The Portland daily press., 1890-11-10
Russian Political ExIIes.

Inc second lecture In the StOckbridge Pop
ular course was delivered by Mr.. George
KEENAN,, the celebrated Siberian traveller, at
City Hall, Saturday evening, to large and
cultivated audience. Prior to the lecture
Rev. DR.. Henry Blanchard introduced Mr..
KEENAN, In graceful and fitting terms. 1t was
not the first time, however, that Portland
audiences have been favored by Mr.. Ken
nan, who is always listened to in Portland
with deep interest.
Mr.. Kennan's lecture was entitled rus
sian Political Exiles." and by means of
the stereoptlcon. admirably managed by
Black, the noted Boston photographer, the
portraits of men and women prominent in
the revolutionary movement, were thrown
on the screens. Many Of these portraits Mr..
KEENAN, explained were police photographs,
the exile having been taken in different
CARDS and positions, Many of the portraits
were those of men and women Mr.. KEENAN,
had met and had become deeply interested
In. One Of them, Mr.. Labanotf. asked him
what definition Americans gave to the term
Nihilism. Mr.. KEENAN, answered the gener-
al Interpretation was that of man who be-
lieved in nothing, and would allow nothing
to stand in the way of Kidding Russia of the
Gar and institutions of which they did not
approve. To this Mr.. Labanoff made answer
that what Nihilists insisted ON or would be
satisfied with, was liberal monarchy with
free speech and free press. He read quo
tation from code of regulations relating to
the care of political prisoners, which stated
that, ''exile by administrative process is not
punishment. 1t Is a precaution only
against possible crime" The results of
conviction. however, were journey of about
five thousand miles, occupying eighteen
rate of sixty miles week, in all weather
over uninhabited plains in wagons.
Last January party of Russian exiles in
the city of Yakoutsk. eastern Siberia, were
awaiting the death penalty. Their crime
was the resenting of unwarrantable insult
by respectful but firm resistance. There
was no hope Of reprieve, and after years of
hardship and privation, their tragic life was
to have truly tragic end. Their wives and
children were to be left to the cold mercies
of official surveillance. 5000 miles from civil
ization, and all for offences that seem trivial
to modern eyes. In this hour of trial, one of
the doomed scrubbed brief note, which
was subsequently Struggled out of that DESC
late prison. 1t read: "We die tomorrow,
but let our deaths count for something
Write all this to KEENAN,"
In the course of the lecture Mr.. KEENAN,
told with simple, but dramatic force, of the
death of Sophia Nikitma, the sufferings of
Mr.. and Mrs. Cherinavski, the life of Nine.
Kavalejskaya and her insanity at the mines
the stripping naked of two young women by
Adjutant Solviop; and the life of the Red
Cross nurse Nine. Korba.
In conclusion he said: at is my purpose,
If l live, that every English.speaking
person shall know of these cruelties
and brutalities to these noble and gen.
erous natures. The fact that one Of them
remembered an American traveller in his
last hour, while ascending the scaffold. is to
ME greater honor than any order the car
of all the Russians can bestow."