New-York tribune., 1897-11-20
THE FIGHT TO FREE RUSSIA.
LECTURE BY PRINCE KRAPOTKINE.
HE TELLS OF THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS Oh
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY IN THE EN-
..--r. 1rzA AIl

PIRE OF THE GREAT WHITE cZAR.
There may have been some disappointed persons
in the audience which last night gathered In Chick
ering Hall to hear Prince Peter Krapotkne lecture
on "The Struggle for Freedom In Russia III there
were they were those who had come in the unfui-
filled expectation Of listening to vehement ana IN
cendiary anarchistic utterances from man about
whose Identification with the Nihlstc activity IN
Russia and the cause Of anarchism so much mas
been written. The lecture given under the
auspices OF n committee comprising many "ell-
known New Workers.. among them Ernest H.
Crosby Father Ducey. DR.. A. jacob. Bishop fol-
ter the Rev. DR.. w. s. Rainsford the Rev. Dr. D.
H. Rylance General Wager Swayne, PROFESSOR
Franklin II. Glddings, Professor r. r. A. selgmah'
Mrs Josephine Shaw Lowell and City Magistrate
Kudlich II was $50 o'clock when Prince krapot-
kline followed by Mr.. Crosby Father Ducey' Jo-
scph r. Buchanan and Moses Oppenheimer' walked
onto the PLATFORM his appearance being greeted
with applause Mr. Crosby. who presided made Il
brief speech. giving his impressions Of Russia as
he had seen It during n short visit three or tour
years ago. and then introduced the speaker OF the
evening
Prince Krapotklne was warmly welcomed as ne
arose 10 deliver his lecture. AS he stood there,
leaning with his left arm upon the readinS-desK'
on which lay his notes-to which he never hhd oc-
caslon TO refcr-he looked the man OF science rather
than the man OF action. Yet he has been prominent
as both He has long been of the most dis
tnguished scientists In tho world indeed, the oo-
ject Of his present visit to this country was 10
attend the recent international gathering OF sccn-
lists IN Toronto where he read papers before the
geological and geograp phcal sections. But even
stronger than his love for science has been his love
for humanity Descended from noble family
older than the Romanofs. with great wealth and a
social station high as that OF any other subject
IN his native Russia his life from early manhood
has been one OF aspiration and effort for the up
Hitting OF the masses OF his countrymen from OPP
preston and ignorarce-a cause for which he has
suffered much. trlne below the middle height,
with bald head. fringed with dark brown hair.
moustaehc and spreading bushy brown beard
tinged with gray forehead scanned with lines OF
thought eyes which heam kindly behind old-fash-
toned spectacles and n mild expression OF coun-
tenance. nothing about him suggested the militant
Nhilist. lie looked rather the amlable philosopher.
whose remedy for tho Ills or the Russian people
would be peaceable agitation and not violence;
and his lecture confirmed the impression OF the
man.
The Prince, while never at loss for a word in
his talk OF over an hour. speaks with a marked
foreign accent. much resembling that OF French
man. He Is no magnetic orator; indeed ne is not
even polished orator for he often allowed his
voice TO drop to an naudble whisper al the close
OF sentence But he spoke with earncstness and
conviction. and his audience followed his descrp-
t!ons and argument with close interest throughout
plause. lie used gestures with moderate freedom
but much OF the time stood with one arm resting on
the desk. the other extending straight down by his
side.
He thanked his audience FOR their greeting which
he said. he accepted as token OF their interest In
Russas struggle. Then he skctchei the char
acterlstcs oi the various races which "a to make
up the Russian Empire. and showed how Russia IS
the neghbor OF the United States. The first move
mont for freedom began carly in this century he
went on. In Is25 tho organization was discovered.
and hye OF It's members were executed while hun
dreis - Siberia. Their wives who
moved in the highest society Of the capital Insisted
upon Joining them In exile. and their demand was
granted To these women. said tho Prince. the
bes, pages OF the Russian poets are devoted Mich
olas l. of whom Carlyle has tried 20 make hero"
was then tho throne a o. iron Serflom
existed In It's most odious form. Tho slightest
breach OF discipline was punished with an incon-
ceivablo number Of lashes. Tho landed propprleors
even tho best o, thcmA exercised fearful power
over their unhappy ser,s. The Crimcan War and
the defea, OF Nicholas l. declared the lecturer
grea, eras for Russia. Alexander II. who succeed
ed Nicholas. was ready 10 make concessions Peo-
Pic wro,o letters md memoirs nnd sent reports TO
him nskng ror the abolition o, scr;ion. The land
lords. on The other hand, declared that the scrfs. II
freed would KIN them. Bu, IN tho Winter Palace
Itself there good Influences ct work upon the
Emperor for his wife. tho Empress Marie. and his
aunt Grand-duchcss Helene. were favorable 20
emancipation. The peasant revots. too. wcro be-
ginning Serfiom abolished IN iSGi
II was in 81, Petersburg on tha, day" continued
Prince Krarotklne. mo man was more popular
then than Alexander H." But. the first enthusiasm
over Il was found that there many things
to prove that. while the peasants weree no longer
enslavcd. they would, nevertheless. be doomed 10
ruin Tho next year. In ls62 one OF the
leaders IN the agitation for emancipation Was sent
TO siberia In that year the Prince. VINO was as men
the last time. md he said 10 himself I"!s man IS
done lie has spent himself" The influence OF the
Empress vanished. and II became ey.qent that
nothing more was 10 be expected from the ceniFa!
Government
Something had to be done. The peasants were
being crushed under a load TOO heavy to DO sup,
ported. "We young men dhe Prince Was then
but looks older) were not perhaps strong enough 10
DO It. Others viii continue e. t,neaking tho
aloud. with no auditors ncnrl. The hrst question
asked after sinanclpa,!on was. Must We not give
could read or write. So these earnest young men
tabshed schools, IN many places ana sunday sun ,s
question: ~ peasant lives on IL n year. A noble;
man spends G0Oo0O How many peasants could |
ys on wnat one S ina a5S OF IN. schools
by the Russian Government. and they were not re.
teehnic.i led education DECLARED The Prince eaFnesty
For twsmynyo years mnder AsSaTGSc
Then he went on 10 tell the women in the audience |
Of the struggle OF the women of Russia for educa-
In is12 thero began great movement among tho
Russian youth Their motto "Go Ito the pco- |
pic. he the people yourselves" Girls OF hlSh birth |
and fortune went Into the factories, working four.
teen or sixteen hours day. TO get the opportunity
to talk with and educate the masses, and inc youn6
men. like tho speaker himself went into tho slumS |
on the mission. Two threo thousand per |
sons were arrested. among them Prince Krapotlslne
who was put into tho fortress Of ST. Peter and ST. |
Paul -,
Tho most highly fnyored OF the prisoners IN mo |
fortress was the FTnes to WI whom ihTGIsh sb the he
rIe;y-for which he had just completed q scientific !
work-tho Emperor allowed tho use OF pen and |
Ink /, was a gloomy prison His cell drippcd |
with moisture and no ray OF sunlight ever entered |
L. Every second day warder took him out for n |
twenty minute walk. but never would speak a |
word TO him. Men went insane under this treat |
ment especially the uneducated. Two hundred or |
tho prisoners we're held five years for trial ana IN
mi. period eleven OF them went mad ana nine |
'suIclded themselves" to quote tho Princes for |
= 80 adiono prince KraDotkinc himself had cs-