Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-25
RUSSIAN DEsPoTIsN.
THE HARD FATE OF NINE. TsHEBRI
RovA, WHO SENT A LETTER
TO TIE CAR.
Friday

'Oine WEEKS ago dlsl9Icn from
st. Petersburg to the London papeFs
announced that the Gar had re-
eeived 4 threatening letter from n
woman named Tshebrikova, and
that a copy. OF this letter had been
left with each Of the ministers. The
event caused considelahlese sensation,
as its author is a lady vino enjoyed
a high reputation in literary
circles. Mime. TshebTikova. &C
cor,ling to the London Times, is about
% years old, and for the last twenty
years has been known for her writ
ings on women's questions and on
educational subjects. Many Of her
essays were published In the AaRoks
Of the Nation and the DfelO reviews,
which, however, have been sup
pressed by the government. Her
present action Is the more remark
able, as Nine. Tshebrikova had no
relations with the Russian revolu-
tionary party; she wrote spOntane-
Uusly, ami her letter was not due TO
any suggestions from the NihiIists.
Mime. TshebrikOva went to Paris,
there composed her epistle, and
boldly took il herself back 10 Russia,
caused 1t TO be delivered, and await
ed the consequences.
Mime. Tshebrikova was, OF course,
arrested. Recent news Of her fate
is tiiat she viii 10 sent TO Siberia.
The ear was disposed to show her
mercy. but his ministers opposed
him. Below are the most important
passages Of this interesting docu-
ment:
"Your msjesty. the laws Of my
country punish free speech. All that
Is honorable in Russiais condemned
TO see thought prosecuted by an
\ arbitrary administration. We wit
ness the moral and physical massa-
ere OF youth, the spoliation and
fiagellatiOn Of people condemned
to remain speeches. But liberty,
sire, Is the primOruial Necessity Ui a
people, and sooner or later the hour
will come when the citizens, having,
under this tutelage, exhausted their
natienee, will raise their voices, and
then your authority will have To
yield.
.sThere Is also IN the lives Of indi-
viduals moments when they arr
ashamed Of their silence, and then
they dare 10 risk all that is dear to
them, so rs 10 say 70 the person who
holds in his hands all the power and
all the strength, the person who
could Put an end to so much evil
and 50 much shame: Look at what
you allow TO take place; look at what
you are doing, either consciously or
not
'TThe Russian emperOrs are Oh
liged to see and TO hear only what
their functiOnsries, the tchinovniki,
allow them TO see. The latter form
thick wall between the car and
the Russian zemstrO-that is, the
millions Of inhabitants vino are not
in the employ Of the government.
The terrible death OF Alexander III
has thrown a lugubrious shadow on
your accession 90 the throne You
were told that this death was the re-
suit Of the ideas in favor Of freedom
which had developed in consequence
Of the reforms introduced during
the previous reign, and you were
inspired 70 take measures 10y
which 1t was desirei 10 make Rus
STA 90 hack TO the soInbFs epoch
Of Nicholas /. They frighten
you by agitatiDg the spectre OF
revolution; Of n revolution which
would suppress monarchy; yet this
at the present time, and in such a
country as your, isa pure Illusion.
After the catastrophe OF the LIT OF
March the regicides themselves did
not hope TO see the cOnvOcaiiOn OF o
constituent assembly. The enemies
of the Car have been executed;
every one OJeys blindly the will Of
the monarch. Then by what fatal
misunderstanding does the govern
ment suppress all traces Of those re-
forms projected during the best years
Of Alexander HIS reign- it Was
not the reforms enacted during the
previous reigR that brought our ter
rorist into existence; no, 1t was tn.
lack Of such reforms. il was their In
sufficiency.