New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-16
CULTURE AND SECTS.

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The narallel between the conservative multi
tude in Russia and the populace OF the Middle
Aces "a more than mere convenience In the use
~ words Hastily scanned, the mediaeVal period
seems dead level of uniformity. But, as mat
Ter OF fact the multiplicity OF sects was the most
s,eniAcant phenomenon Of the times. Hardly
ANYTHING was too eccentric to be put into re-
,,e,ous form From the date of the Reformation
tbese diversities rather essened than increased In
curher They only seemed more numerous. be-
cause they became more widely known Appar-
emily these minute subdivisions in religions are
characteristic of certain stage In popular cult
ure Not much Is heard OF such things now In the
United States But short time ago they sprang
IN almost daily that they gave good warrant
for the comparison which NJ. Leroy-Beauheu
makes between America and Russia. Russians
he remarks are fond Of discovering resembances
between their own country and the American he-
public and the tendency to get up new KIND OF
religion on short notice Is not one or the least OF
these similarites, according 20 his philosophy
"Iike the serfs OF old Moscovia." he adds, the
o,,i7ens NJ the Union have their seers and
seeresses There is such absurdlty, no such
immortality that does not find preachers ana
proselytes among them" There are incidents OF
current political history which give point to these
remarks of the historian, and even go far 10
,ustifv his assertion that FOR religious eccentric
ity the Anglo-Saxon can compare with the Great
Russian" In looking for a cause of this similar
fty between the two nations, NJ. Leroy Beauheu
raises the question whether 1t is due to the genius
of the people, to a mixture OF races not yet prop
erly mingled. to pecularities of soil and climate.
10 the mere vastness of territory which isolates
communities from the rest of humanity or to
the too rapid growth, the Unbalanced tempera-
ment of the two coloss the insufiicency Of pri-
mary instruction in the one and the mediocrity or
higher education in the other" The author does
not say these things In a spirit of satire He Is
defending the Russians. They have been ac-
cused Of servilty and a lack of individuality, and
his reply is that the sectarianism or Russia Win
its exaggeratons Its earnestness, It's tenacllv' Is
a proof that the accusation is ill-founded Yet
he admits, tacitly at least, that he is studying
seemingly inert people. The dull, fiat surface or
the political community has 10 be broken through
in order to get view Of the originality the IN
dividuality, the independence of the Great Rus
sian But TO the mobile American. the compari-
son must look like satire
1t is rather curious that thes: traits OF orig
inality and individualism which the author has
discovered In the dissenters of Great Russia are
the nroduct of conservatism instead OF ad-
yanceQ views. O1tNOuONE, II Sc'ii'Hi '"' "~N''
at times capable of revision in Russia In the
age that preceded Peter the Great change
took place which is still resented by the So
called "Old Believers" and 1t is these Old Be
lieyers whose steadfastness awakens NJ. Leroy
Beau!ieu's admiration. The controversy really
involves the whole history Of the Church IN
Russia There is q minor dispute between the
suthor on one side and the editor on the other
as TO whether the conversion of ancient Russia
TO Christianity sudden and artificial or
gradual and In keeping with natural forces.
Both may be right In measure Russia. even
in old times. vast expanse and different
communities within it's boundaries may easily
have had diverse experiences at their first con-
tact with Christianity. Europe was converted
by a slow process: but that does not invalidate
the historic fact that some OF the heather near
the Baltic were baptized willy niy whole tribes
at once a will like that of Charlemagne or Of
some Of the Grand Dukes Of Muscovy can
hasten affairs greatly in a given case. What
n. Leroy Beaulieu infers from his theory OF
the sudden conversion Of the Russians, that
they simply added new religion TO the one
which they already had. might be true in any
case. Tho fact appears to be that the people
only gave UP their old poytheism by degrees,
and that more than saint in the calendar
or out Of IL owes his existence and his name 70
the fact that he is simply ancient god made