The Opelousas courier., 1889-01-05
H FIRST NIHILIST.
Dramatic Career of a Young
Russian Lieutenant.
An Unsuccessful Attempt to
Assassinate His Empress.

The we'll known German writer,
sacher- Masoch, gives in a recent mum
Der of the Revue Politiquc ct Litterairc
an interesting account Of Tschoglokoff,
the first Nihilist. He was a member Of
a secret society which succeeded the
| famous society of the "Besimenj e" or
"Anonymes," which was formed in the
reign of Peter III. of Russia. This
emperor was an ardent admirer of
Frederick the Great of Russia and was
hated by many of his subjects, not only
on account of his incompctency as a
ruler, but chiefly because of his efforts
to introduce, especially into the army,
German officers and customs. Although
entrance into the society could only be
obtained by enduring the sevcrcst
proofs and by taking a terrible oath, it
speedily became very large, numbering
among its members persons from every
rank. Finally the wife of the Inflated
Peter himself was won, through the in
fuence of the beautiful Princess Dasch-
koff, and the conspirators felt them
selves strong enough to attempt a revo-
luton.
In 1869, the emperor was seized and
s%tranglcd, and his faithless wife was
Fseated upon the throne as the Empress
Catharine IL. Although this rcmarka-
Bile woman,sa born ruler, attempted
honestly to carry out the wishes of the
society of the "Anoaymes," which had
gives her the crown, and some of whose
members oshe appointed to high posi-
&ions, she did not9satisfy the awakened
hopes of very many among the more
enlightened of her subjects.
They wanted far more than she was
ready to grant, the abolition of serfdom,
the community of goods, communal
self-government and the free liberation
of all ~religions-in a word, a slav re-
public. To accomplish these ends, q
new secret. society was formed, chiefly
of learned men, doctors, government
officials and army officers.
A young lieutenant of the Imperial
Guard, Tscho3lokoff, was one of the
most prominent members. Animated
with a fervent patriotic spirit, energetic
and courageous, with a fine personal
Lappearance and endowed with a high
degree of natural eloquence, he was
eminently fitted to be o popular agi-
tator.
He wrote q Memoir on the Situation
in Russia, as viewed from his sand.
point, and managed to have a copy pat
under a cushion of o sofa in the salon of
the empress. When THE seemed to
have no effect, he determined to kill
Catharinc, whose tyranny he detested.
1t should be said, however, that it IS by
no means impossible that he was acting
in obedience to a command issued by
his society.
One night, when it was his duty to
watch in the ante chamber of the en-
press sleeping apartment, he entered
her bedroom. 1t was Catharine's fire.
quent habit to read in bed and fortu-
nately for herself she was doing so at
that time and her room was fully light
ed. Seeing the young man enter and
draw his sword, she instantly devined
his purpose, sprang to her feet, warded
off the blow which he aimed at her,
seized and held him until assistance
came.
When put to the torture, Tschoglokoff
showed an indomitablc fortitude and re-
fused to reveal the names of any of his
accomplices. o. his way to the place
of execution he called upon the people
to revolt, and mounted the scaffold with
a firm step and unclouled face.
From the time of this attempt Of the
first Nihilist, Catharine II. was the prey
of constant fears. Wisely however, she
e~ndeayored seriously to accomplish
some of the reforms which Tschoglo-
kof in his memoir hid advocated, al
though her efforts were utterly unsuc-
cessful through the passive resistance
of the nobility and high officials.
She took measures to face the serfs.
She summoned q kind of Parliament
chosen from the people to meet at Mos.
COW, that ancient city witha thousand
and one domes,' to propose and discuss
the needed reforms. Although all her
schemes failed, yet Catharine did what
no man who ever sat on the Russian
throne, before or since, has ever dared
to do. Apparently, the blood Of
Tschoglokof, the fist Nihilist, was moi
shed in vain.
The Highest of American Peaks.
1.-THE highest mountain in America
must now be changed from Mount st
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