The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-14
Liberal Thought In Russia.

in another time and country this MAJ
might have led peaceful and more or les
uneventiul life in the pursuit Of scientific
research; but temperament and circum
stances made him revolutionist as well
and there is so little of himself and ST
much of public interest in this autobiogra.
ply that it is less a personal narrative thar
a partial history of the progress of liberty
in Russia. There is an appreciative intro
duction by Georg Brandes, and several H.
Illustrations, all portraits.
Kropotkin is a good example of certain
type of leader, always found in a reaction
AIRY party-the conservative who has de-
parted from the tradition OF his fathers
and taken up his lot with the most radi-
cal. In every time of revolution and tur-
moil there are a few such men. They may
be found among the aboltionists OF anti
slavery times; among the Liberals in Eng
land; among Cromwell's Puritans in an
earlier time; among the socialists of today.
There are never many of them; but there
are always at least one or two. AS most
revolutionary movements start from the
under stratum of society, these men are
usually aristocratic in birth and training,
and they bring to the work TO which they
have given their heart, all the concentrate
ed force, thoroughness Of education, and
nicely of judgment developed through
generations of forefathers accustomed TO
command, responsibility, leisure, and the
refinements of life. They are rarely great.
the genius of the time leads in such epochs
nf cfrffpCie- and he ig he "a of
force: intuitive wisdom. and natural ability
rather than OF education and tradition; but
the reactionary aristocrat makes one of
the most loyal lieutenants in the whole par
ty, because he brings to such work con-
viction that absolute obedience and discip-
line are necessary to the construction of
anything; and his obedience is reasoning
and not ignorant
kropotkin, however, is himself a leader.
Brandes says of him:
There at this moment only two great Rus
slams who think for the Russian people, and whose
thoughts belong 20 mankind-Leo Tolstoy and
Peter kropotkin. Tols;oy is artist,
kropotkin is a man of science; but neither, at a
certain period Of his life, could find peace in
continuing the work 20 which he had brought
great Unborn capacities. Religious considerations
brought Toistoy social considerations brought
kropotkin, 10 abandon the paths they had first
taken Both filed with love for mankind;
and they are ct one in the severe condemnation |
oil the 1nulHCEt Q, the fhOulltieSSncss crude
mess and brutality Of the upper classes, as wen |
the attraction they both feel for the life Of
the downtrodden and ill-used man Of the people. 4
Both see more cowardice than stupidity in the 4
world. Both idealists, and both have the
reformers temperament. Both are peace-loying
natures and kropOtkin is the peaceful Of
the two-although Tostoy always breaches peace
and condemns those who take right into their own
hands and resort &c force, while hropotkin iusti-
fes their action and was on friendly terms with
the terIor1sts.
The style OF the work is simple almost
TO baroness, and there is no straining after
effect. The descriptions are lucid rather
than picturesque, the arguments clear, for
chile, but never impassoned. There are a
few "reminiscences Of the authors carly life,
and description, at considerable length. OF
his school days. In connection with the
memories Of his childhood he takes occa-
sion 10 explain the condition of the serfs
in Russia before the emancipation. The
unimpassioned way in which the character
Of the elder Rropotkin is described throws
light on the character OF the writer. No
man who was not just without being pas
sionate could have referred SO calmly and
openly to certain passages in his fathers
lie or have described SO frankly the Gus
toms OF the household
The outer world knows little OF the con-
ditions which obtained before the freeing
OF the Russian serfs, and Kropotkin says
that they are rapidly being forgotten even
in Russia. Flogging was common, and the
author describes typical incident, that OF
the sentence OF the piano-tuner and sub
butler 10 the penalty of hundred lashes,
for breaking some plates. Yet, he says. his
father had not the reputation of a cruel /
landowner, and on neighboring estates
things were much worse. Then he goes on
20 describe marriage by order" common /
custom. The master had the power TO Or
der the marriage OF any two OF his serfs.
and sometimes Gid On ore occasion |
a master, thinking that his villagers did
not marry quickly enough, had list of
them all brought 10 him, and picked out /
the boys and girls of marriageable age
eighteen for the boys, sixteen for the girls. =
Then he selected five couples, and decreed ,
that the weddings should take place in ten !,
days. There was woe in the village, and !
the nuptial professions were more like fu-
nerals than anything else.
One girl actually made a stand against
The order. and refused. in spite OF all .
threats, TO give her answer 10 the priest. :
The master few into a rage. and sent his O
valet TO the church to inform the girl ;
that II she did not obey. her family should u
be exiled. and 10 tell the priest that be "
must conduct the ceremony or be reported ,
as drunBard to the Archbishop The q
girl continued TO say Il won't" but In a
weaker and weaker voice until at last she o
This custom Of marriage by order was so
common that frequently young coupe. il
foreseeing that they might be ordered TO &
marry against their will, would take the C
precautlon Of standing together as god d
father and godmother at the christening Of ii
a child. This, according 10 the law OF the {
Russian church, rendered the marriage tn:-
possible. once, however, upon the estate
OF Kropotldn's father, IL resulted In a
tragedy. Andrei, the tailor, wished 10
marry girl on neighboring estate. He d
hoped TO be allowed to hire his time. and i
by working hard st his trade buy freedom v
FOR the girl. He suspected that he might D
be ordered TO marry one OF the maids, and 4.
talking the matter over, they agreed TO the
stratagem above described The order was J.
given they had feared and they ex- a
planned that they could not obey. Andrei 81
llso explained his wishes in regard TO his II
sweetheart The result was that be was
sent 10 the recruiting board to become a d
soldier No wonder the Russian peasant c.
S fstalist! C,
The terror with which military service n
vas regarded may be imagined when it is M
Splaiped that when one of the servants
vas TO be sent TO the recruiting board he al
vas chained and placed under guard, lest !"
&c commit suicide. Flogging was common, Il
IS in nearly every walk OF life. Even in the 81
orps OF cadets, composed wholly Of noble ei
mems sons. thousand blows with birch
DDS were sometimes Administered, the doc "
OF standing by the victim and ordering the | "
punishment TO end only when the pulse M
eemed about TO stop beating. Eropotkin D
avs: be
The commander Of the military schools, the ~
'Iand Duke Mildiac, would quickly have rcmoy- al
d the director Of corps who had not had one or
NO such cases every year. mo discipline" he ia
would have said. III