New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-28
IOLSIOTS OPINIONS.
HE CALLS HIMSELF MISUNDERSTOOD.

Count Tolsoi complains. in a letter to The Dai.t
Chronicle" that the ieach.nss OF ms iatfs' va
ttiP,5irlotlsm and Christianity" have been msun-
derstood. lie il not N favor OF active anarchissn;
ne would have Christian men stand aloot from them
altogether IL you would not be made 20 work ten
would not have your children hungry, cQ.t ,ari
ignorant. II you would not 3s roooea oi me .'ia
prisons AMI sent the gal.ows or hanged lor com
morSnte II YOU would not suffer wounds or be killed
in war-do not this 10 Others. Inc OBVIOUS cn,..Ly
is that in far these th!nss are done, fnri o,
tian men. and not only Christian men, but an men
of light ana leading" are doing. by means o,
this. according to osioi they have no RICH! 10 d.
This would be vel. II akins par, IN , 0ne >
with the aim Of human ne But. untorlunate.y' II
does not coinGie but is guie Gppos "a 20 ,bis world
It's consist only in man. ndiyaT nd n, na iS.
ness IT, ON the other hand NE does not e emo IN ~
world, its aim can consist only IN donS ,"T Nm ,b M
God In both cases IT does not coinciS WIN to
h G my S is either my immediate personal good
which does not coincide with the Governments meas
Viii Of God which also not only cannot be cor.
ciliatcd with the requirements of experiments nU.
only for a Christian. but. think. Cor any reason
ablo being. when he is summoned TO take part n
governmental acts. lies rot in the prosperity or MS
State or Government. but In this question: WIZ
thou being OF reason ana w Wo hou
thou beleves in the existence OF God. act against
quest que OF thy Government take oaths defend by
compulson the owner OF land or capital; wiki thou
pay taxes for keeping policemen soldiers. warships;
wilt thou take part IN parliaments, Ian courts;
conden ma lions and wars" And 10 all thts-l viii
not say for Christian, but for req onable being
there can be but answer No; cannot. and
will not But they say: This will destroy the
state and the existing order II the fulfment OF
the Will of God is destroying the existing oder Is
IL not a proof that this existing order Is contrary
10 the will os God, and ought 10 be destroyed?
Count Tolstois logic CO rests upon the assump-
tloa common 10 the fanatics OF all aSes that his
personal Interpretation OF the viii OF God IS the
only true and complete one. His argument Is adj
dressed 10 a Nonresident world. II he could. at
one stroke OF the pen, make all men Christ!lke.
the need for warllke armaments and for penal ma
chinery would vanish; but even then some must
organize the rest. some one must regulate the
division OF labor and subsistence: this end some
must command and some obey. and government
In another form would still prevail. But men, be-
ing they a very small proportion OF saints
to a very large proportion OF sinners. II can
imagine Count Tolstors experiment. tried the first
result would In all probability be the immediate
extinction OF the saints followed by struggle
for existence and the survival OF the ughttest
among the sinners. For. he IL remembered. the
creed OF Tols1 Is not confined TO non-ntcrvention
In government. lie breaches absolute non-resst-
ance to evil even 10 the point that force must not
be used, even 10 prevent the comm lssion OF mur.
der. Surely absurdty. can no further so