature. The
rise If economic charlatans the antichrists OF
Science, as they may well be called-inevlabIy ac-
com panies the Socialstlo eruption. and helps to
confuse the situation and TO entrench faliacles
more firmly. The future is menacing of alarm,
and the old theories afford no shelter nor asylum.
Itis at suoh period that the advent of new
literary school IN Russia has created a strong In
terest and this Is due TO the novelty and freshness
Of the adolescent school of fiction. Russia. though
pominaly old. Is nationally in the nfantile cond-
zion The repression of centuries has aborted her
m ttrna safn ed hpr
with the melancholy which belongs 10
ensIaved peoples and which survives the
removal of their chains. The negro race Is
by nature one OF the most mercnrai,
but slavery has imprint ted upon this volatile char
acter a sadness which pervades all its music, and
fluids strongest expression In those HYMNS which
afford relief To the racial trait of passionate enthu
siasrn. The sweet minor music which. suns by the
neodlous voices OF the children of Africa, Ia found
70 fascinating by Intelligent auditors omeodios tho
soul- wounds of u people; sets forth at once. with
pathetic unconscIousness, their Illumination,
their patience and their resignation. Rus
sian literature is deeply marked by the same
feelings and IL seems that the suerngs and spirit
ua of centuries had nllrtured IN the
higher typos of that interesting Nation yearnlng,
not to avonge the wrongs of the past after the od
barbarous manner, but TO essay the regeneration
of the country by re-iniroduciug principles OF life
Sanctioned indeed by the highest authority recog-
hized in Christeudou, yet none the less long since
abandoned as impracticable.
This is the hope aud Inspiration which Count Tol-
etol illustrates IN the little volume before us. He
tells us how he has looked over the world and salts
fed himself that meu have no longer any guide In
life; that they live to settled purpose;
that they have ceased to believe III
anything; that the Church has lost its influence;
that In departing from the PLAIN doctrine of Christ
A. has cast away the and secret of It's power
that the most potent of unbelief is the des-
perate and irreconcilabe contradictions bet ween
the lives of those who call themselves Chrlstlans
apd the precepts of the Founder of this religion;
that tho evils from which modern society suffers
are the direct consequence of the attempt to cover
with the mantle of Christianity social system
which has nothing Christian about it. aud that the
one the only way to solve the problem which So
perp exes all the world is to return to the fountain
bead and rebuild Christianity upon the Gospel
In explaining his faith arrived at. as be shows
through long meditation. sef-communngs and
alysis of the teachings of Christ. he goes into de-
tails which, while they demonstrate his conscleD
tiousness aud determination to get to the root of
every difficulty, exhibit more zeal and earnest
ness than exegctical acumen. 1t cannot, be said
that the conclusions reached by him are novel,
perhaps could that be expected reasonably. seeing
that whatever for interpretations may
exist the Gospel must be ascribed to obscurty in
the text or lack of intelligence IN the commentaries
There is, however hardly a doubtful text in the
New Testament upon which the fullest light has
not been already thrown by the greatest scholar
ship extant. 1t follows that Count TOlstoi, with |
every help has been able only to evolve conclusions
in the main to those previously |
reached by the founders of several sects winch
have insisted upon the Obligations of literal render
ugs and literal obedience The Quakers, the
Perfect ouists the Shakers. have each and all at
tempted to order their lives much after the same
law here laid down. Non1esistance. carried to the
,xtreest len gths appears TO Count TolstO the prime
h..