Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-19

spring from the state OF society. inu5 ny
high practical Importance can be attached
to these theoretical distinctions between Diff
ferent forms Of government. All have been
good for any given people at the proper
time. The best government, anyhow, Is
that which fulflls best it's mission. that is
to say, adapts itself to the present state Of
society and employs the necessary means
to open a proper and easy road for adyanc-
da dag IF ba p Fl ne Of
Russian empire and the substantial tenden-
cies Of Russian government were always
greatly misrepresented by superficial or ma
f1.ppant scribblers who owe their success to
pandering to popular pre5udices and COM
mon ignorance.
Russian absolute monarchy rests on posi-
lively democratic foundations, and demo-
cratic stream flows uninterruptedly through
out its whole history. Russia always has
legislated to rather benefit the common
people, so called masses, than the aris-
tocracy; the Russian sovereign (GoSudar)
has fought always for the masses against
the classes. In Russia, as in America, the d.
vision of land is advancing incredibly every
year. The English concentration of land, and
the Russian and American divisions of
the same, are chiefly created by the gov
ernments of the three respective countries.
This Is the first and the most essential af-
fnity existing between the United States
and Russia.
Great Political Affinity.
In this respect the United States and
Russia, in spite Of great differences in the
forms Of their political constitutions and of
their governments, present undoubtedly the
greatest political affinity now existing
in the family Of the great nations.
Russian monarchical absolutsm, as Prince
Louis Napoleon noticed exactly sixty years
ago, was always progressive. In this con-
nect1on Is to be remarked the keen penetra-
ton Of the famous German poet, Heinrich
w n h m y1ichn INroer pfo
published in one of Hamburgs periodicals
during 1S2S-1S29 and afterward republished
In the same city in the form of pamphlet
in $780, says: eff any one compares Eng
land and Russia with a view of freedom
no doubt remains to which is the right
side to choose. Freedom has sprung IN
England from historical events, from privi-
leges; in Russia-from principles. The
suits of these events, like the events them
selves, bear the stamp of the middle ages.
All England is CONCEALED in medieval,
Observation-Disclosures institutions, behind
which her aristocracy is intrenched, await
ing the death struggle. But those princi-
pies. from which Russian freedom Is daily
developing itself, are the liberal IDEAS of
our most recent times. The Russian gov
eminent is penetrated through and through
with these ideas, and it's unlimited abso-
lutism is rather dictatorship. by which
those Ideas will be brought directly to life.'
The last part of this remarkable quotation,
emanating evidently from the strange pre-
science of the great poet, contains direct
prophecy, which was lately realized within
the memory of the present generations, and
especially in the time when this Russian
monarchical dictatorship, having delivered
twenty millions of Russian serfs, lent his
hand across the ocean to the great tribune
OF the American people-Abraham Lincoln
for the common work to the same end.
"The Heart Understands the Henrt.'
United States and Russia, unlike the
other great powers, both immense self
contained and self-supporting common
wealths, whose expansion in their respect
i've continents is entirely natural, neces-
sary, inevitable and following the same
lines. AS the expansion of the people of
the United States in North America, in real
ization of their economical and political In
terests, connects with the cultivation, civil
ization and enlightenment of this vast con-
tnent, 50 the expansion of the Russian peo-
pie in Asia, realizing their vital economical
culture, enlightenment and civilization In
Asia. This is another political affinity ex-
listing between the United States and
Russia.
In spite Of enormous distance between
them and great difference in the forms of
their respective governments America and
Russia are near to each other. This is not
because the telegraph and other modern in
ventions accelerated the communications
between these countries but because there
is another wire. more rapid than the cleo
trio, there is another tie stronger than any
one reproduced by diplomatic aria tie
that is defined by an old adage common
to many countries and languages. saying:
THE heart understands the heart"
Jealousy of Old Europe.
This friendly alliance begun, has grown
up and become strong almost unconscious
ly to both. This is the mutual sympathy
Of broad-mnded. humane. democratically
disposed peoples. which is the foundation of
a lasting attachment Historical events and
the resemblance between Russia and the
United States in their relation to the old
world increased this deep and almost I'M
conscious friendship. 1t is impossible to
deny that western Europe looks on the new
world with some apprehension. some sus-
picion, some jealousy. AT the vital internal
crisis which Is known as the civil war the
principal European governments, influenced
by their own views, peculiarities and jeal-
ousies, did not look so mpartially, disinter-
estedly ard rightly as Russia did. They
rather wished, and wish even now, that
there should be two unions instead of one,
as we'll as that there should be two three
Russias instead of one. This old Europe in
jealousy of her old age gets morbid upon
the somber conviction that the United States
and Russia will have as much in their fu-
ture as they had had in their past National
relations, friendships and alliances, when
they are such as to be of any real
value, are not made: they grow; and, like
other natural developments, they grow very
often in the most unexpected manner and
in the least anticipated places; they grow
on the grounds of instructive and elective
affinities Of the nations; then similarity of the
external conditions identity of interna-
tOnal position strengthens them and turns
them to be settled quantity. All these
grounds of international friendship must
be applied to the old and natural friend
ship and fraternity between the American
and Russian nations, to the traditional en-
tente ccrdiale between the United States
and Russia.
DE EUGENE MATROSOW.