The sun., 1901-06-16
T0IsTOIy APPEALS TO THE GEAR.
Peasants to he Relieved FROM 0pprcssion-Aho'''
t!on Of Extra Judicial Police Aetion-Eauai'
ity In Education and Religious Toleration'

/
From the London Times.
| We have received from st. Petersburg
the following translation Of an appeal which,
It Is stated. has been addressed by Count Toi-
stoi to the Gar and his Government on the
present situation In Russia:
To THE CAR AND HIS ADVISERS:
| More assassinations More street riots'
Again there will be executions. while panic
and evaporation. giving birth to threats
and false accusations. prevail on the one
side. and tho other Is animated with hatred
tho desire for revenge and the spirit OF self
sacrifice. Once moro the Russian people
are divided into two hostile camps,and prepar-
atlons are being made to commit the greatest
crimes
II Is possible that the present movement.
like those which have preceded II. may be
suppressed by tho employment OF military
force. But even II this agitationis temporarily
! put down, II cannot be completely stiiied. IL
! Will continue to spread under the cover OF
secrecy, and. sooner or later. 1t will inevitably
breat out again with redoubled energy ana
will lead To more suffering. and to criiaes
greater than those which we now doploro
The following measures should be adopted
without delay:
In tho first place. the peasants should be
placed on an equal footing Of legal equality
with other citizens: for which purpose 1t
would be necessary
| a. To abolish the absurd institution OF
rrl sdmini tr to 5 tzemsky nG;chd'n kD.
which has no raison d'e're.
(2) To repeal the regulations governing
tho relations OF master and man, which would
thon be subicc to the ordinary law Of the land
81 To liberato the peasantry from all
oppressive impositions. such as the necessity
| OF obtaining passports in order to move from
one place TO another the. DUTY which iails
| solely upon the peasant, OF b!lletlns soldiers
| and providing country carts for purposes oi
| transport, and thf Obligations cohhecteo
"a 10 abolish tho unjust system OF collect
i've responsibility OF peasants for each others
ments. which have long since coyered the
real value OF the land and. above all
81 To do away With corpaTai p1nisshnnSe,nIS pns wS,oS
Is now retained only for the most industrious.
the most moral, and the most numerous CLASS
its Especially important that the peasantry.
constituting the vast majority OF the popula-
ton, should have the same rights as 9tner
classes here can be- no stTenS, Man If ,hs aGps s
jority of the citizens are not on footing OF
legal equally with their ielioT eountrymen;
but sFs fRt a 'ft Sn when he SS 6oS
majority has been eInanclpatod and invested
with the same rights as thoSe Whlcn a,sbrs srs
social Organization becomes possible OF con-
II In the second place, 1t is neccs,ary to cease
70 amply tho so-called reinforced measures OF
| pu bio safety, which destroy all existing
laws, and place the people at the mercy OF
stupid, cruel and. for the mos, part. lmnorai
| officials Ihe abrcgation OF these extra
| ,naq sures OF public safety Is important because
they suspend tho action Of tho ordinary law.
promote spying and secret denuhela'loh.
| and cause and encourage the frequent EN-
' ployment OF brutal violence against workmen
who have disputes VITA thelI enploySbrs t,,ai n,d
landlords Nowhere y there 50 @ ihuch G5uoi ,a
special regulations are in force. IL Is OWING
to them that capital punishment - eothlhs
more and more into use ana that 'ne 20
course to that demornlzing puHlsnmeht
which. forbidden by God u the greatest OF
hnman crimei Thien ,,sSnn ~ e9n''Ssg Seggple and
wnich was previously unknown III our Jurls-
p:u ience ,,,,a,
~ 80 differences should he made between
pe0pl" Of different Sooial stations with regard
to facilities for education, and books Whlcn
are allowed e. be- read 10y others should not
be forbidden to the common people
l2D Teachers IN schools Sh' uld not be pre-
vented from giving instruction IN the IAN
guage spoken by their pupils, ana Il l. Su-
premey important that -,
IA An persons wEo have not been deprived
Of their civil Iights, ana who are dcrlIouN
of undertaking educational work. should be
permitted t. conduct schools 81 all grades
II j. important that the cdicatioh' tLaln-
ing ard teaching Of the Young should lie
freed from all restrictions y hlch now hamper
. them, because II - by means OF these very
restrictions that the laboring classes are
kept In a state of ignorance, and II IS his
| Ignorance " hICh a. present serves the 10Y
, ernmcnt as an excuse ior placing these ob-
stuclc, in the way Of education. Inc clnanel-
sl.., IL II tl
iucnt interference ia these matters would en-
able tho people 10 aCQulr" iar more Quickly
the education which lhey tca1Iy leeI, Ins,e"u
, OF that which il forced upon them; 10 permit
/. private persons to Opcn and conduct schools
| would put a stop 10 the communal dglAuoii
; among the young men who are dissatisfied
; with the arrangements in the establish
ncuts In which they al present pursue theiI
studies. Ii there we're no difficulty, in The
l way OF establishing private schools, BON
t for the lower and higher courses OF mstruo-
, sion, the Russieu students who are dlsSats-
, fed with the order OF things IN ,hc Govern
mcnt educational ins'itutons would leavC
, them for the private establishments which
, answered their requirements,
Fourthly. all restrictions on religious
; liberty must he abolished
> a. All laws should be repealed which
provide puni,hmcnt for any Nihdfawa
. froln the Established Church
a. The establishment and tho open
ing Of chapcls and churches Tor the Old Be-
Molokani stundists, and other scctartans
al Permission should be given fol
, | holding religious meetings. and for prcaching
| all forms OF belief, except those which teach
, | men to commit unnatural crimes. such H'
| Castration. murder and suicide, and
a. Persons Of different religious helici'
| should bc allowed 70 bring up their children II
/ tho form Of faith which they believe 10 b'
. The abolition Of all restraint on religious
: freedom is abs, lutciy necessary. because II +
0 universally admittcd-Ond the fact is at,eslcc
4 | by history and scicnCr-that religious per
, | scCution does not produce the elect doSlrot
3. | by those who practice II. on th" contrary
Z | IL ONLY strengthens that which tho pcIS"-
| cutors seek to destroy. Moreover. the inter-
ference Of the authorities IN religious matter
| condemned Gy Christ IA thc worst md MOI
| r,Inic!ous of vices. and It prevents the attain
. | incpt Of that unity which il To" hiEhcst good
l | both for the individual and TIE community OF
n | lnrgc This unity can never lie alialnCt
, ! by using violent means to Compc. people tC
y observe the outward forms 'i q rel, giou whiul
, ha, once been adopted ard is regarded q
4 | nfsI,ihlt. IL can only be attained by the IN
frttcrcd progress OF humanity IN lis scarci
. | after the truth.
. These are to very modest and Tractca
- ! desires of the majority Of Russian society
! Tho Application ot tho measures above de-
. ! -crincd would undoubtedly pnctv the pcop.,
= | ard save them from terrible suffering Ii
Z / would also prevent tho CriWcs which VIII !!
, / cvitau.y he committed nn both sides II the
I ! IpgCrrucnt rUurnyrr~ only 10 suppress thC
. agitptiuh without seeking 70 remove tnc cauSe'
Ne ,rp,al 10 YOU alto tho C2ar. to IA,
' | members ut tlr Council Of state, 20 the Min,
! ister- tn all ICrsou, rea. o. the Car. To- al
persons having lower TO- nd IN paCif"ing
crime We appeal 80 you, NOT as mcmnrr'
, | of the opppsi;r CaUp bUt a colleagues az,