Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-12-09
QUAKERLIKE RUSSIAN SECT.
Continued from Page |.

who have come after him. They
assert that each man rises or falls
by his own acts. They admit the
existence of Christ as a good man
only. They believe in neither
hell nor paradise, resurrection of
the body nor the destruction of the
visible world, but hold that the
physical nature will exist forever,
the difference between now and
the future being that the good will
overcome the sinners eventually
and possess the world to them
selves. That is their millennium.
They consider themselves the
only true worshippers of God, and
the rest of mankind as idolatrous
and superstitiou5. But they pro
mulgated comprehensive idea of
their "true Church." which they
say is composed of all those whom
God himself has called from
among the world and ordained to
walk in the path of light. These
chosen ones cannot be recognized
by any peculiar sign, nor are they
associated with any outward
religions, but among them
are included men of all re-
ligions, all races and all tongues.
SO one may be of the Church and
perhaps not suspect it, it would
seem, il one have not wonderful
spiritual insight. The name of
the sect, translated into English,
is Champions of the Spirits"
They accept the whole of the
Scriptures, but hold the Old and
the New Testaments merely to
pre6gure, in some spiritual way,
the mysteries which are accom-
plished in the soul of every faith
full man.
Their respect for man as such is
so great that they deny even the
authority of father over child, and
they regard the subjugstion of
men by force MS sacrilege. In
their eyes the Russian Govern
ment is, of course,an abomination,
but they are not revolutiouists.
On the contrary, they are the
most peaceful citizens of Russia.
They pay their taxes scrupulously.
They don't even use harsh langu-
age.
Upon discovering them, the po-
lice declared them criminals be-
cause heretics. Their systematic
persecution began under Paul l.,
who issued ukase Aug. %, 1899,
banishing them all to the Siberian
mines for life, they to be there set
at the hardest work and the chains
never to be removed from their
hands and legs. This was done
"that they might feel sharply, in
their own bodies, that there are
authorities on earth, established by
God for the defence of the good
and the chastisement Of villains
like themselves"
There we're at that time 5000 Of
the Doukhobortsi. Under Alex
ander l. this persecution ceased.
He permitted them to have, in ST.
IBERIA, their own farms, which they
made to flourish. He then ordered
that they be enrolled in the army,
and decreed that any unqualified
should be sent to the worst mines
of Siberia, those of Nerchinsk.
They did not decline to perform
the peaceful duties required in the
service, but refused absolutely to
bear arms. They were, neverthe-
less, placed in Caucasian corps
then engaged in permanent war
with the CIrcassisn tribe. When
face to face with the enemy they
refused to march or to handle
arms, and the most awful corporal
punishment failed to make them
do SO. All were then sent to the
Nerchinsk mines.
The sect grew 10 spite OF every
thing and between 1910 and 1860
there were never less than $4,000
of them, it is said. In 1860 they
were allowed to return to Russia,
but permitted to live only in the
poorest parts along the eastern
frontier. They were driven from
section to section every six months,
and their numbers have been re-
duced until now there are only
about 10000 of them. Tolstoi has
been championing them for the
past five years, and six weeks ago
got the Cars permission for them
to leave the country. provided
that they do 80 within two years.
The Doukhobortsi are poor, and
admiIers of Tolstoi and lovars of