The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-01
!, LESSON FROM. FINLAND.

The Times was the first Southern
newspaper. we believe, to direct atten-
ton to the significance of Russia's move
against Finland. We said at the time
that it meant Finlands doom, and that
prophecy is now rapidly being fulfilled as
the process of Russianizing goes on. The
autonomy of Finland is now thing OF
the past We are told that Finnish
postage stamps and currency, the Fin
nish flag, the separate organization of
the Finnish army have all gone by the
board and that Finnish officials have
been generally replaced by Russians inn
ported for that purpose into the country,
Finland was noted for its public
schools, but it is said that henceforth
these schools will be under the Russian
censor. that one-half of the studies
hitherto pursued will be forbidden as
seditious. and that the Russian language
will be imposed as compulsory. The
children of Finland will be compelled to
learn the Russian language, and prac-
tically forbidden to speak their mother
tongue. The Finnish press has been sup
pressed and abolished, and those who
would establish newspapers are permitted
to do so only on condition of>depositng
with the Russian Government large sums
of money as pledges that they will. in
their editorial columns, approve and sup
port the new order of things.
These statements we find in the New
Yorl, Tribune, and they are most s;gniti-
cant in these times. when Americans are
so l1arshly criticising the course Of Great
Britain in her war against the Beers.
Without going into any discussion as
to the merits of this war, we think It
profitable to call attention to the differ
ence between the Russian way and the
British way of colonizins. Under the
agreement with Russia, the independence
of Finland was guaranteed, but in spite
of that the Russian Government has
now laid its iron hand upon the throat
of that nation and choked it into sub
lection. There is no such thing now as
home rule in Finland. The whole coun-
try is to be "Russianized." which means
that the whole country is 10 be ruled by
Inc VI SHsNA.
Great Britain has never pursued any
such marrow policy. Wherever she has
colonized there she has carried civiliza!-
ton. enlightenment, good morals, personal
liberty and local self-government. Civil
izatiou has invariably followed the British
flag, and such a thing as blight from
English rule is unknown. 1t is Great
Britain's policy to eNalt the individual;
it is Russia's policy to trample the in
diyidual under foot.
There is war across the Atlantic be-
tween the clement represented by Russia
and the element represented by Britain
Every conquest which Russia makes is a
triumph for monarchy; every conquest
which Great Britain makes is a triumph
for republicanism Great Britain repre-
SCENTS the Anglo-saxon clement; Russia
represents the elements that are not
Anglo Saxon If the Russian idea should
triumph and spread itself all over Eu-
rope. il would undoubtedly cross the Att
1antic and have a reckoning with Ameri-s
can institutions. That would be
gloomy day for America,>and England
is the only power that stands between
us and that menace. So long as Great
Britain and the United States stand
together in upholding the American idea
there will be no danger, but should the
British Empire fail, America would have
10 fight the Russian idea against COM
bined Europe