News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-02-09
RUSSIAN COSSACKS.
The Lawless, Daring, UnprincipIed
Body Guard of the Gar.

I see at Moscow and at st. Petersburg
only few soldiers i'll the street. 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 Gar, and are the most in
! teresting of the many characters in this
! strange country.
A genuine Cossack has no more ap-
probation or dread of danger than he
has of his vodka, a terrible rum, which
he drinks like water, and which makes in
| tOXicatiOn at sight. He was the original
soldier of Russia, the patron detective,
and the prime spirit in making republi-
can institutions what they are. He is
devoted to the Gar, and for his devotion
has been knightcd in the highest degree
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 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 adj
mirttion of the entire people. To get
promotion Ell sritc-that is, into the
direct service of the Czar-is to acquire
the highest honor million Russian sol
diers aspire to.
In all the wars Russia has fought from
her organization the Cossacks have fig
ured most cOnspicuously. They espe-
cially did the bloody work when Napo-
leon came over from France in 1872 and
attempted to conquer the empire. The
great French general found his men
falling like hail when he was unable to
strike back, the enemy always being
under shelter. It was continuous bush
.whacking till the retreat began, when
the Cossacks rode out 40, 900 on horse
back and shot down in cold blood almost
twice their number in Napoleon's ranks.
For centuries these people have been
the predominant inhabitants on both
sides of the Volga, and the first to take
up arms in all the Crimea against in
truders. Nearly half century ago the
Gar rewarded the tribe by making all
Cossacks in his service his special life
guard. Altogether the most brutal and |
ignorant, the Cossack is thus given the |
most conspicuous position in all this |
great army. Whenever you see Alexan-
der III. you see swarm of Cossacks |
about him, riding over pedestrians,
slashing their sabres in the air. and hold |
ing 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 unoffending citizen or COM
panion he is court-martialled and prob
ably imprisoned for three months, but
it is extremely difficult to convict him
when once arrested. He is furnished a
horse, clothing, and rations when sta
toned in a city, but is given 10 salary,
and rations only when he cannot forage.
About One-fourth of them are thus sup
piled by the hands of the Gar, while
nearly hundred thousand of them are
privileged to go about the country and
in the name Of the Gar pillage and
plumber. They hold up strangers, COM
NIT burglary sometimes and demand at
the hands of the people the best there
is to live upon. It is useless to make
complaints of their depredations, as
they are legalized. The people have to
kept Gar and guard his life; they
must protect him and all his interests,
and he holds that they may just as we'll
do some of their acts for the empires
preservation directly, by maintaining a
band OF marauders, us do it indirectly
thu ough the channel of the treasury. It
does not follow that because soldier is
q life guard he must be at the side of
the one he is employed to protect. His
field is in any spot he can locate effort
to injure the empire or its Gar. He is
a secret OF public detective, or a soldier.
according to his purposes OF desires.
He goes about, when not under direct
orders, in the uniform of soldier or the
dress of civilian. At st. Petersburg,
not many days ago, saw q Cossack in
private citizens dress on the street, walk
ing in hot haste. He wore a long ulster,
buttoned up to the chin. He was in the
role of a detective. In little group of
men he espied his game-a slender
youth. Hastily unbuttoning his great
coat he drew forth q bugle. A single,
short call, and at his side were three or
four of the fiercest looking Cossaclz sol
diers ever saw. They came in twink
ling, wore coat-of-maiI caps, and at their
sides and in their belts were pistols,
kives and maces sufficient to start a band
of Texas highwaymen. The arrest was
not resisted, and the display seemed en-
tirely unnecessary.