The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-04
THE COMING OF THE sLAv.
hussia's Mission to Conquer and Chris


1alled TO establish truly Christian civ
AVIATION They have done great things
IN the organization of society, in the
development Of material wealth,in liter
allure, art and science and especially
IN recognizing and securing in some
degree the rights of the individual
man; but they have exalted the materi-
al above the spiritual, and made Nam
mon their god. They have lost the no.
bier aspirations of youth, and are gov
erned now by the sordid calculations Of
old age. We wait the coming of the
Slav to regenerate Europe, establish
the principle OF universal brotherhood
and the kingdom of Christ on earth
This Is the substance of an address
delivered not long ago by a young Slav.
II 1T We're the fancy of a single brain it
would not be worth noticing; but as it
is. in fact, the dream of more than a
hundred million brains in Europe, it
has some interest for those who are to
be regenerated by the coming of the
Slav. Englishmen and Americans used
to have such dreams, and somehow,
without much wisdom or much con-
scious direction on the part of their
rulers, these dreams have got them
selves fulfilled in a measure. If we
have failed to establish truly Chris
tian civilization in the world, and left
something for the Slavs to do, it is per-
haps our fault; but we have certainly
done something toward the evolution of
society. If we hear less of these
dreams now, it is because we have
found that the renovation of the world
was a bigger job than we had count
ed upon. The Latin races had certain
" failed to realize their dreams when
the Teutonic races took up the work
and put new life into it. If now the
Slavs can complete it. so much the bet
ter for us and the world, however pain
full the process may be. The Latin
races have lost nothing worth having
by our leadership, and if the Slavs are
to bring in a truly Christian civiliza-
ton and universal brotherhood, then
Latin, Teuton and Slav will share alike
in all the happy results which must
follow. There is nothing manifestly
absurd in their dream. 1t must be ac-
knowledged that there is some truth in
their pessimistic view OF modern civili-
cation, and it has happened again and
again in the history of the world that
new race has been called to take the
lead in regenerating it. The Slavic
race seems to be the only one in sight
to which such a mission could be given.
1T is not exactly new. The Slavs have
been a long time in central and south
eastern Europe. Even Russia is only
relatively new. But their early devel-
opment was checked by the Turkish
invasion of Europe But for this Con-
stantinople would centuries ago have
been the capital of a great Slavic en-
pire, and central Europe might have
been Slavic instead of German. AS it
was, all the southern Slavs fell under
the Turks and went back into barbar-
ism. Those in central Europe were
overwhelmed by the Germans and
Russia was absorbed in endless wars
with her enighbors.
Essentially, then, the Slavic race is a
new one. 1t has never exerted any d.
rect influence upon the development Of
European civilization until within a
few years. The race is not only new,
lhut far more numerous and powerful
any of the races that in times
Pat have been called to overthrow or
degenerate an existing civilization in
europe. IL HuIuUGIS iIlOIG lIlcD uuI-
bred millions under the rule or leader
ship Of Russia, which is certainly to-
day the leading power in Europe. The
alliance with France may be consid-
cred as not simply a governmental al
lance. but as a league of the Slavic
and Latin races against the predomi-
nance Of the Teutonic. The enthusiasm
with which it has been accepted by the
French and Russian people seems to re-
suit from some such idea, of which,
perhaps, neither is fully conscious, al
though it has been suggested by both
French and Russian newspapers
There is nothing strange or absurd in
such race. under such circumstances,
feeling that they have great mission
to fulfil in the world.
1t is interesting to know what this
great race is dreaming of, but the
question which interests us still more is
whether the Slavic people can be de-
pended upon to realize such an ideal
civilization as they dream Of They
are far enough from it now. Whatever
may be said OF western civilization,
even enthusiastic Frenchmen have no
desire to exchange it for that Of Rus
sia This, however, proves nothing.
The Slavs are just emerging from bar
barism, and the Russian government is
more under the influence of western
than Of Slavic ideals. The same thing
Is true Of the governing class and of
educated Russians generally. They
may be ardent Panslavists and believe
in the mission of their race but their
faith Is not in themselves-it Is in the
moujik When we ask for the ground
of this faith they tell us that there is
something in the Slavic race which is
above or beyond the comprehension Of
the western world. The very writers
who give us the saddest and most pa
thetio pictures of the Russian people,
as they are, still profess the most IN
bounded faith in the moujik. They be-
lieve that it is his destiny to regenerate
the world Perhaps 1t Is; but the trou-
BILE is that they give us no sufficient
reason for their faith. Even Dostoiev-
ski takes for his motto the lines of the
poet Tuchef:
"No man can comprehend Russia with
his reason:
1t is only necessary to believe in Rus
sia''
In one Of his novels he says: RUS
STA has the genius of all nations, and
Russia genius in addition. We can un-
derstand all nations, but no other ma
+;o,, aop understand us -