The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-18

VINO. upon tho whole, approves OF the Dresen
system OF autocratio and bureaucratic govern
ment. For Russian reyolutionists the au
thor shows but little sympathy. and he is moi
inclined to direct the readers attention to the
monstrous abuses OF the judicial system and
the horrors Of Siberia On the actual work
tnRs OF the emanc pation scheme Mr.. Morrill,
throws but little light, and for inform alton on
this head we must turn to the article By Prince
Kropotkine above referred TO- and to the elab-
orate work OF Mackenzie Wallace. which. sin
Gularly enough. is not mentioned by the
author OF this volume In his list OF contempt
rary authorities In spite. however. OF many
shortcomings In respect both OF substance aud
OF form. Mr.. Morrill, has given us tho only COM
pact and comprehensive history OF Russia in
book form which, so far as we know. has been
ate pted by any English writer. They who
wish to study the subject In moro detail can
avail themselves OF the work OF M. Rambnud,
published at Paris In 1878. and which is. or
ought to be. translated into English.
Among tho questions which We expect his
tory OF Russia to answer more or less definitely
arc tho following: BY what races was Central
or Great Russia inhabited at the time OF the
Scandinavian invasion In the ninth century
Was the Scandinavian element infused at that
time considerable. and was 1t o civilizinR
factor2 Did the Byzantine empire exercise
social and industrial as we'll as a political in
huence on early Russia? To what extent were
Russian institutions, manners, and modes OF
thought modified by the aRe-lopR Mongol DOM
ination2 What was the effect OF the Western
Influences, which succeeded the liberation from
the Tartar yoke. on the national religion2 Did
an abrupt change of social, military. and polit-
zeal aims and standards take place under
ba nj 10,
represent the elimination Of tendencies which
had been gathering head for o century and q
halfP Has Czardom. or autocracy In Its present
form. always existed IN Russia In historical
times? Was there once q hereditary autoc-
racy. and. II 80. how was 1t transformed into
more office folding olgarchy the creatures Of
the sovereign How does 1t happen that in
Russia the middle class. 30 conspicuous
throughout western Europe In medieval as
we'll as In modern times still exists only in the
germ? When and under what circumstances
did serfdom originate. and what have been the
social and economical consequences OF Its
0bolition2 Let us see how much help Mr..
Morrill, gives US In the prosecution OF these
primary inquiries.
Whether the people inhabiting tho region to
the north of the Euxine, and known to classical
writer's as Scythians and Sarmatians. belonged
to the Aryan family. or should DO classed as
Turanian races, Is a question about which eth
biologists differ. Tho conflicting evidence can
best be reconciled by the hypothesis that some
OF the peoples who tenanted this country in
ancient times were OF Aryan and others OF nom
Aryan stock. The inquiry from what direc-
ton the earliest wave Of slsvonic migration
reached central Russia. involves the funda-
mental and warmly debated question touching
the cradle OF the Aryan family. II this cradle
was In central Asia. the Slav wave seems to
have swept past Russia and spread itself over
lands much further west. or this wave we find
traces not only in the Czechs OF Bohemia and
IN the modern Serbs but In the Wends. who. in
the time of CharlemaRne. occupied Mechlen-
burg. Brandenburg and the present kingdom
OF Saxony. 1t Is certain that from
A. D. 600 to $50 the dominant people |
In southern Russia were the Khazars. whose
ethnographical relationships are doubtful. but |
who have been identified by no one SO far as
Weknow. with the SlavS Mr.. Morrill, says that |
the earliest mention OF Slavs in the basin OF |
the Dnieper is to be found In Arabic writer's |
near the close OF the ninth century. On the |
other hand. Prince KropotkIne pronounces it |
certain that as early as the eighth century. and |
probably still earlier, stream OF Slovenian |
colonization, advancnR-or, II We accept oen- |
trail Asia as the starting point Of the Aryan |
miRrations. We should say naturalization |
western Russia. He also deems it probable |
that second and northern Slovenian stream |
was thrown back from the Elbe on and asst |
the basin OF the Vistula. 1t Is certain that in |
the ninth century we find three branches OF the |
SlavoniAn stem settled in European Russia,
the so-caled Great Russians Whose dialect
has become the national languagel occupying
central Russia; the Malo- Russians or Little
Russians. dwelling In the southwest. and
the White Russians. posted on the eastern
border OF Lithuania. On the north and
east were Firms, on tho southeast Turkish
peoples. on the south the Khazars. and on tho
west the Let's.
The date agreed upon for tho Scandina-
Wan invasion. under Rurik. is A. d. SG2
The Vikings occupied Novgorod and Kieff.
and that they came In considerable num-
bers seems demonstrate. for In the time OF
the Monkish chronicler Nestor t1056-1114). the
Scandinavian element was Dreponderant at
NovGorod. and remained so until the thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries, when German set
tiers. ACQUIRING the ascendancy made the
town member OF the Hanseatic League. 1t
was one OF Rurik's descendants, Vladimir, wha
united and enlarged the possessions OF his
family. adding. for instance. GaIicia or Rod
Russia tho only part OF his dominions which
Is not now governed by the house OF Romanoff
10 him tho Russians owe their conversion to
the Greek or orthodox church. Baptized at
Constantinople in 0ss, he com pelled on his
return. the whole OF his subjects to undergo
the Same rite. 1t IL an interesting circum-
stance. rs showing how much earlier Russia
received the germs OF Christian civilization
than the country lying Immediately west, that
1t WAS not until 1886 that Jagiello, Prince OF
LithuaniR. having been converted to Chris
tanity by Catholic priests, compelled all his
subjects to renonnce paGansm on special
day. Another fact, which proves how much
moro intimate was the connection OF Russia.
under the Scandinavian dynasty. with west
ern Europe than 1t was TO be again
for many centuries. is the marriage OF vladi-
mir Monomachus TO the daughter OF the Eng
lish King Harold. who fell at SenlAc. As |
for tho extent OF scandinavian influence, We |
have reason TO believe that this WAS not lnslg-
nhcant because there are N any Scandinavian /
names in the documents quoted by the chron-
icler Nestor, and because tue code Of laws pro- |