New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-07
nrwyoRK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY saEIGIFrEEN PAGES.

w hated man in all Russia The story of katkon's
career is alike interesting and melancholy. lie
cot himself TO counteract the revolutionary IN
fuence of Herzcn, who, through his Journal,
Koloko7 THE BelD. had created powerful
excitement and reused the spirit of reform. Nat
koff from the first outwent the most reactonary
bureaucrats in radical repressive propositions lie
made his paper, the MoskovslSya Vyedomost,'
the organ of the ultra conservatives. He delib-
eratey set himself to crush out the spirit OF true
patriotism to turn back the hand Of time, to BAN
ish knowledge, and TO secure the tranquility
of the despotism by exterminatng intellectual
| agitation of every kind.
| KatSoff was the worst enemy the Russian peo-
| pie have had for long time, and he was heartily
backed and supported by all the oifice-holding
class. The crime which ended Gar Alexander the
| Seconds reign naturally helped the leader OF
reaction, for it prejudiced the present Emperor
against all reforms, and, indeed, all changes look
ing toward greater liberty. Katlsof used his OPP
portunity to the utmost, and he the most
active instrument in refastening the letters upon
the limbs of his countrymen. SO baneful was his
influence, indeed, and so powerful at court, that
it is somewhat surprising he should have
been tolerated by that terrorist circle which DUR
ing the last twenty years has removed so
"vyedomosti,' however, continued to flourish,
and practically ruled Russia for many years, even
defying with IMMUNITY the edicts of censorship,
which no other man or journal could have dis
obeyed without mourning the quickest and most
severe punishment No doubt the Nihilists are
largely responsible for KatlSoffs continued in
6uence, but it appears almost certain that this
influence led the present Car to adopt and main
tain rigor which was foreign to his intentions
and not in harmony with his character
At the present time the stability Of the Car
dom is guaranteed by the hereditary submissive
ness of the peasants. Should that submissive
ness at any time give place to what may be termed
more Western feeling, it is clear that nothing
can prevent revolution of the subversive and
radical kind. The bureaucracy is hated and de-
spised by all but those who depend upon it. It's
rottenness is a by-word. The people make jests
Of its notorious corruption and inefficiency 1t
is a common saying that if an official has stroke
Of applexy and does not die he is certain to be
promoted; should he become blind and deaf he
would be raised still higher Incapacity, in
short, is believed to be q passport TO honors and
rewards, while ability never helps anybody
Where such jokes pass current the conditions
they reflect are not obscure or doubtful The
Gar fully understands the situation, but he is
the result of the experiment, far more than his
Crimean defeat, broke tie heart Of that iron
ruler. No other Car, before or since, has made
any serious effort to cleanse the Augean stables.
Everything in the future depends upon the
patience and stupidity of the moujilSs. If these
can be kept as they are, hindered from learning
and from growing. there is no reason why the
Russia of to-day should not continue unchanged
for another centurv IT. NAV he rpoa rded ~
tain that the educated classes will never.
things are, succeed in rousing the masses to a
sense of their degradation, and unless this can
be DONE the ptiless repressive system pursued
by the Government cannot be hghtened or
ameliorated
Dr. Brandes has some Interesting observations
on the question Of Russian originality in art and
invention, but though he makes an ingenious
effort to show that the national creative spirit is
vigorous, the reader will probably reach the con-
clusion that here as elsewhere, the stern re-
pressve policy of the Government has had para
lying effect The appearance of certain Ca
priciousness and instability in the Russian chrr-
acter is nc doubt rightly explained in the same
way The natural character of the people has
been so long held in bondage that m artificial
| one has largely taken its place The Russian
temperament, when uncontrolled affords many
highly promising indications. but it is not, at its
| BEST Western temperament, nor can it be safely
assumed that if all restriction were withdrawn 1t
| would tend to asSimilate Western civilization.
Thus far the opportunity TO show its capabilities
has been denied it, and this long process of de-
naturalization has at last bred in the more in
teligent classes what at first sight looks like the
most hopeless of all feelings-a desire, namely, that
the country may be drawn into war with Ger
many and sustain crushing defeat. When this
| is the sole remaining hope OF the reformers, the
general situation must be gloomy indeed.
The second half of DR.. Brandes's book is occu-
pied with an examination Of Russian literature,
and the survey amply confirms the impression
| conveyed by this observing critics account OF
| the personnel of the literary class. All Russian
literature is more or less crude and uniformed, and
this crudty appears quite as plainly in the works
| of those writers who have obtained European
| vogue as in the less known compositions. Every
where, too, the dominant melancholy which is
| so distinctively Russian is seem 1t is the joint
product of regional characteristics and national
sufrerings, and it promises to endure. In con-
clusion we may say that few books on Russia pub
lished of late years equal DR.. Brandes's I'm
pressons" in breadth Of view, picturesdueness OF
description, penetration ard insight or appreci-
alive sympathy.