Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-04-05


but their children and grandchildren
will not be silent.
You are an autocratic Car, restrained
only by the laws which you yourself
make and alter, or by officials who do
not execute those laws but whom you
yourself appoint. One word from you
and there will be a change in Russia
which will leave a bright page in history
Ii you choose to leave instead dark
page, you will not have the curses of
rosterity, but they will be heard by your
children; and what terrible inherit.
ance you are thus transmitting to them
Your Majesty Is one of the mightfest
moharchs .of the world. am only a
working unit in the hundred million
whose fate you hold in your hands; but,
nevertheless, feel that it is my moral
right and my duty to say to you what |
have said.
MARY TsEBRKovA.
sin transmitting this memorial Nine.
Tsebrikeva sends to me the following
letter in explanation of her motives and
aims. 1t was not intended for publica-
ton, but do not see that its publication
can injure her or her cause, and it will
afford American readers glimpse into
the inmost heart of one of the many
noble and patriotic women in Russia
who have given up all that is dear to
them and have laid down their lives
for justice, freedom, and good govern
ment:
PARIS, Jan. l6.
DEAR Mr.. HERMAN: When this reaches
you | shall be in prison. send you
copy Of my letter to the Emperor, and |
think 1t necessary to give you an expla
nation of my motives in writing it. Some
of my friends regard my act as useless
piece of foolhardiness, and say that am
pattng the Autocracy on the cheek in.
stead of giving 1t moral blow, as
intend to do. have held the opinion
that our revolutionary attempts were
acts OF heroic purpose and feeling, but
not OF political wisdom. Although NOR
ally undermined, our Government il
still so strong politically that it replies to
every revolutionary attempt with new
measures of reaction ana repression
which have a banefulinhuence upon the
whole country.
The greatest misfortune of Russian
life is that heroism is shown only on the
side of revolutionsts. During the twenty
years or more that have been worker
in our oppositionary literature | have
,vainly tried to organize an address from
our intelligent classes to the Emperor,
in the spirit of the letter to him of which
send you a copy. have often been
told that such an address will be sense
less step unless backed up by powerful
army. But to create such an army Is a
work of the future-and a future 80 re-
mote that our generation, past fifty,
cannot hope to see it. We must there
fore create powerful political opinion
in our society. lam thoroughly con-
vinced that such an address would pro-
duce moral impression upon our Gov
eminent, and the proof of this convic-
ton lies in the fact that our great au
thors have often been allowed to write
things for which smaller ones We're
prosecuted. There was time about
fifteen years ago, when our Government
felt some shame before Europe; but
could do nothing; our intelligent classes
lacked the moral courage.
My letter to the Emperor is to be sent
to all of our papers and | am going home
to meet my fate, hoping that | have set
an example that will be followed. When
used all my arguments tn keep our
younger generation from hloodshed and
dynamite | was told: "You write only
as much as you are allowed to write,
and you take your pay for it, and that
is what I'll do" When | visited my
friends in prison always felt the gnaw-
ing worm of conscience, and | said to |
myself: They are suffering while you
are doing nothing"
My friends tell me that my act writ.
ing to the Emperor is vain foolhardness
that shall pay too dearly for scanty
results. But there are no weights or
measures for moral influence. If had |
the talent of Herzen | would stay here |
lin Paris TO do my battle, although ex- |
patriation would be great misery to |
me. One can live only on ones ground |
with ones own people. But am con-
WINGED that were | to repeat for twenty |
years more what have already said in |
print-and of course repeat more and |
more feebly-it would never have the |
influence that this letter will have. 1t is |
not ambition to play part that leads me
TO write it. Some of my friends who |!
have tried to dissuade me from this |
course have used the argument that my
act will be misinterpreted. Personally,
am impelled by the belief that even a
slave has a right to protest; but mere
personal motives would not control me,
SINCE in this case it would be acting like
a Japanese who stabs himself to escape
dishonor. l feel deeply my debt to the
Russian common people. We privileged
classes enjoy life because the peasant
suffers, and | am now paying my debt
to him.