Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-07-22

DuN at present new phtcu sets out every
second or third day. Each party numbers
several hundred souls, and Its members are
taken from the prison In carriages closely
guarded by mounted Cossacks Just before
departure they are permitted TO gather in
large room and bid their friends a hur-
rled farewell, but too often this privilege
Is only o hollow mockery. The prisoner
arrested without notice. has been tried
and condemned In secret and only by
chance are his friends informed Of the
fate that has overtakon him. To add TO the
mockery OF which | have spoken monks
ana eNhort them to turn their minds to
spiritual affairs and away from wrong
doing TO their august master.
To those who have witnessed departure
OF eXiles, the scene Is full OF pathos and
sadness. Some Of the prisoners make
Hight OF their lot, and Jest with the onlools-
ers, but the majority are silent and apa-
thetic. crushed by sorrow too deep for
tenrs. | have Witnessed the departure OF
one OF these exile parties, and the sad,
wan, pitiful faces that appealed TO me
from tho cartilage windows VIII haunt me
to my dying day. 1t requires ten days
constant driving to reach the frontier.
oitea a party is dumped out and under
guard made to walk the remainder OF the
way And this is the fate TO which the
best thought and blood Of Russia are now
being condemned It Is the White Terror
como again. but binder, bloodier and more
crue! than ever,
But sad and bitter as IS the lot OF tho
educated and higher classes sadder still
IL that OF the Russian peasantry. famine
stricken, toilworn, squnlid. ignorant and
oppressed. Twenty years ago the Mir, or
village commune. was the pride Of allliberal
minded Russians, but since 1889 most OF It's
powers have. by successive Imperial ukases.
been Transferred to officials known AS rural
chiefs. appointed by the Minister Of the
| Interior and selected from the local nobil-
| ity. These changes have made the peasants
more than ever the helpless victims Of the
| autOcracy. To secure Ills money needed to
| meet the demands OF the Imperial tax col
| lector the peasant Is constantly forced 10
mortgage his crops In advance, and tho
rate Of interest charged for such loans
! vs. often 300 per cent. 10 repay small
| loan. swollen by monstrous usury into
| large sum many n peasant "a compelled
] lender. When the peasant rovolts against
! this imposition the usurpr invoices the AID
Of tho police with whom he'is usually on
| excellent terms, and between the demands
q ilio tax collector and the money Lender,
| enforced on occasion by tho lmout, the
| government OF The peasantry has become
in very truth government by hogsIng
Meanwhile the Car leads IN his fortress
nalacc OF Gatschlnn, . f1w miles from the
Capital, the life OF t!morous hermit. For
yoars his hummer visit to Denmark hns
been ono Of the few plcuHurO3 OF llu7sll's
unhappy autocrat. but this season II VIII
hp abandoned. AZ present he does not ycu-
tura 20 leave his dOmiui0ng. Vhoae who
oppose him speak with dynamite, argue
wlth the bullet, rdlcule with the knifc,
IIls rrautCst fear "a not the loss Of popu-
l.rlty, or the discomfort ul bis subjects,
but ipatant and painful death. a single
nolnt lnft unEunrGed,n warming milread by
the police. one soldier recreant 10 hls trust.
and tho Car may stumble dead into an
open crave. 4 memhor Of one OF the
i6relgn Legations who recently visited CAT
selma given me seine interesting details
% tho llfe cf tho imperial household.
plcisod soldiers ruord the Gar day and
alebt. and the Htrictcat discipline prevails
IN mo fortress-castlc My Informant In the
tourney from ST. Petersburg 10 OatsChlna
noted small deachmenta OF engineers on
eampcd al close intervals along tho eutlre
line OF tho railroad. cosgnclS9. sinely and
IN groups, were everywhere In evidence.
The diplomat and his attendants were met
az the station by ono Of thc Imperial rar-
rinors. which AZ once set on at iull speed
crossing strongly guarded bridge, they
Mere hated at 4 huge gateway and com
psilrd TO chow the papers emitting them ,t
aAr,issinn. Thcn they were shown to .
WING Of the palace, who're their papers
wer5 again inspee'ed' ai'er which th'
dirleriat was couauctrd 20 the apartments
ressryed for him. An hour latcr an ufhcer
cAtas to conduct him TO the Caar-
ON the way to tho central portion OF thi
pnlaco ho observed that tho steps Wort
throneta with sentrica, Who at tha ap
proach OF the diplomat end nus guide
loudly grounded arms. Next they pasHeg
through q largo hall whero q hualfai
soliiors OF tho guard were on duty, Herr
the viaitor N0a again compelled TO oNhlpl
ha WARRANT of adminsion. Then ascending
a grand staircase, and crossing another
Ntat 800
into a ANAL drawing room, whence
gentleman -in-waiting led him into tho re
ceptiun room Of the Gar, The latter, thl
diplomat informs mo, gives painful proc
OF the fearful strain TO which he has beer
| snbiected during the last few months Hi
face Is gloomy and troubled and covere,
With deep lines OF care. He. too, perhaps
: | recognized the ultimate hopelessness OF tn,
struggle autocracv is waging and his owl
I pltiful powcrlesaness, surrounded though h,
be by the evidence OF limitless and despoi'
= power,
2 The Car is wrestling hlindly with hi
o fate; Mt the same time his subjects ar,
r cautiously repeating the sinister prophecy
y long current In Russia, that he and hii
Q sons are doomed to quick coming death
= and that at no distant day the lmperia
I crown Will be worn by his brother Vladimir
9 No one seens to know how or whore THU
9 prophecy had Its birth. but certain Il Il
that Il has gained a deep hold on the Rus
4 sian people. end at the present momen
o lends singular interest 10 tho personality
7 Of the man to whom II refers.
. The Grand Duke vladimir Is the oldos
7 and ablest Of the brothers OF the Car
soldier by profession. he Is also man o
: culture and refined tastes. Hc possossel
( uneonmon energy and force OF character
delights In the society OF men Of iuteilec
y and culture, and accommodates himself
: readily to every situation 10 which he ma,
happen TO lind himself lie Is credtet
Z: with liberal and progressive opinions. ani
! y is said that had the Gar taken II,
7 ! Grand Dukes advice he would never hay,
Z euterod uloa he roactionary course thai
mas characterized bis reicu but would hay,
pro,orutod he reforms their father va.
, | Projecting az The time OF his death Som,
= Of tho mon who accent iorca as tho raadiesl
{ and suros, method by which 90 rishl theii
wfynEs hcllevo that tie shortest most III
: iecilyc road TO Russian emancipation lie,
!, ghrouEh series % fatalities that van
bring Nladmir &c the throne. and siudpnts
y Russian events would do well 10 keet
. this conviction carefully In MUD during ID,
next lew months W. A. r