Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-16
rvvo POLICIES.

I TWO POLICIES. /,
| .,,ooahio that some OF the most
| -, ointment of our imperialistc coh'e"rV
rar,es are among the loudest IN pe""'',.'9
| ,ha syoes of Finland, and In denoune"e
the new policy OF the Car towarus ~
| r-,nrisb subjects. We do not take isS"'
| NTH these contemporaries az to the Ju9
tice OF their charges against the huS'''..'
| autocrat. and their claim that the "io"a
ho,,g mn, upon Finland appeal to liberty
| ,o,,,r, neonle the world over. IL seems
| .,,,,.,s,lo,able that the Car has aC'eu
| ,o,.,-ds tho Films in most faithie9S
manner He has ruthlessly violated n'o''
sacred pledges, confirmed 10 tne"
several of his predecessors anu .o"s'I
inc ,he tremendous influence their i'e
,nder those pledges had had in keepii's
inc Grand Duchy loyal, 1t Is que'''O"
,.ho,ber the new departure OF NICHOLAS
90, NOT as foolish as it was treacherouS'
This. we think. will be apparent rom
cIance at a few salient facts III rh''''9''
history. The Films are among the mus
,igh-strung and intelligent races OF Eu-
como and for several centuries formed
Dract,callv an independent empire though
their government was largely vi
community system. In a series oi ""''
o,,d crusades during the twelfth ana thir-
.oertb centuries they were conquered DS
Tho swedes and converted to Christianity
su,odisb customs. civilization and lhsu-
,utions took deep roottamons the peop','
but for a long period the country ."
whole or in part, was bone Oh oo'i'1
ZION between Sweden and Russia ana AZ
to- several wars was finally. in lSo'' nc
it'd h.. Prussia. At first union with nus
-. No., ,.,eorously resented by the finns'
who had fought heroicaly asa"i''
Russians. but the Car Alexander l. III
roediatelv convcked the Diet OF bors9'
recoenized their Constitution, ana lssueu
q manifesto in which he promised 10 pre-
se,.va the laws. religion. and liberties OF
tho neople The policy Of the Swedes in
dealing with the Firms was virtually con-
tinued and the promise Of Alexander !.
was renewed by his successors. ana kept
until the recent decree Of Nicholas ii. was
promulgated. As a consequence, Finland
was the freest and best governed part OF
the ompire. and the latter-day history OF
the country was marked by steady pro-
eress in all directions-steady progress IN
general education. in the arts IN the
sciences. in material development, ana
last but not least. in contentment. The
a Russia
by liberality.
Nicholas H.. the peace Loving has
however. broken that seal. repudiated the
most cherished guarantees of the Con-
stitution. and herded the Firms under the
iron and autocratic hand along with the
rest Of his subjects. To all intents ana
purposes the people Of Finland now have
no more rights than the most debased
and stupid inhabitants Of any semi-ciV-
ilized Russian province.
oh. YES; we concede that the wrongs Of
the Films appeal 10 all liberty-loving
people And yet. the fact that rabid i'm
perialistic Papers in this country should
bl especially vociferous in exploiting
those wrongs and pilorying the Car is
apt. metaphoricaly speaking, TO provoke
q sardonic smile from their less asser-
tive. but none the less sympathizing,
contemporaries. For what, after all, Is
the Cars new policy but one of DE
nevolent assimilation? 1t matters not
whether q people who are "benevolently
assimilated" by breaking faith with them
and depriving them OF their liberties, are
intelligent and cultivated, or semi-civil-
ICED Tho principle Is the same. There
is little or no question Of degree in the
preparation Of such a wrong. The Cars
decree that the Films should be merged
into the mass OF his subjects and Mr..
McKinley's benevolent assimilation"
proclamation TO the Filipinos touch at
many points. And there are other close
relations between the policies of Nicholas
II. and our administration, which sug-
gest that the ultra imperialistic organs
might do we'll to take minor parts in be-
wailing the fate Of the Firms.