The sun., 1893-07-16
SOME NEW BOOKs.
a rr.neh s,uar Of Russln.

frst-hand investigation OF Russia's politicn
and social systom nt all comparable with tn
work Of M. ASAToLE LERoY-BEAUIIEU entitled
TIE Empire or the Cars and The Russidhs Put
psm'sl Tho original narrative consists o
three large octave volumes. each containing
some six hundred pages. The first OF these
volumes Is devoted TO "the country and peo
ple" the second to the institutions. and tn,
third to religion" and church matters. II Il
nm English translation OF the first OF these vol
umos which is now brought out by the Put
mans. the two parts needed to complete the
work not being yet ready for publication. The
translator. XEHAIpE A. RAaozIN. has con-
densed many passages OF the original
In order to find space for large
number OF foot notes and appendices intro
dnced for tho purpose Of discussing some
questions Mt moro length. of calculating cer-
tain historical illusions. ana sometimes OF
presenting objections to the authors concu-
sions. II should bo mentioned that. although
n. Leroy Beaulieu cvinces n lively sympathy
with the great Slavic people and sincere re.
spsct for it's sovereign. the circulation OF his
book. or OF n translation Of II, is prohibited in
Russia. That is because the author. although
even more friendly to Russia than was Mac
kenzie Wallace. discusses tho acts and princi-
ples OF tho Government with freedom incom-
patible with an nutocratc systom. 1t Is to be
noted Rs characteristic Of the book. that tho
political system OF Russia Is not denounced
merely because 1t is autocrntic. There have
been periods OF European history stages In
the evolution OF European civilization. mt which
autooracy was perhaps the best practicable
form of government. The keynote of this
work is tho demonstration that tho
Russian empire. although European
and Christian State. really belongs not
to modern Europe. but to Europe
OF another age. The Gar Alexander III. Is
not so much the contem pornry OF Queen Vic
toria as OF Queen Isabella of Castillo. II, at
the distance Of four centuries. the Russian
sovereign takes against his Jewish subjects
measures which recall the cdicts issued in
1892 BY the Catholic kings. 1t is because Ortho-
dox Russia is not unlike Catholic Spain OF tho
fifteenth century. Between Holy Nussia"
ana the democratic republics and constitu-
tional monarchies OF tho West, there really
lies an interval of several hundred years.
What makes 1t hard for ordinary tourists to
understand Russia Is that modern as she Is
II We look merely to the external side Of her
civilization. and to nll that she has appropri-
ated Of our mechanical sciences. she is me-
diBval still in the manners and spirit OF her
people. The Eusslan masses. urban or rural.
have not felt the breath of either the Renais-
bance. the Reformation. or the 1evolution.
About one half OF the volume here translated
10 allotted to a description of the physiog-
raphy. climate. and soil of Russia to n review
OF tho various races which inhabit the region
between the Ural and the Nistula. and to q
summary Of the country's history and ele-
ments OF civilization. Again. in some ninety
pages. the author traverses the ground which
had already been carefully explored by Mac
kenZie Wallace for the purpose OF making an
Independent study OF the village communities
Ia AI-l- l.
muDistic or socialistic principles. As We can
not attempt to glance at more than two or
three OF the many topics considered in this vol
ume. We have selected the chapters that deal
with the national temnerament and character.
Russia is undoubtedly one OF the countries
where the physical surroundings have pro-
duced tho most considerable and manifest ef-
fects upon man. Tho whole Of the region
which has been tho cradle OF the great Russian
people. and which formed the nucleus of an
Client afussovy lies north Of the fifticth degree
OF northern latitude There besides Novgorod
and Pskof. the two semi-republican cities. are
to be found all tho former capitals Of the Rus
sian fniazes, or princely descendants OF Rurik
That part OF the country is essentially conti-
mental colder than Petersburg, with greater
OAaOt1Sb Va ShHdtSs uNeiuko NluttE t6u.
perature being from 13' to IL below that OF
Paris. Setting aside Scandinavia and Scot
land. Nth OF which are warmed by the near
moss OF 70 seas. this is the only region Of the
earth that has sedentary agricultural popnla- !
zion In such close proximity to the polar circle
Remote as 1t In from any sea. as well as from |
che equator. 1t is only thanks to the lack OF ele-
walton that It is inhabtable at all One feels |
that the efect Of such climate on the life and |
body OF man must be enormous. but 1t has |
never been expounded with scientific pre-
ctsion- We know. indeed. that the general Of
feet OF cold upon vegetable or animal life is to
produce numbness. sometimes even suspen-
sion of the vital energies. The sap stops
ooursing In plants: the blood coagnlates in |
the veins OF animals. Many of tine latter hi |
bernate In a state OF somnolcnce. and during |
the very coldest months lie down in temporary |
graves. II man escapes this deathlike lethargy. |
1t 10 as much by force of his industry |
and civilization as hy his constitution. |
and even he cannot entirely withstand the
which Is generally observed !
throughout sub-Arctic regions. 1t is truc |
that MontesQuieu considered the north to he
the homo Of activity. courage. and liberty.
Our author would not dispute the correctness
OF this theory. so far as moderately cold coun-
trioR are concerned: but he submits that ex-
treme cold In tho north produces effects analo-
gous to those OF extreme hoat In tho south. a
period OF partial Information in tho lands lying
near tho poles. corresponding to tho Sleep Of
summer siestas in tropicn! countries. Stimu-
lating to the lungs and conducive TO general
activity as long as 1t keeps within certain lin
It's. cold becomes Oppressive rs soon as 1t
reaches too low degree or lasts too long. 1t
then disposes to a certain Incidence. ply steal
and moral. to n sort OF passiveness OF mind and
soul To the excitement Of the first frosts sue
ceeds the torpor brought on by intense and
prolonged cold.
There is. moreover, ip the north. besides the
direct action OF cold upon tho organs another
thing which places labor under conditions less
favorable than thoso Of temperate countries.
We reier TO the violent alienation and oppo-
sition between the Seasons. Buckle noticed
that nations living under high latitudes did
not show the same taste for labor. the same
Bnergy rs those living un Tor gentler skies. He
attributed this defect to the interruption
caused by winter. which, by the rigor OF it's
weather and the shortness OF its days