The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-04

world. 1t is not impossible. The fact
that he expects to do it Is something.
The fact that Russia is now the domi-
nant power in Europe and that the
Slavs of Austria and the Balkan PENN
sula are waking to new life Is some
thing more. These facts are at least
important enough to excite our curiosi-
ty as to what manner Of man the typ
ical Slav may be.
The Russian moujik does not impress
US at first sight as man likely to in
augurate higher and more Christian
civilization, He is very dirty, very ig-
norant, very fond of strong drink He
is improvident. He submits to every
sort of oppression with stolid indiffer-
ence, and is generally as uninteresting
to the ordinary traveller as any peasant
in Europe. But first impressions are
hardly worth recording, and we may be
sure that intelligent Russians would
not have such faith in the moujik If
there We're not something in him which
does not appear upon the surface.
That there are seventy-five million Of
them ready to obey single will is
something which stirs the imagination
and may account for some part Of this
faith; but this is not the foundation of
it. They believe that the race has GER
tain qualities which fit it to rule the
world. They may be latent now, but
they only wait the opportunity to be-
come active. With these latent quail
ties we have nothing to do; but the
moujik has qualities which it is posi-
rIn
understand. His soIdierly qualities are
pretty well understood by all the world.
He is patient, obedient. brave ard
hardy. content with little, easily dissi-
plined and as ready to die on the field
of battle as Turk. 1t is chiefly, if not
exclusively. as a soldier that he has
had any influence in Europe or Asia.
but in this career he has extended and
strengthened the Slavic power until it
now to some extent dominates Europe.
There is no reason to believe that those
who have directed this movement have
had any idea Of overthroWing western
civilization. but, if we can trust Rus
sian writers, the soldier believes that
such is his duty and his destiny. There
is not much chance Of his attempting 1t
lists, but should there be such a revolu-
tionary movement in Russia as there
was in France hundred years ago it
is not improbable that her armies
would overrun all Europe. For the
present the coming of the Slav means
little more than the extension and in
crease of the political power of Russia
What political qualities the mouiil1
may have is a matter of speculation.
The paternal government of Russia af-
fords him but little opportunity to dis
play them. There is shadow of self
government in the mir, but Russian
writers generally represent him as
practicalls incapable Of taking care Of
himself. This may be true, but he
knows enough to be thoroughly con
tented with his present condition and
to detest the existing administration
He is at least on the way to having
some political ideas. 1t is true that he
still distinguishes between the admins
tration and the Gar and probably ac-
cepts his absolute despotism as the will
of God: but as he becomes more intel
ligent he will learn that the evils of the
administration are inseparably CON
nected with this system of government;
and what direction his ideas will take
then remains to be seen. He may
prove to be as ready to rebel against
the state as he is to rebel against the
Orthodox church.
1t is the religious character Of the
moujik which is brought out most
clearly by Russian writers and which
is of the greatest interest and impor-
lance. outside Of his purely material
interests religion is the only thing he
has to think about. 1t is only on this
side that his character has had any
chance to develop and race characters
tics to show themselves. He is ignor-
ant He is superstitious He is often
But he is intensely religious
He believes in God, in Christ and in the
New Testament as firmly as he does in
his own existence, and if he is Ortho-
dox he believes equally in the church
He is ready to make any sacrifice or to
die for his faith, and when he realizes
that he is not living up to it he suffers
bitter remorse. He is capable of living
a pure and noble life, as we see in some
of the heretical sects. The idea of ex-
piation for sin by voluntary suffering
as Christ suffered for the sins of the
world, is perhaps the most general and
most characteristic of all their religious
ideas.
The religious vagaries of Tolstoi are
hardly original with him. They reflect
the ideas of the moujik. The moujik
has sublime spirit of self-sacrifice
He loves his life, like other men, but he
will give 1T up for his faith, for the
Car, for his friend, for his ideal, what
ever it may be. He will brave death or
exile to the mines Of Siberia. He will
walk calmly up to the lannon's mouth.
He will sacrifice anything for what he
conceives to be his duty. There is no
more striking incident in the history Of
war than that related by Carlyle of a
company of Russian soldiers at the
siege of Sweidnitz. They deliberately
marched into a moat, that their COM
rades might make bridge of their
dead bodies to reach the walls of q for
tress.
This spirit Of self-sacrifice does not
manifest itself alone in great and ex-
ceptional deeds Of heroism, but in daily
life. The Bulgarians testify that in the
last war the Russian soldiers who were
quartered in the captured towns were
like members of their own families, de-
voted to the children and ready to help
in all sorts of work. The Turks who
We're prisoners in Russia testify to the
unvarying kindness and goodwill of