The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-03
RUSSIAS MODERN APOSTLE.
COUNT TOLsTOI As DESCRIBED BY
RABBI KRAUSKOPF.

scription of the Man and His
Work-ToIstOI Urges the Jews TO
Turn Their Attention 10 AgricuIt-
ure-Dr. KrauskOpf 10 Deliver "a
Free Lecture ut the Temple This
Morning on His Personal Expert
ences i'm Russia.
The lecture Of Rabbi Joseph Kraus-
kOpf at the Guards hall last night on
the subject of Tolstoi. the great Rus
sion novelist and philosopher. was attend
ed by a large and intelligent audience.
The lecture was one Of the best that
has been delivered in Savannah on any
subject recently. 1t furnished food for
thought. and gave a better idea Of the
character and purposes Of TOlstoi than
was possessed by the majority Of the au-
dience previously.
DR.. Krauskopf might be called "A TOlstOi
convert, from the fervor with which he
indorses the teachings of the Russian
apostle OF reform. He classes him with
Moses, Buddha, and Christ, who were
sent to lead the masses from darkness
to a higher life. Count Tolstors writings,
he said, have been much misunderstood
in this country, as they were written to
reach the corrupt and licentious society
OF Russia, and not the more refined and
more sensitive peoples of England and
America. Tolstoi speaks plainly, and
makes an open revelation Of evils. which
are known to run riot in Russia, but
which are only alluded to in this coun-
try in a whisper, as it were.
Dr. Krauskopf was introduced by Mr..
Jacob Gazan in a few well chosen words
of commentator. After speaking gen
orally and in terms Of the highest praise
of TOlstoi's work in behalf of the dOwfi-
trodden classes in Russia, including the
Jews, DR.. Krauskopf gave the following
description Of his subject:
Early in his youth he was thrown in
contact with the gay military life of his
native city, Moscow, and when he eX-
changed that life for that of the univer-
sity student, it meant to him, to large
extent, but a continuation of his riotous
living. But, of a sudden, the nobler ma
ture in him began to stir. The long dor
mant genius began to waken, and to
look what hour il was OH the clock of
self-emancipating humanity. TolstOi the
man, began his great life-struggle for
supremacy with Tolstoi, the Russian. He
grew ashamed of his life of dissipation
and, tearing himself from his carousals
with his profligate companions, he fed
a year before his graduation, to his coun-
try estates, to exchange the books Of the
university for the implements of the held
the prospective life of a lawyer for that
of a farmer.
Five years he spent on his ancestral
estates, living in retirement as Moses and
the prophets, as Buddha and Jesus lived
Before taking up their public work, living
partly the life of a student and partly
the life of a master of peasant slaves,
and partly as a dreamer of beautiful
dreams of their emancipation. But out
of these dreams he was suddenly aroused
by his nations call to arm. From his life
of retirement he fastened to the Crimean
wars The scythe he exchanged for the
rarH hut fIaa he "a
the pen, and hard as was the blows he
dealt as soldier, those he dealt as writer
were harder still.
taneous and surprised him as much as IL
did the rest of the world.
From the bloody fields of war he has
tened to st. Petersburg, the capital OF the
nation, where, as the most famous author
of his day, he was welcomed with open
arms by a society whose only virtue, to
judge from his writings, seemed to lay
in its not being vrtuous.
THE period of probation reached its
end at last He had drained the cup or
sin down to it's very dregs, and, in utter
disgust he snatched it from his fever
ish lips, and hurled it into the yawning
ed self and thus ended, like the drama
of Faust, the first part of his life. Tol-
stoi, the Tartar, persisted. Tolstoi, the
THE story of his life-work is written
on his rugged face and labor-hardened
hands, is told by his mode of life, is re-
folded in his books-'My Religion, NV
Confession Gospel Stories,' and espe-
ciallv in What To Do% "
"Of his appearance probably the best
delneation that | can give is to say that
it is as strikingly unique, as character
istically original, as is his life. 1 shall
first meeting him. The hour was in
the evening of fine summer day, when
Petersburg and myself arrived at the
gates of the Tolstoian manor-house, at
! Yasnaya Polyana. Inquiring for the
count we were pointed to a group of
| peasants III the court yard. A second in
| quiry brought us face to face with one of
| them who, courteously, with cap in hand
| answered to the name of TolStoi. My first
thought, upon beholding hiw. was that the
accounts of his eccentricities had not be-
| lied him. My second thought was not a
| thought at all: it was a feeling-of humil-
! iation, The simplicity of his attire and
| the plainness of his manner, and the fru-
/ gality of his evening meal-despite his
| my companion and / were hospita-
| bly, invited to share, impaired to his pres
| ence a grandeur that made me feel asham-
| ed of my finer attire.
"As God sent Moses in a troublesome
! time, to proclaim his eternal law to a
| slave people, in a dreary wilderness, as
! God sent Jesus, in the days of Roman ty-
ranny, to aid the other rabbis in keeping
| alive the flames of godliness, which the
| cruel enemy was fast eXtinguishing, even
| so has he sent in these corrupt and cor
| rupting days of ours, this new apostle
Tolstoi, the Russian. to his oppressed peo-
pie, to guide and teach them, to cheer
| and comfort them"
DR.. Krauskopf said that he discussed
| his mission with Count Tolstoi which was
to appeal to the car in behalf of the Rus
sian Jews who were then being exiled from
| their homes, and received Tolstois as
| surances of his hearty approval. But"
| said Count Tolstoi "the Jewish question
will never be settled in Russia or in the
world at large until the Jew returns to
the farm. Convey that message to your
| people when you return to America where
| they have a thousand more benefits and
| advantages than the Jews enjoy here.
| Urge them to give up the counting houses
! and trade for the farm, and to train up
their children to agriculture. In this way
! only win the Jewish question be settled -
| DIR. Krauskopf Endorsed the Injunction
| of Tolstoi 1t was constant persecution and
| unjust laws, cOnhning them to the cities
he said which had driven the Jews from
the field to the store and the counting
| house. In this free country with every
| avocation open to him, he now has the
| opportunity to return to the favorite pur-
| suit of his ancestors. As stated i'm YES
| terday's Morning News, DR. Krauskopf is
| president of the National Farm School at
| Doylestown. Pa, and the entire receipts
| of his lectures go to the school, the spe-