Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-10-23
RUSSIA'S FREE LANCERS.
These Soldiers Are Reported to Bs
Much Worse Than North
American Indians.

The Cossacks have the hardest name
OF any white soldiery in the world, and
they seem to have adhered to their saw
age traditions in the Chinese war.
They are the pale-faced Indians Of
Russia. They gave the czar no end Of
trouble before they were brought into
subsection and allegiance to the gov
ernment. Wild and lawless as the Co.'S
sacks are now, they are vastly better
than they used to be. To gain their
fealty the czars absolved the Cossacks
from taxation, and gave them local
tribal government, subject only to the
acknowledgment Of the supreme power
OF the crown, says the Kansas City
Star.
In turn, the Cossacks agreed to serve
as cavalry in time of war. BY setting
the formidable Cossacks to fighting
the various Asiatic and semi-Asiatic
tribes of the Russian frontier the czar
had been able to keep them loyal and
utilize their valor to conquer rebels
and expand the empire.
In every European war.in which the
Cossacks have figured history tells Of
their brave deeds and also of their in
stinct for pillage and rapine. Con-
temporary stories of Napoleon's march
on Moscow set forth, first how his va st
army of many pationalities ate tho
the country bare like locusts, then how
the Cossacks came, afterwardl and
cleaned up everything the French had
overlooked, regardless OF the fact that
they robbed the czar's subjects, who
had already been phndered.
There are no pale-faces in the world
like the Cossacks. They form CO.
hesive nationality within the Russian
empire. Suppose that all the people in
Texas were 1ndians--men, women and
children--and lived under their own
tribal governments and were placated
by absolutiop of taxes, it would be
something like the relation of the Co.'S
sacks 20 Russia. 1t was only within a
comparatively recent period that Rus
sia ceased from being in constant fear
OF these tribes OF plainsmen of the
southern steppes, They were worse
than the American Indians, for they
not only regarded fighting as their
profession, but followed II with the
white mans Intelligence and skill, com
bined with verile ferocity.
There is some doubt about the origin
OF the Cossacks. From the dawn Of his
tory the plains OF southern Russia in
Europe were tramphed by successive
hordes OF herdsmen who came from
Asia. Some were squat, yellow men
with slant eyes, no beard and black
coarse hair. They were more ferocious
than wild beasts, for they slew for the
sake Of killing. These human wolves
seem to have been as hardy and indom-
table as they were cruel and murder
Gus. Others were red-haired, with
gray eyes, and spoke what Is called the
Finnish primal language. The original
people OF Russia seem TO have been
Slavic, and ii is said that the race name.
Slav, meant literally slave--the slaves
OF the formidable savage that rode in
swarms on small hardy horses.
Whatever Tartar or Mongol blood
there is in the Cossack has been bred
out, for they are now short, compactly
built white men, with luxurious
boards. The name Cossack indicates
their origin In the Turkish dialects
Kayak means literally, "robber" or
"marauder," In the Tartar language
Cossack means q mounted warrior or
free lance. The Cossacks speak Russian
corrupted with Polish and Tartar
words. They are devout Greek Chris.
tians.