Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-04-22

COnsolidatc-lhe Russian Empire.
Especial Correspondence.l
New YORK, April 5.-There appears to
be large number of warm hearted people
IN the United States who are of the opn-
ion that the present condition of Russia is
such as to warrant-nay, even to demand
the armed Intervention of all the other
powers Of Europe in the interest of hui
manity and civilization. This belief has
found eloquent and able expression in Il
public letter bearing the well known sig
nature of Junus Henri Brown and the
date of March H. Mr. Brown argues that if
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 minor
states, she would assuredly mend her ways
and put stop to her "rcvOlting persecu-
ton of a hap!.ss, 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
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 Armee" of Napoleon in 1912.
The force which invaded Russia that wear.
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 a white heat the Pan
savist sentiment that exists in a more or
less developed state in every Muscovite
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 discussions to cease, heal
all domestic discord and unite the adher-
ents of every rival political party into one
great patriotic body banded together I'M
der the orders of the Little Father (as
the Mouiiks are accustomed to call Alex
ander I'D 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
Russlan, OF the superiority of the Musco-
vlte race, In every respect, over all the rest
of the world, that they are firmly CON
1-ip Z hot . La, 1
toriously for he ear, and in the establish
mcnt of the punslaVist supremacy over the
whole of Europe.
Indeed, when note the marked absence
OF any attempt or ci'ort on the part of the
Russian government to cXculpate itself
Of the charges of incredible barbarism
brought against it. ! cannot help thinking
sometimes that the car and bis Panslav
advisers are purpo~cly endcavoring TO draw
the western nations into some such armed
demonstration as that suggested by Mr.
brown, with the object OF STRENGTHENING
and consolidating the Muscovite empire.
Moreover, it is exceedingly doubtful
whether the western nations-and in these
| include the United States-are in any
way warranted to interfere either dipo
matically or Wis ct arme in the domestic
affairs of Russia. In the first place it is by
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-
secution that they can afford to pose be-
fore the world as the champions of the OPP
pressed? Within the lifetime of the pres
ent generation Great Britain has sup
pressed an instruction in India by tying
its ringleaders 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 Instruments thereof,
and to convert them into adherents of
Ern's cause.
Germany's treatment of the inhabitants
Of Alsace and Lorraine has likewise been
harsh and tyrannc 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 duches by Prussia
thirty years ago-were suddenly driven out
of their homes at the point of the bayonet
and hustled within the space of fort weight
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 severity as in
Russia. Three of the leading papers in
Germany have their managing editors in
Jail at the present moment on charges of
lese majestic, and even IA 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 cudgels on behalf of the op-
pressed. For in her Italian speaking prov
inces her despotism is such that she actual
ly infiicts sentences of six months impris-
onment upon any man or woman who is
caught wearing daisy or marguerite, the
flower in question being strictly prescribed
in consequence of its being regarded as the