The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-19
RUSSIAN CoSSACKS.
The Lawless, Unprincipled Men Who
Compose the Cars Body Guard.
Mosco,c Letter to Kansas city Times.

compose the Cars BODY GUARD.
MOSco,c Letter to Kansas city Times.
l see here and at st. Petersburg only a
few soldiers in the streets, and the dashing
Cossacks riding like mad on horseback are
the life of the military for the winter. The
CoSsacks are the life guards of the Car,
and are the most interesting Of the many
characters in this strange country.
A genuine Cossack has no more apprecia-
ton or dread of danger than he has of his
vodka, a terrible rum, which he drinks like
water and which makes intoxication at
sight. He was the original soldier of
Russia, the patron detective and the prime
! spirit in making republican institutions
what they are. He is devoted to the Car,
and for his devotion has been knighted in
the highest degree. The acme of the Rus
sian soldier is to become associated with the
service of the crown and to be locatedabout
the palace. When a soldier is stationed IN
| the vicinity of the palace and it becomes
known that he has been recognized by the
! Gar, his reputation has reached the zenith,
and he Instantly becomes the admiration Of
the entire people. To get promotion en-
sulte-that is into the direct service of the
| Cars to acquire the highest honor mil
lion Russian soldiers aspire to.
In all the wars Russia has fought from
| her organization the Cossacks have figured
most conspicuously. They especially did
! the bloody work when Napoleon came over
| from France in 1872 and attempted to con-
quer the empire. The great French general
! found his men falling like hail when he was
| unable to strike back, the enemy always be-
ing under shelter. 1t was continuous bush
whacking till the retreat began, when the
| CosSacks rode out 10000 on horseback and
| shot down in cold blood almost twice their
numberin Napoleon's ranks. For centuries
| these people have been the predominant in
habitants on both sides of the NOlga, and
| the first to take up arms in all the Crimea
| against intluders. Nearly half a century
! ago the Car rewarded the tribe by making
| all COssackS i'll his service his life guard
Altogether the most brutal and ignorant,
the COssack is thus given the most conspicu-
| Gus position in all this great army. When
| ever you see Alexander Ill you see a swarm
| of Cossacks about him, riding over pedes-
trians, slashing their sabres in the air, and
| holding high and arbitrary authority.
They have complete privilege and exercise
it to the fullest extent.
A COssack soldier is granted complete
| immunity against punishment for all but
| the highest crime, which is murder in cold
| blood. If he wantonly murders an innocent
! and unotfendlng citizen or companion he Is
| cOurt-martialed and probably imprisoned
! fer three or six months, but it is extremely
! difficult to convict MIN when once arrested.
| He is furnished horse, clothing and rations
| when stationed IN a city, but is given no
salary, and rations only when he cannot for
! age. About one-fourth Of them are thus
! supplied by the hands of the Car, while
| nearly 100000 of them are privileged to go
| about the country and, in the name of the
! Car, pillage and plumber. They hold up
! strangers, commit burglary sometimes and
| demand at the hands Of the people the best
L : l, L. L.
| complaints of their depredationS, as they
are legalizel The people have to keep the
Gar 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 preserva-
ton directly, by maintaining a band of
marauders, as to do it indirectly through
the channel of the Treasury. 1t does not
follow that because a soldier is life guard
he must be at the side of the one he is EN-
ployed to protect. His field is in any spot
he can locate effort to injure the empire or
! its Gar. He is a secret or public detective.
or a soldier, according to his purposes or de
| sireS He goes about, when not under direct
| orders. in the uniform of a soldier OF the
dress of civilian At St Petersburg. rot
! many days ago, | saw COSSacll in private
| citizen dress on the street, walking in hot
haste. He wore long ulster buttoned up
to the chin He was in the roll of detec-
tive. In Il little group of men he espied his
game-a slender youth. Hastily unbutton-
ing his great coat he drew forth bugle a
single short cali, and at his side were three
or four OF the rcest-loOking Cossack sol
diers | ever saw. They came in a twinkling,
wore coat-of-maI caps, and at their sides
and in their belts were pistols, knives and
maces sufficient to start a band Of Texas
Lighwaymen The arrest was not resisted,
and the display seemed entirely unnecessary.