St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-29

gree. The acme of the Russian
soldier Is to become associated
with the service of the crown and to be
located about the palace. When a sol
dler Is stationed in the vicinity Of
the palace and 1t becomes known
that he has been recognized by the cZar,
his reputation has reached the zenith,
and he instantly becomes the admira-
ti0n of the entire people. To get pro-
motion en- suite-that Is, into the direct
service or the cZar---is to acquire the
highest honor million Russian soldiers
aspire to.
In all the wars Russia has fought
from her organization the Cossacks have
Inquired most cOnspicuOusly. They eS-
pecially did the bloody work when Ma
poleOn came over from France in 1912
and attempted to conquer the empire.
The great French general found his
men falling like hail when he was un-
able to strike back, the enemy always
being under shelter. 1t was con-
tinuous bushwhacking till the re-
treat began, when the Cossacks
rode out 10000 OH horseback and shot
down in cold blood almost twice that
number in NapOleon's ranks. For cen
dominant inhabitants ON both sides of
the VOlga, and the first to take up arms
In all the Crimea against intruders.
Nearly half a century ago the cZar re-
warded the tribe by making all Cossacks
III his service his special life guard.
Altogether the most brutal and ignorant,
the COssack is thus given the most con-
SpicuOus position in all this great army.
Whenever you see Alexander Ill. you
see swarm of COSSacks about him, rid
ing over pedestrians, slashing. their
sabres in the air, and holding high and
arbitrary authority. They have COM
pIlete privilege and exercise it to the
fullest extent. A COssack soldier is
punishment for all but the highest
crime, which is murder in cold blood.
Ii he wantonly murders an innocent
and unOtfending citizen or companion
he is cOurt-martialed and prob
six months, but it is extremely
difficult to convict him when once
arrested. He is furnished a horse,
clothing and ratiOns when stationed in
city, but is given no salary, and ratiOnS
only when he cannot forage. About
One-fOurth of them are thus supplied
by the hands of the czar, while nearly
hundred thousand of them are privi-
legged to go about the country and in the
pIunder. They hold up strangers,
commit burglary sometimes and demand
at the hands of the people the best there
is to live upon. 1t is useless to make
complaints of their depredations, as
they are legaliZeG. The people have to
keep the cZar and guard his life; they
must protect him and all his interests,
and he holds that they may just as well
do some of their acts for the empires
preservation directly, by maintaining
band of marauders, as to do it indi-
rectly through the channel of the treas
ury. 1t does not follow that because a
soldier is a life guard he must be at the
side of the one he is employed to pro-
tect. His field is in any spot he can To-
cate effort to injure the empire or its
cZar. He is secret or public detective,
or soldier, according to his purpose or
desires. He goes about, when not Tin
der direct orders, in the uniform of a
soldier or the dress of civilian. At
st. Petersburg, not many days ago,
saw COSSack in private citizens dress
on the street, walking in hot haste.
He wore long ulster, buttOned
up to the chin. He was in the role of
detective. In little group of men he
espied his game. Hastily unbuttoning
his great coat he drew forth bugle. A
single, short call, and at his side were
three or four of the fiercest-looking Cos
sack soldiers l ever saw. They came in
a twlnkling, wore cOats-Of-mail caps,
and at their sides and in their belts were
pistols, knives and maces sufficient to
start band of Texas highwaymen. The
arrest was not resisted, and the display
seemed entirely unnecessary.