New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-09
STEPNIAX AND NIHILISM.
TIE RUSSIAN EXlLE'> LECTURE
TELLING WHAT THE REVOLUTIONARY SUBJECTS

OF THE CAR DEMAND
-crsu, Stcpniak last evening delivered MS hr't
lee turc m NewlOrk 10 friendly audience thst DC
cupicd considerable proportion Of the seating ca
rlci,y Of the Metropolitan opera House. The lecture
Wa given under the auspices OF the society to e1eho
Working Girls, 10 the funds Of which the pron'S VI
the entertainment were devoted. The people WHO
went - hear the Nihlst and to help the sorety were
somewhat puzzled by the fact that their admission
tickets S'epnaks subject said t. he count |
Tol>loi n Novelist and Social RelOrmer,' while the |
pr0crammc which they received At the door announced
u 10 be "Nihlism. or the Revolutionary Movement III
Russia The programme which considering all the |
circumstances little too enthusiastic in its dc
scrptIon Of the occasion "A reception and ovat0n
to the celebrated Russian hero and littcrateur"-
correct in its statement 0f the sub |
jcci An ovation. according to Worcester Is
"a lesser triumph among the Romans granted 10
distinguished military leaders in (Which sheep were
sacrificed instead Of bullockS' Stepniak certainly
did not get any tribute of that sort but his hearers
gave Lin their sympathetic attention and some ap-
pauSe while he told them something about Nhilism
~ Il. de Frccc. who managed the lecture for the
WORDING Girls society, introduced oepniak slhgu-
lar bizarre specimen Of manhood he looked facing the
tiers and rows % cOnventonaly dressed and coNeh-
tionalooing auditors. His hair stands up in fuzzy
shock above an ample expanse of forehead. and MS
feature marked they are. dwarfcd 10y his shaggy
beard lie is not OF uncommon stature. but Is soutY
and strongly built. big fellow lie wore com
promise ming dre>s-opcn wai,tcoat, cleaning SHIRT
font black tie. low collar, but frock coat instead
of the usual swallow tall
lie ne, a powerful voice. and his knowledge of
the words of the English language seems 10
be perfect. though the pronunciation Of them
costs him effort. lie ha, q marvellous memory,
and d!d not at any time help himself by notes By
fhc way, IL not his first lecture in America
though the admission tickets said it was: and he
began fully half an hour later than the advertised time
\ He host tt.x of fixi ctp.Y Of .
lutonaiy movement in Russia, he drew his personal
experiences, for he is nobieman'S son. and "evo-
lut'd" into Whilst" by association and education
T. is. as hc cypniuedta capital difference between the
progressive agitation in Russia and similar movements
in other countries that in the former the blue
hlood.' The educated. the wealthy, are the chief pro
mocf, u the cause. u Is popular struggle, but did
moi originate with the people in the sense Of the
m1--c-. the "pooi" In fact. an imp0rt'nt part Of
/ the work ~ the reformcrS j. to conduct
educational campaigns among the pa'antry
ard 10 open their eyes and enlist them
f3r the forward march. ~ his adventures
,icpuiak he'd -.mct!nr 10 tell nothing however that
WIS particularly romantic. Ills audience felt more
interest in hi; allu,lon, 10 America, influence in the
! Russian awakening tnau in anything else, and ap-
! paudcd heartily AL he -ad in regard to That
some ~ li, remark, were follow
| Tie American sympathy for the Russian revou-
uouagy movement J., ore of the most humanitarian
]
America h, 40 National interest Of any kind to pro
uo,o .r Offering sympathy to the Russian movement
/ In Eurp" The Russian question BE- to chief
cause ard the great excuse or tremendpu, militalc-.
/ which TIE Cu.-c and the misfortune of our time.
! Lat here .l America Won have nothing to gain and
nothing to fear fom Russia. revolution I'm Russia
which would make her free would not affect YOU
! auy NOR, than a revolution In the moon. II wa,
/ a. American, george KEENAN, applause whose name
vl never be forgotten. who IN revealing the horrors
| ~ the prison system has inflicted a blow the
uto.r,,y f.om ahcn u VIII never recover. and
! douhf Of any country c,,cpt America wOuM care to
i-. u" 20 oa.~ i- ocean 10 'prah of IA. part, n.'o
prominent than az, Other in defending Russian free
| dom.
The straight most characteristic ocalle,I Nbilism
! u.s. not uo,~'ncut of Glass started by people who
vaut.d f. get q legitimate share Of earthly good ON
! fhe contrary, II va started mostly 10y people who
Aed every thing 10 lose and nothing TO gain except
satisfaction from cci,,ia high moral aspirations. t
va, t'c outcome OF thc humanitarian spirit which is
! p.,ucafus Our time tn same spirit which twenty
U.c ear az, mad, nrms n order 80 wipe
! f,um your country the faint - slavery. Npplw>cJ
Ihc Russian -o,alcd NIllstS propag1nd!>t,. pco.
| p'~ who never uipt" the law, never committed any
ar That would De condemned IN any country
| except Russia. Iac Eu,-lnns are patient rar. but
| there limit 20 everything. We lost patience az
! l.-f and attacked i've government With aims Nere
/ .. ..-hi or vlor-f The -ocall,d terrorism has
| .u America AID other cpunulc.. People lo'nrd AZ i
| from GO. -taudpolu. II their own customs. hud ot
l puar supposed t. b" tie hvrli 81,
b. tlc -ipwc-t. and b. masking ou estimate oi what /,
| going lu iuo I'r country. I~oul" aGr Away dp
| plf.I. tlfr STANDARD "a 40 home.
ace pro-Iamn'c Il the %.hl~t- ma De- summed mp
! bon fr words. Nhll 'h'y have asked is national rep
| r,-.uf3tipu. natlpu.l parliament. universal suffrage.
local autonomN irsdpm Of thr pres, of ,pe cl anl
| meet -. tmns which exist I'm Gil other fr''
countries. Though Republicans thcm-olvce. they have
| rof asked for the abolition of monarchy.
They have merely a,h'd that the present empire
Ir formed INTO % Institutional one. f willing 10
| rr,n-rllc tho car permanent president ~ hd
| Grated republic. IJu need not recognize Ia" pr
| .rtuiuc mcfhOf- order to give IL active ~ I'm
rath,. The only thing need 70 recognize is that
ilo Rue-iar pee pie Just much entitled 10 GOV
cui themselves ~ the other peoples n the earth
| rhcci-J NOu have done more than any other nation
- arouse e. our country the desire FOR political
f.,.rdom. Your public opinion IS trcucndou, power.
Ir- lever which II properly applied could help the
Ku-.lall people much - or more than any Ph}'-
thpplauscJ l. H. Joy ana ilNiictlun
Tor NO. Il, Russian. hut a, citizen ~ the world
y civilized man. To think that we i've IN
! OPINION (, able TO innct blow on a
| distant monarchy. which will re stronger than bombs
| ar dynamite (ApplauSel