The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-03
A QUESTION OF DUTY.
JUNiUS HENRI BROWNE WRITES OF
RUSSIAN BARBARITlEs.
lie Believes That the Civilized Nations
of Europe Should Turn In and Force
the Cnar and His Government TO Adopt
New Course.
Especial Corrospondence1

the greatest physical and political force in
! the world It Is also the moss unfortunate.
/ the most forlorn, the most distressed coun-
/ try that lays any claim 10 civilization.
| Corruption is rooted in the empire. Il
seems socially. politically, financially. agri-
! culturally, morally theoiogically, CONNER
] cially so unsound that it must soon fall to
! pieces. There can be no rational doubt
that il is on the eve Of revolution and OF
transformation, which alone can preserve
il from dissolution. Its despOtic power and
barbarms spirit must be destroyed in or
| der that il may survive and ally itself
with the cause Of justice, progress and en-
lightenment. The empire in it's present
form must eventually 20 TO pieces. All
that is good in it will remain.
When We speak of Russia we include
many homogeneous and discordant ele-
ments. But we commonly mean the gov
eminent, which is autocratic, IN no man
ner representative, and for which the great
mass of the people whether educated or
ignorant. are DO more responsible than our
aboriginals are for the laws of the United
States. The car is not All powerful, AZ
Is popularity thought He rules by and
through his ministry and cabinet. If he
should attempt what they failed 10 sane
tion be would suddenly die, as some Of his
Oyerwillful predecessors rave done. But he.
sustained by the ministry and cabinet and
backed 10y the army Of course, almost al
ways on the side Of authority, however
got, constitute the government by right
and by fact.
The strength Of the empire is the peas
antry many Of them emancipated serisl,
densely ignorant and supcrstitiOus. but in
dusrous, patient, kindly, tractable, SUBJ
scryient entirely under ihe domination
of the priesthood for the most part inlet
tered, incorporate and lax in morality.
They are whatever the government wishes
them 20 be-thcy are it, absolute creature,
indeed for the sacerdotai class exists by
the viii of the czar-the spiritual head of
the Greek church. the Muscoyite pope. ON
the peasantry depends the destiny OF Rus
STA. II they were intelligent. If they could
be made 10 think, TO see their own interest,
the existing form Of government could not
last All efforts Of the uihiiists % impress
them, to reach their brain. duh aud unde-
veloped as 10 is, have proved futile, aud
must prove 50 for years If "A man Of their
order should arise. who could see and feel
their wrongs, who should have a passionate
soul, feryid Imagination and the giN OF
eloquence and command, he would break
the power Of the car forever and lead his
followers to a condition of light and lib
ertv. But so long rs the peasants continue
10 be what they are, political improvement
or governmental reformation from within
would appear to be the reverse Of encour
aging. ,
We Americans used 20 feel very friendly
toward Russia she mad hattered our ma
tionai pride a good dead because we knew
so very little about her, and the two coun-
tries were so far apart and so opposite ~
character that their interests could not
conflict. We heard indirectly about the
evils and sayageries Of her commission,
but we did not credit them. And when any
of our compatriots, travelling or soJourn-
ing there, inquired IN regard TO such re-
ports they were assured, with a show Of
virtuous Indignation that they were abso-
lutely and mahci0usiy false The Russian
officials have always been the greatest and
most plausible liars on the planet, as ali
persons. OF whatever nationality, have re
peatedly ascertained They appear 50 frank,
so ingenious, so honest, so anxious that
not an atom of truth shall be withheld,
that they might convince the most dis
trustful man alive of their integrity. in
St Petersburg they have proverb, "a
Russian diplomatist can lie 80 adroitly AS
10 deceive the father of lies himself, and
make no special effort either
The piteous tales Of Siberian exile and
cruelty had been so often pronounced mon
strous fabrications by Russians that we
were not willing TO credit them without
reserve. until one Of our countrymen laid
the whole hideous truth before us IN so
clear and striking a light that further
doubt became impossible.
Latterly the terrible prosecutions Of the
Jews perfectly authenticated, have
eoualed anything that occurred in the
Dark Ages. and have filed outside human
ity with horror.
For the Siberian atrocities the govern
ment alone has been answeraDle, and since
their full exposure the extreme course Of
the nihilists has seemed 20 be justified
So desperate are these enemies OF tyranny
so summary is their vengeance often, that
other nations may have felt that the high
officials were likely to pay, soon or late, the
penalty of their crimes.
Not so. however. the horrible Jew batting
This would appear 10 be the beginning Of
tberabid Pan-Slayism. melted and prompt
ed alike by the government and the govern
ing classes. The car has, it Is believed,
always been a violent and Yirulent Pan
Slayist. and may have been prompted 70
those outrages from q desire 20 unite his
subjects bv q common hatred and persecu
ton. and 10 avert the continued blows Of
nihinsm. of which he has reason 20 ue eX-
ceedinglv afraid. 10 Is maintained, with a
great air of probability, that as soon as the
Jews shall be disposed Of, other fore gners
Will be hunted down and driven from the
er,nire i'm pursuance Of the practical plan
NJ Pan-Slavism Whether this be true or
not. more than enough has been done 70
demonstrate the fact that the leading, In
du.ntial Russians are not &C all civilized,
and donot intend follow ciyili1ed usa8es
They are. a. has frequently been said' not
European but Asiatic, and they seem re-
solved TO return 70 the customs and law
lessness Of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth
centuries. TO become entirely Slay-ln our
sense. entirely barbarous.
Having thus placed themselves outside
If civilization. what should civilizationdo'
what is It's palpable duty' They Will not
listen 10 advice. reason, or any appeal 10
humanity. which they have ignored and
which they despise As they aro' or az
lo..r ACT like. barbarians they require 10
be coerced. The law OF force Is the last
Lave and the only law that criminals and
sayaees will respect.
Srnnosing that Russia cannot be de-
,.,red or frightened, a. is wholly probable,
3 l.a