The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-24
HANDS OFF RUSSIA.
AN Ex-DIPL OMATIST WHO THINKS
THE CAR CANNOT BE COERCED,
He Says the Stories of Oppression May Be
Exaggerated-Are Other Nations Free
from Similar Charges?-A War Would
Consolidate the Russian EN- pire.
Especial Correspondence.1

Especial Correspcndence.1
New YORK, April 4-There appears t,
be large number of warm hearted peopl,
In the United States who are of the opin
ron that the present condition of Russia il
such as to wa-rant-nay, even to demand
the armed Intervention of all the othe1
powers OF, Europe in the interest of hu
manity and civilization. This belief ha.
found eloquent and able expression in
public letter bearing the well known sig
nature of Junius Henri Brown and tbe
date of March IA. Mr. Brown argues that i
Russia were to find herself confronted by
the combined military and naval forces Of
Germany, Italy, Austria, England and
France, together with those of the minol
states, she would assuredly mend her ways
and put stop to her "revolting persecu
tion of hapless, innocent race"
An Intimate acquaintance of Russia and
OF Russian affairs leads me to differ from
Mr. Brown, both with regard to the
Charges OF persecution as well as to the
methods projected for arresting the prog.
ress of the latter. And let me state right
here, before going any farther, that am
an Englishman, and therefore not likely
TO be unduly prejudiced in favor of any
body or anything in the Muscovite empire
To begin with, neither the car nor his
people are ever likely to submit to threats
OF coercion, and were any European coali-
ton to be formed for the purpose of putting
the menace into execution it would meet
with the same fate as that which overlook
the "Grande Arnee" of Napoleon in 1912.
Ihe force which invaded Russia that year,
under the command of the French emperor,
comprised contingents from the armies of
every government in Europe, save that of
Great Britain, and its ignominious retreat
from Moscow and almost total destruction
remain on record as an illustration of the
utter hopelessness Of any attempt to coerce
Russia by means of an invasion. The lat
ter would merely have the result of
strengthening the autocratic power of the
car by tanning into white heat the Pan
slavist sentiment that exists in more or
less de Hoped state in every lscovite
breast.
A foreign coalition against the car, far
from proving disastrous to his throne
would on the contrary only have the effect
of consolidating his dynasty, for it would
cause all internal dissensions to cease. heal
all domestic discord and unite the adher-
eDts of every rival political party into one
great patriotic body banded together IN
der the orders of the Little Father" las
the Moujiks are accustomed TO call Alex
ander LID against the foreign invaders.
The leaders of the Panslavist movement,
which influences and controls every phase
of Russian life, look and long for some
such patriotic and holy" war as this For
so convinced are both they and every other
Russian, of the superiority of the MuSco-
vite race, In every respect, over all the rest
Of the world, that they are firmly con-
WINGED that the conflict would result vic
toriously for the car, and in the establish
ment of the Panslavist supremacy over the
whole of Europe.
Indeed, when / note the marked absence
of any attempt or effort on the part of the
Russian government to exculpate itself
of the charges OF incredible barbarism
brought against it, cannot help thinking
son( times that the car and his Panslav
adviS>rs are purposely endeavoring to draw
the western nations into some such armed
demonstration as that suggested by Mr..
Brown, with the object OF strengthening
and consolidating Che Iuscovite empire.
Moreover, il is exceedingly doubtful
whether The western nations-and in these
! include the United States-are in any
maticaIIy or Wis ct armG in the domestic
affairs Of Russia. Inthe first place it is by
no means certain that the charges of bar
barism and inhumanity brought against
the Russian government are not grossly
exaggerated, and In some cases even
groundless: and in the second place, are the
western powers so entirely free from the
imputation of tyranny and barbarous per
ion har aff nd tn ha
fore the world IS the champions of the op-
pressed? Within the lifetime of the pres
emit generation Great Britain has sup
pressed an nsUrrectlon in India by tying
Its riuglcadors to the muzzle Of her cannon
and blowing them TO pieces while the
cruel oppression and persecution OF the
Irish IN late years has been such as to re-
volt even those who like The Earl of Spen-
Ger were the principal instrumer thereof,
and to convert them into az ntS OF
Erin's cause.
Germany's treatment of the inhabitants
OF Alsace and LoYTt me has likewise been
harsh and tyrarnic IN the extreme, and
only few weeks ago the Danish popula-
ton of Schleswig-whoh had been permitted
TO continue To reside there ever since the
incorporation of the duchies by Prussia
thirty years ago-were suddenly driven out
Of their homes at the point Of the bayonet
and hustled within the space of forty Eight
hours across the Danish frontier. More
over, every independent expression of opin-
ion, either III public or in private. is pun
ished with as relentless a severity as in
Russia. Three Of the leading papers i'll
Germany have their managing editors in
Jail at the present moment on charges of
lese majestic, and even a poor servant girl
Is now undergoing sentence of three
months imprisonment for having in an
unguarded moment spoken in an irrever-
ent manner OF Emperor William. Nor
have Russian officers ever TO my knowl-
edge been accused OF such abominable
cruelty toward their soldiers as that which
was described the other day at length in
the general order issued to his command
by Field Marshal Prince George of Sax
ony.
Neither can Austria be regarded as fitted
TO take up the cuGgels on behalf of the op-
pressed. For in her Italian speaking PROV
inces her despoiism IS such that size actual
ly inflicts sentences of six months impris-
onment upon any man or woman who is
caught wearing a daisy or marguerite, the
flower in question being strictly prescribed
in consequence of its being regarded as the
emblem OF the Italia Irredenta movement.
1t Is scarcely necessary for me to pursue
any further this line of argument, for
think that have said sufficient.
OF course l do not for one moment pre-
tend that the Russian government is I'M
macuiate, or that the charges against II are
entirely grouuuless But what | 90 claim
Is that j, = net so very much worse than its
neighbors and critics
The trouble is that most Of the inforns-
ton which Tie n,Ifrl Nrnrld Possesses cru-