Evening journal., 1891-01-08
KEENAN, TALKS ON RUSSIA.
VIVID WORD PAINTINGS OF ITS
POLITICAL ExllEs.

tive Process Illustrated Siberian Minos.
one Of the rarest treats ever given TO
Wilmingtonians was the lecture OF
George hennan last evening on Russian
Political Exiles The lecturer was in
troduced by Mayor Harrington, and
without extended preface he began his
address.
When be was sent to Siberia, in com
pany with g a. Fro the Boston artist.
he was prejudicsd Ia favor Of the govern
ment and against the Nihilists He re-
garded the latter 80 an ignorant, gloomy,
desperate class, with shaky notion Of
patriotism and desire to over. brow az
existing institutions. Instead he found
them TO be educated aud intelligent, able
to converse in many languages, and dis
cuss the questions affecting foreign ma
tions. Re found that many OF them be-
longed to the best families Of Russia and
were guilty II no crime, but suspected
"of ao intention at some future date to
overthrow the existing dynasty IN Rus
sia In his travels ia Siberia he met 500
Nlhilists, not one Of whom believed in
the overthrow Of existing institutions,
but wanted only the rights OF a limited
monarchy, free speech, free press free
dom of conscience and immunity from
exile Some Of these believed in peace
full methods for accomplishing their ends.
others in reign OF terror and the throw
ing OF bombs.
1t is not necessary that person be
guilty Of any crime, but only that he be
suspected Of an intention, in the future,
TO change existing institutions to have
MIN banished to Siberia Some were sent
there for attempting to teach the ignor
ant peasant, others for speaking to those
suspected by the government. and the
msjority knew not the cause for which
they had been exiled
In the homes Of many Of these exiles
he found the works of Shakespeare.
Longfellow, and James Russell Lowell
Many OF these men were poets, novelists
and artists, who we're torn from their
wives and little children and banished
70 the mines Of Siberia. He gave a vivid
description Of heroism and ohe misery
endured by many brave and aceomplishsd
women who left their homes in European
Russia and endured the fatigue of a
journey Of 5 600 miles on sleds drawn by
reindeer for the sake Of rejoining their
husbands in their Siberian prison. Some
died on The way. others by their own
hand, while few. after years of toll.
fatigue and misery, succeeded in rejoin-
ing their husbands and sharing their fate
in the dreary prison.
Mr. hennan caused to be thrown upon
the curtain photographs Of those eyiles
he had encountered, and who were
smuggled out Of Siberia with the assist
ance Of friendly officers He also showed
by way of contrast the faces of the com
mon Russian criminal. Many of the faces
thrown upon the canvass were those Of
men and women in the highest walks of
social life. some of whom were exiled bv
mistake, others fer Intending to change
the existing laws. others for belonging 10
forbidden societies. others for holding
intercourse with those under suspicion
by the government, one for harborin 2
and assisting IN their studies two young
women sent out of the university and
another for having in his possession a
few OF the articles contributed by Mr.
hennan to the CeRtury Magazine A
brilliant Russian writer was exiled to the
Siberian mines for having written an
article commenting on the finances Of q
province, and while in exile saw the very
same article published in a Russian
Magazine marked approved by the censor.
Vladimir Sardoski was arrested. because
Victor Sardoski. whom he knew not.
was suspected of an intention to commit
an unlawful act In vain he protested
that he was not Victor, but Vladimir. and
when the roll was called and he refused
to answer to the name Of Victor that
name was coolly erased and vladimir
inserted instead, with the cynical
remark that 1t made nc difference, that
he must be guilty Of something when
arrested at alI
The minister of the interior is sup.
posed to enquire into the cause OF the
arrest Of each exile, but as q matter Of
fact he does no such thing. for the
simple reason that from the number Of
those arrested an individual investigs-
tion is impossible. Once he signed a
copy of the Lords PRAYER thinking it
was an official document Mr.. KennGn
showed police pictures of many of the
exiles in prison garb, chained in their
cells. These showed the terrible changes
wrought ia appearance by their confine-
ment in their fetid prisons. The
pictures shown of lovely women banished
for having opened a school for peasants,
for having written an article to the
press, or seeking voluntary exile for
the sake of joining their husbands OF
sweethearts, were pathetic AID touching
in the ex rene.
The lecturer told the story of Felix
Valkofski, Russian author Of eminence,
some Of whose works are published in
English. After undergoing hardships
the most horrifying, during which his
wife committed suicide, he succeeded in
escaping 70 this country, but without
his child. With the aid of Mr..
Kennan and friends in Russia
the child was smuggled out of that
country, and father and daughter are
now reunited in London. Here Mr. Ken
nan exclaimed in burst of eloquence,
'As long as there are men in Russia OF
the type of Felix yalkofski to battle for
the rights Of liberty. do not despair OF
the triumph Of the cause 4"
A young Russian noblemau, who wal
insulted by vulgar jailer, slapped Tho
latter on the face aud next morning he
was shot for the offense.
The pictures of several exiles who die
| in Siberia were next shown, and that Of
Alexander II, who was asssssinated ii
1882 The lecturer said that while tn,
killing Of Alexander was uDjustihable
vet the road was paved by the deaths 0
the many political exiles who wer'
doomed to death in his name
Madame Sagida was q beautifu
woman able, intelligent and educated
She was suspected Of differing in opinion
from the officials of the government anS
exiled to Siberia. With a number o
others she entered upon famine strike
and for thirty days refused t,
| tastn a .,aoroaI ox0anf xubot r-ou forrfhI,