The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-04-22
RUSSIAN TENDENCIES.
The Nation Has Been HaIting Between
 Reaction and Progress.

|. heactiOn anu froEFess.
 What is the present tendency of tho
 Russian mind? In order to answer this question we must go back few
 years
 The shameful defeats suffered in the
 Crimea, in 1854 and 1855, had shown
 with the most absolute clearness how
 fatal had been the ultra conservative
 policy of the Emperor Nicholas I. A
 powerful liberal reaction set in under
 Alexander II. A series of benehcent re-
 forms was the result; the suppression
 of serfdom, in 1861; the reformation of
 the courts of justice and the introduce
 tion of the jury system, in 1864; pro- vincial government for the prov
 inces, in 1865, and the suppression of
 preliminary censure at St. Petersburg land Moscow in the same year.
 l These reforms created a new spirit. Toward 1872 the Russian youth were at
 the boiling point. They desired to en-
 ter upon sort of crusade to free the
 peasants from their ignorance. Youth full apostles went abroad over the coun-
 try, preaching among the workmen in the towns theories that were liberal and more or less subversive. If the Russian government had been endowed at that time with even a partially
 clear sense of justice 1t would have un-
 derstood that to preach what seems to him the truth is the primordial right of every human creature. On the other hand, if the Russian government had
 possessed the most elementary princi-
 ples of sociology it would have seen at once that the Nihillst apostleship had no sort of chance of amounting to any, thing serious Indeed, to modify the political ideas of seventy million of il- literate men would require an enormous amount of money and immense efforts, protracted for generations. What could be accomplished by some thou- sands, or rather by some hundreds, of young Nihilists spread about through the country districts of Russia? Their propaganda would quickly disappear in the vast ocean of ignorance around them, without leaving further trace | than would a small brook in the Allan 1 tic. The government had only to shut | it's eyes. The youthful enthusiasts would have been freed from their social illusions, and In very little while they would have abandoned their premature attempts. This Is just what did happen In many cases Many young preachers became very quickly disgusted and gave up their apostleship among the peasants, seeing that it could lead to nothing.
 Unhappily the Russian government had no sufficient amount of liberalism, nor of foresight The reactionists who surrounded the noble and generous sov- ereign, the great hearted Alexander II, began to frighten him, and advised measures of merciless severity against the Nihilists The young persons who were preaching in the country districts were arrested, put in prison, subjected to the most rigorous treatment, and, in consequence of sentences rendered be- hind closed doors by special tribunals that offered no guarantee of impartiali- ty and equity. were transported to Si- beria. In the face of such prosecutions as these the Nlhilists resisted They transformed themselves into a secret society, and opposed to the seventies of the government assassination and out rages even more daring. Holding the Emperor Alexander IT responsible for the policy urged upon him by his ad- vlsers, they became enraged against him personally, and made repeated at- tempts to kill him
 In the mean while the Turkish war broke out. The Russian army suffered great privations. NeveStheless, in time, they trlumphed, and arrived under the walls of Constantinople. In February, 1873, Russia was breathlessly awaiting the accomplishment of her destiny and the crowning of her historical mission. For an immense majority. of the Rus sians the war of 1877 had all the effect of new crusade. A glorious hope had | taken supreme possession of their | hearts. Every moment the capture of | Constantnople wns looked for and the end of the Mussulman power on our continent. It would seem as if the in- suspicious work, accomplished in 1453 by Mahomet the Conqueror, were about to be undone by the hand of Holy Rus sia. It seemed as if Europe were about to enter into possession of that eastern basin of the Mediterranean which had formerly been her most splendid do- | main.
 Alas, how cruelty deceived were the Russian people in maintaining these glorious expectations! Constantinople was not occupied, the Mussulnans were not driven out of Europe, and even the of Bulgaria was effected in but limited and narrow way.
 Discomfort followed these misconcep- tions. The plots of the Nihilists were renewed, and aroused further exaspera- ton on every side. The more nervous md severe the government appeared, he more did the terrorist party redou- ole it's audacity.
 Alexander II was monarch who was oo enlightened. whose heart was too ender, not to feel that the mere civil is not everything in the fife of a great nation Toward the be- of the year 1881 Russia was liv- ng in a state of extraordinary tension. Zach day change in the regime was expected. A constitution was the uni ,ersal theme, and it was even said that me had been already drawn up and hat it would be promulgated before one. Unhappily, the plots of the terrorists lid not blow over. The narrow minded nd stupid fanatics who led the move- nent appeared to be utterly blinded. 'hey neither saw nor heard anything