The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-13
AN EMPEROR'S TASK.

AN EMPERORS TASK.
CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 81
provisions for personal protection common
to civilized countries. The absolutism of
the Emperor may be unquestioned, but its
arbitrary exercise has grown to be more
theoretical than practical.
THE RESTRAINTS ON POWER.
Again recurring to that which. essential
ly, may be regarded as the Emperor's enun-
citation of the principles actuating his adj
ministration-for, after the personal read
ing of the proofsheets of the English ver-
sion by the Empress. he gave the final ap-
prevail for publication-the Handbook says:
THE government of the Russians empire
rests upon a firm foundation proceeding
from the autocratic power. This fact gives
TO the whole order of the state in Russia a
lawful character, which therefore differen-
tiates it from arbitrary forms. 1t implies
that in Russia the law alone determines
both the rights of power and the obligation
of subjects. Such a rule is in no way OPP
posed to the principle of autocracy, as it
always lies in the sovereign power of the
Emperor to abrogate this or that law. Yet
it serves as a reliable guarantee to his
subjects that a law issue in regular form
is indeed an act of sovereign power binding
on all other powers in the state. To the
sovereign power this principle of law is of
no less Importance; the wide expansion of
the functions of the state make a complete
system of subordinate institutions unavoid-
able; these may not, however, be permitted
to use their own discretion; while at the
same time the personal control of the SOW
ereign, considering the vastness of the ter
ritory, is fraught with extreme difficulty"
One can appreciate the remarkable frank
ness of this concluding utterance. who, like
the writer, has become conversant with
actual situations through a personal knowl-
edge of the empire from the Japan sea on
| the east to the Baltic on the west, and from
the Black and the Caspian on the south to
the White and the Arctic on the north. 1t
is characteristic of Nicholas to be ingenu-
Gus. In this instance 1t has a significance
beyond which the casual reader may per-
ceive. Read between the lines the meaning
is that a constitutional form of government
must eventuate, a thorough system of es-
tablished accountability, regulating every
official action, come to have a clearly de-
fined entity. If. as said of Alexander III,
the impetus to the framing and promulga-
ton of a charter of rights was sentimental,
In that it was responsive to influences
working upon the heart rather than the
head, the feeling now, If from no
other impelling force, is justified on
the ground that with a Car, as other of
humankind, self-preservations is the first
law of nature. Russia is too big for any
one earthling to govern on a Evolutionary
basis. That, as a whole, the empire would
be more righteously administered taking
everything into consideration, under a COM
s~titution than by so conscientious and self
sacrificing an autocrat as Nicholas, is open
to argument. But, merely physically, it is
too much for him, even inspired as he I'M
doubtedly believes himself to be, to answer
to his God for the faithfulness of his stew
ardship. There is not enough in a single
atom of humanity to go around. With
all direct responsibility conferred in one in
dividual, everybody else escapes. The loop
holes are ever open, and a solitary sentinel
can no more guard them all than a finite
being could regulate the downpour upon
the earth so that in all it's parts the rain
would descend upon the. just and the un-
just alike.
THE CASE OF FINLAND.
The experiment of Alexander 1 in Fin
land, while unquestionably retarding extern
sion on similar lines in other sections of the
empire, through the unfortunate results en-
suing, has. Notwithstanding, afforded an ex-
perience which may ultimately be turned to
good account. BY the way, it is the gen.
eral impression in this country, that the
present grand duchy of Finland was, orig
inaIly a free state. or if not actually this
something closely bordering upon tia sort
OF European T-ransvaal-and Russia's atti-
tude toward it in a measure paralleling
E~ngland's toward the Dutch republics in
Africa. AS a matter of fact the Finnish
territory within the so-called Grand Duchy
never had autonomy until Alexander volun-
tarily gave it a semblance of such; and the
first Finland Seim. Or Diet, was after the
several disunited provinces. or ''lens." ced-
ed by Sweden in ls0s. were joined to those
already a portion of the Russian empire.
The current trouble lies, largely, in the
Firms having what Russia. in entirety, has
not; and, to phrase it figuratively. it is a
case of the tail wagging the dog. when the
dog is not in the humor for exuberant gyra-
tons. Especially when. to continue the fig
ure of speech, the feas which keep the tail
in agitation are the German Socialists who
have been pretty well exterminated from
the dogs body.
The Russian empire, in it's one compact
mass, is of about the same area as the
British empire. divided by the great seas
of the world. Mongolia has for years. to
all intents and purposes. been Russian.
through the system OF consular control.
which. ostensibly for the protection Of the
caravan routes between China and Gebor1a,
has actually dictated the courSo e iufnEua1