New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-30
A NIHILIST APPEAL.
srrpNIAK AGAINST THE RUSSIAN TREATY.
eurtIyx OF HIS ARauMENrs--A CHARACTERISTIC
DOCUMENT.
rBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE

OUTLINE OF HIS ARaUMENTs-A CHARACTERISTIC
DOCUMENT.
rBY rELnoRAPH THE TnIBuNkl
WASHINGTON, Jan. 90 SpeciaD.-Serglus Step,
Russian Nihfliss at present exleo IN Aohoo'- ~"
,rho has for several years directed from the OFT
la. IN. revolutionary movements against the
Oar. has sent here, to be laid before the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations an appeal against
che ratification Of the proposed extraditon treaty
hc&vrrn tho United States and Russia. StepniaK
intended to visit Washington at this time Tor the
purpose of personally urging his objections and
chose Of the Nihiiists Of Russia to the eytradt1on
written his argument which bristles with his
characteristic phrases and unique explanations
and justifcatipns Of the efforts made periodically
to sssassnate the Gar and bring about another
form of government in Russia. He addresses his
appeal TO the Senate and the people OF the United
States and gives 1t the caption plea Ior the
the Russian Government" The document. which
Is very long, reads in part as follows:
sft is the rule with all civilized nations that nobody
csn be condemned without being heard In his defence
The projected extradcn treaty with the Russian Gov
ernment. ratified by tho American Senate. win be
Wholesale condemnation TO capital punishment and
Of member Of the Rn:ss i, S gsTrs1 party,
Who may seer rss p1o Of 'sH sT 1s
ns Sne "a the Views and "pra.ons Of party
inndgment beg leave to say IN the o,
this party and the bearing of the question now before
the Senate.
NrHIIIsTs WANT HOME RULE.
sro Illustrate q thing known very little with thing
known very we'll, may sssimilate the so-caled
Nhiiist party with the Irish Nationalist What We the
socaled Russian Nhiliss, want is national home rule
for our country. We want to overthrow the Cars
despotism. - break the yoke Of the aristocratic
bureaucracy. and to win for country national rep
The affairs 81 the state in other European coun
various shadows Of opinions The active body OF the
Whilst consra'oIs comprises simple ssc
tons expects various fruits from the establishment OF
naiona just the various sections of
the Irish Home Rulers do.
PROVISION THAT MEANS NOTHING.
Article OF the treaty, excluding the regicde from
the list OF political crimes contains also the following
passage II it be made to appear that eItradon Is
sought with q view to try punish the person de-
anded for an offence political character surrender
shall not take place. That clause imply that
the American Republic wiz not entirely object to the
form of their Government Bn at closer examination
the Thing er inns M on 81 the
less people who keep cautiously aloof from p9Inea a
iston IS limited to rebelIions uterances tgrumhngsl
at private houses and private parties 1r n. reeeon,
practically profit by this clause According to the Russian
laws they are potical offenders and are actually
Some " seak refuge n the United States the treaty
that they will not be surrendered to the Cars
vengeance.
FORMS WHILST ACTIVITY.
"As to the actual rebels against the Russian auto
crazy, they all exraditble according TO the terms
OF treaty. Regcide aud political assassination in
general certainly not the only form OF activity or the
Russian rebels or 'Nihsts' They publish and circu
late papers and pamphlets propagating the
idea OF liberty calling Russians 10 the sense OF their
dignity and cit tens; they attempted TO set up
popular Instructions and OF late tuey organized an
Ocials of tue garrfsoned In the capital
and other towns These conspiracies IN hich the
military and the cvla Join ands for scoops open
rebellion against the cars deSpatlsln
pushed their ehivalry toward their very unehiva
despot from the responsibility for the mlsdeeds
mittcd by his orders or by those of his dependents
ASSASSINATION CoMMyNDABLE.
"The fact Is that all these conspraces accepted and
accept assassination of the Gar essential to the
OF their insurrection and commendaole at
any time Thus. all the members OF these conspiraces
according to Russian laws, parties to the reg
eide whenever committed attempted by any member
OF the said conspiraci.s The .adestine revolutionary
publications. approve and Justify the regichie anu are
ors az yell as propretors of these papers, even the
readers OF the regcidai paper WHO have DO. imeu,
OF "a Russian laws accessories to resieide Iney are
punishable with death whenever ne chooses 20 sppy e
young student Rosovsky. eighteen OF hanged
poc. Offenders is covered by the treaty. because
the stands In Russia they are al connected IN one
way or another with TegIcde
THE PRINCIPLE oF POLITICAL ASSASSINATION
I'VE are not defending the principle OF political
make this point no distinction
between sovereigns. Presidents and simple mortals-
When the President. James GARFIELD, assassinated
the organ revolutionary party (o the
called Nihiiists) published on It's nrst page In black
mourning borders tho announcement OF The death OF the
Pns cent Win .ae o1 a, eno. onr deem
sympathy at the death OF the President James Garfield,
the executive committee feels IL its duty to protest In the
name OF the Ru ssiaa Revolutionary party against all
Of violence similar u that just perpetrae la
pressing their opinions ami where the viii of the p3opo
not only makes the laws but chooses the persous who
In nah m al AZ
sassinatoDs manifestations OF despote tendencies
Nnn" our ,ives in Russia prspotisD whether Welded
by ndvidu 'hs or by parties equally condemnaole ana
violence usihaDe only when opposed 10 tue Violence
RETALIATION A MORAL OBLIGATION.
"selfcourol Of the highest duties OF citizen.
and necessary condition OF the very existence of
human societies But there when seltcoutrol
Is but nickname the slayish wardce, and when
retaliation moral obligation toward human
fy earnestly beg yeu not TO consider these words az
outburst of what Is called revolutionary fdnacism
II is the expression of sad tussan realities and rs
who have litlle TO do with ANYTHING suonssiye Jan.
ct The Chiei Of the st. petersburg Police, General
Trepof. innicting on him a wound In the abdomen
special order she has been tried by Jury and was &C
on ae ss Of arSa s S;T to
extraditAble
LEGITIMATE ASPIRATIONS SUPPRESSED
THE free Republic proposes to be more relentless in
pursuing oaenoes against the Gar and police than
Russian jury has been in the single when 1t has
BEEN called TO pronounce upon an offence OF political
character Are the everyday OF the Russian Gov
eminent such call forth and Justify acts Of retaliation
OF kind in general This h question OF fset and
the tot: depends on the amount Of sno Wedge
upon inner conditions II may he said without
any Evaporation that the Russian autoeracy has used TO
the utmost the advantages which tho nand over an
enornons military force gives IT, 70 suppress the legt
mate aspirations OF the people ana to maintain regime
hateful To all tue educated casses-dssotrsus FOR the
material and moral interests OF the people, tmPerLng
the future VI the Nation and OF the STATE.
During last 6ftscn or reaction the press mas
bean gradually crushed. it did not cease 70
sneak OF tue popular grievances Now. Russia has
tically no press all Thus, quote one Illustration
out Of whilst all tina European papers are In
digpaut at suppression by tile Cossacks
whips and butt ents Of soldiers guns, the purely
scholarly disturbances In universities and the Killing