Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-09
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A st. Petersburg correspondent
writing to the New York Tribune says
The sudden death Of the great Russian
patriot and Slavophil Ivan Axakof
has made strong impression even upon
persons unable to sympathizs with the
eccentric views Of this writer, whose
inconiestable talents, noble character,
and deep sincerity no one ever ven
tured to deny. His death is considered
IS . national loss, and has shaken all
ranks of society almost IS strongly
as did that of Skobeleff, and
the nation rendered to his remains and
to his memory as marked tokens Of
mourning and regret. The Russian
press is unanimous in its rather exag-
gerated encomiums upon the deceased.
On the other hand, the German press Is
unwilling to render this fallen opponent
common justice. 1t must be admitted
that the Germans have pretty strong
reasons for disliking the celebrated
Slavophil, for be never lost an opportu-
nifty Of giving vent to the strong antipathy
be nourisbed for all foreigners, and for
the Germans in particular. The Slavo-
pills consider Peter the Great as next
door but one to anti-Christ for having
opened holy Russia to French and Ger
man influences, and for having " filed
the land with infdels." They turn
their backs most perseveringly upon the
greater part Of the reforms made by
that great man and by his successors,
and especially view with an evil
eye the work Of the liberator,
Alexander ii. Axakof edited several
papers in which these ideas were propa-
gated with energy and ability. They
were epbemeral, because going against
the Government. The first was the
Day, then the Aoskra, the Moskritch,
and lately the Rous. There is no de-
nyipg the great influence these organs
have had in Russia. Although they
have succeeded in converting few peo-
pie to the views Of Axakof, they have
greatly contributed to the diffusion of
batexaggerated nationalism now preva-
lent, and the gradual isolation OF Rus
STA from other civilized nations. French
and German are no more spoken in So
ciety; nothing but Russian is heard.
Italian and French music has gone out
of fashion. The national costume has
been readopted in the army and among
functionaries, and more attention than
ever is paid to purely exterior formali-
ties, especially in Church matters.
Concerning his activity as apublicist,
it is impossible to ignore the passion
and party spirit which pervade all that
Axakoff wrote. He attacked his ad-
versaries with the utmost yirulence
and an energy Of language original and
powerful, but by no means agreeable.
lie systematically declined refuting
the reasonable opposition made to
his extravagant ideas and opin-
ions. All he asserted he ex-
pected to he received as Gospel truth
useless to prove, and that only adopts
of the "rotten western pseudo-cul-
ture " could venture to doubt. During
the last year, however, the editor OF
the Rous was fain to acknowledge tina.
he was losing ground every day, and
that his ideas were met moro and more
coldly. Notwithstanding the distin
guished writers he invited as collabora-
tors to his organ the subscribers began
to fall off considerably in number,
and especially in quality. The
R0uS was read rather by the
Russian merchants and the clergy
than by the more intelligent part Of the
nation, and much more In Moscow than
in st. Petersburg. When Axakoff saw
that his violent recriminations against
the nation and Administration, his dire
prophetic utterances and criticism Of
every new reform attempted made i'm
preston neither upon society nor the
Government, nor upon Prince Batten-
berg, nor upon Milan, and only served
to make deadly enemies Of the Ger
mans, he fell into state Of discourage
ment bordering upon despair. The
rupture of the Emperor with Prince
Battenburg caused him such q blow
that it appears highly probable this
event was the cause Of his death. The
loss of the Russian influence in Bull
gaIia has swept away the dreams Of
the Slavophils, and it is likely this
party will soon fall to the ground.
Slayophilism has done more serious
harm to the interior culture OF this
country than words can express. The
disdain and animosity with which this
party considered European culture, the
fierce hatred they nourished for every
thing imported from abroad, have done
much toward stopping the country
on the general high-road to pro-
gress, as have also the insane ef-
forts to resuscitate old principles
and customs belonging to state OF
civilization which Peter the Great and
Catherine III. made it the work of their
lives to annihilate. The few ardent
Slavophils that have survived their Illus
trious leader will, it is to be hoped,
join some other party and cease to con-
slider as ideals most desirable to attain
the WORKOUT institutions of the seven
teenth century.
Haskoff's national party, now 50
powerful, is likely to do more to sepa.
rate Russia from the rest Of Europe
than the Slavophils have ever been able
to do, for the Kaskoyists have the SYM
pathy of the Government and of Mos
COW and the provinces, though not Of
St. Petersburg. This party is growing
rapidly, to the almost entire extinction
of the liberal and progressive European
party. When | employ the word
4" party" it is for want Of a better one,
for in this country there can of course
exist no party in the usual sense of the
word, political life being almost absO-
lutely null.
There is not one particle Of truth in
the sensational articles that appeared
in some foreign gazettes averring that
Ivan Axakoff died by poison, the VIC
tim of German intrigues. The same
was said on the occasion Of Skobeleff's
death, and there is not the shadow Of
pretext for such a supposition in either
case. Every one knows by this time
here and how that hero cana TO his