New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-18

prg IN of the nobility distinctly separate class
destined to serve as a strong support OF the
throne.
Even il a peasant in the country don his ha'
before man in gentemans clothing, or II
waiter calls him "Excellency,' or If cabby'
persuasively insists on fee still the spirit oil
democracy is an all-pervading one In Russia and'
paradoXical as the statement may seem, the origin
OF this spirit Of democracy is often ascrbed TO the
Institution Of serfdOm that prevailed In Russia up
to the year 1861 Under it the children OF noble
men were in constant contact with the children OK
their serfs, and ustaught byeXpericnce that
peasant children are liable to have tempeD OF
their own as children from the privileged classes.
BESIDES, young peasants, with their adaptabllity
TO their surroundings, were bound to excite the
envy and admiration of the city youngsters In
such feats of strength and agility as early in life
are the most priced II may be supposed that
parents at least would see to it that their offspring
received fitting consideration from the kids Of
the serfs But the parents were so firmly
grounded in the idea that the serfs were their
own that they would overlook in the scrf children
many thing that would offend them coming
from the child of another landed proprietor. The
kids of the serfs' always had a way of their
own for getting square with ten twelve year
old nobemen, who, with rare exceptions, were
fully alive Ia the fact that IT is mean TO drag in
parents to help fight childish adversary.
Again, ever since the memorable endeavors OF
the Decembrists in ls?5 to bring about the libera-
ton OF the serfs the educated landed proprietors
were dimly conscious that seIfdOm was a stain on
the civilization Of the country. ! would not say
that this consciousness acted in any way as re-
straint on natures spoiled by self-indulsence.
Still, when not undnly excited, owners Of serfs
would always be inclined to render justice where
justice was due. Thus, | Remember well, for in.
stance, how my mother made me kiss the hand OF
a simple peasant woman employed as cook for our
servants-and made me do it very humbly. | was
asking the womans pardon for having slapped
that very hand in anger, because she wanted to
take indoors her little daughter who was playing
with me in the yard. Such the neyer-to-be-
forgotten penalty inflicted on me in Russia, mind
you some time about 1853. Judging by that the
reader may imagine my great astonshment when.
fully quarter Of a century later, spending .
summer at the beautiful seaside resort OF Brigan-
tine Beach, n. j. in the land of equality, in the
democratic republic of the United States, wit
messed the conduct of two boys Of some nine and
ten years OF age, OF Philadelphia broker and
a highly educated mother. They had just been
oil wadlng in the shallow puddles lett by the re-
treating tide, and the nurse in dainty white cap.
was putting their shoes on for them, when one OF
the boys kicked the girl with his boot right in the
face-bringing nothing hut an INDECENT DON'T
from the fond mother who had her eyes on them
all the time
Serfdom brought together the highest and the
lowest classes of Russia, and men and women on
both sides were early in their lives taught the
lesson that masters and serfS are not only men or
the same nationality, but beings having The
same temptations and defects. STILL as long as
the baneful Institution of serfdom renamed, inc
laws of the country refused TO recognize the noble
and the commOner equal nor did the peasants
and servants clearly conceive the possibility OK
standing in an equality TO their masters. 10 mn
press them with the sense of such equality OF
standing fOrcible changes were required: and they
were brought about by the enlightened VIII oil Al
eXander the Second
IL needed the introduction Of the jury system.
recognizing no difference between tee vote OF a
peasant member and that of "A noble, IN the ac
initial or the condemnation Of an accused person:
il needed the introduction of temstyo, WIN 'ne
open deliberations in its assemblies, where peasa
sit side by side with their former owners ana rise
and speak out their mind as well as thc noplelnen'
il needed the Introduction OF unlNersai mli1aIN
conscription, under which young mobiles. merchants
and peasants have to serve in the ranks alike, Va
the only difference that the higher the conscfip.s
education the shorter tie term he Is onHged '"
serve out in the army it needed the applcationt 10
life of all the liberal reforms inaugnrated ny AZ
exandcr II. 10 raise the lower classes from theit
former indOent sef-depreclatlon, ana t Tic''a'0
them with the conviction that, were only circunl-
stances favorable 10 their progress, they wouid no
no worse than their betters
III
educated classes that the peasants reached any de-
cree of self-conidcncP On one side. n was me
lawful openly elected interpreters Of the DeratI"n
laws-the Myrovye Posrednyky-who daily ana
hourly sirove 10 impress the newly emanclpaten
serfs with the of their tights, as We'll as ther
duties under the condition OF things. IN
the other side a number Of educated, hot-heaocd
younr men and women of most divers standing IN
the world donning the pcasan ana factory at'lre,
went ont among the people, inspiring ap0rers
and factory-han,ls with revolutionary IDEAS ABOUT
the rights of man, the real equality OF All men III
ali things and the useessness Of supporting orohes
in any walks of life whatever.
Sill il seems to me that the soundest proof Of
tbe enduring ties that bind together the highest
and the lowest classes Of Russia Is to he iound IN
tbe fact of the enduring interest OF the public IN
the neasant his life ana his Interests as plctureh
nv the periodicals Of the country. Inc most CON
siderable part of such publications is devoted 10 tie
subiect-and that is the part Of the magazine thae
;S mos, eagerly scanned by the readers. though
surely il is most depressing reading matter most
Of the time. ..d ,roo, rnon
one could pile up fact upon fact ana PROOF Upon
proof of the democratic spirit as the mosl sarhs
feature of Russian national character. ana !. can
hardly he doubted that should the Russians AZ any
time have a hand in shaping form OF naIiohsI
government for themselves. they VIII lashioh 'n'
that will be democratic To the core