Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-02
SECTs ri RUSSIA.
Spirit of Unrest and Movement of Up.
heayal.

I
heavai.
Forum.
Everyone has heard good deal about
| the Stundists, the Shelapouty, the
| Doukhohors and other dissenters of
evangelical type, some of them with
a strong tendency toward Quakerism.
| These deserving people, who are the
best specimens of their race. were, and
| still are, subjected to the most rev olt-
ing prosecutions. They have been
beaten, imprisoned, systematically
starved, inhumauly tortured, exiled
and their female relatives have been
treated in most shameful and brutal
manner. Yet, notwithstanding all these
facts, heroic men and women have
declined point blank to comply with
the orders of the government and the
official clergy, which they have con.
sidered sinful. The movement has
created thousands of able and fervent
apostles, who. by reason of governmental
deportation, are scattered throughout
the empire 1t has converted millions
of unthinking, passive creatures-who
were until then driven about by the
officials and clergy like osttle-into
discriminating beings, with sense of
self-respect and determination to OPP.
pose wrong. Many dissenters who until
last year had concealed their real re-
, | ligious doctrines, profited by the last
census to state their creed openly.
, Besides, the uphesyal OF their spirit
is being manifested by increasing
| proselytism, for which purpose some
, sects, for example in the TomsR
+ Province, train their own missionaries,
q They also build new chapels and write
rolemic books. The movement has
4 found its way into the higher clases o.
/. the population, as evidenced by the
: names of Tchertkov, Birokov, TIegou
hov, Prokhanov. Pashkoy, Prince
J.. Khilkov, DIR. yolkenstein and others
4 1t has its powerful prophet in thu
v person of Count Tolstoi. 1t has estab
4 lished Its own free press, as the activit,
% OF Mr.. Tchertsov, at Puileigh IN
q Essex, and the periodical Bessyeda
Is formerly published in Sweden, show
d 1t commands the active sympathy o
,r worlds press, by the emigration o
" 5000 Doukhobors, through the sub
1. stantial pecuniary aid of the Sooiet
,e of Friends and the money forwarde,
Ia from England to the suffering Stun
a. dists, &C. True. this very emigration
T. may be regarded as victory Tor tn
"a Cars government, as it has contrive
40 to drive 5000 courageous souls, VIII
knew how to stand by their banner
10 cut OF the country, which needs sue
le people badly,
NJ Popular education, in the broa
Ia sense of the term, is another chann'
through which the self consciousne.
lie Of the masses increases. Notwithstand
ing every obstacle put by tine govern
H. ment il the way OF enlightenment,
Mt cannot stop its progress; nay, it i
or obliged to foster some departments
ve it, such as professional education, b,
nd cause Of the requirements OF the Stat
il. The greater number of the Zemstyc
Ia. Of the municipal councils, and
m village communities that have I'll
means vie with ono another in esta
d. fishing schools, founding free librarl
he and spreading useful knowledge amor
ed the masses. Oniy rev Gays ago ne'
lar was published in the Russian pape
about 20 village communities, In
ant region SO far out of the way
I'D Enisseysk province, in Siberia, havil
se petitioned the government to eta
,ds primary schools in their localities; al
If they made a discrimination hetwe
nm the lay and the ecclesiastical schoo
em and, quite rightly, discarded the latte
to On the other hand, the Zemstvos
ee the Tver, Moscow and Khark
tai provinces have pushed the developme
OF their network of schools to such
degree that in q few years they inte
to introduce compulsory education
ms The press is under an unbearat
'ull yoke. But what it loses in the "
oss OF liberty is compensated for in
On field of expansion. The number
dye provincial papers has increased tenfo
our compared to what it was during
raw most liberal period OF Alexander l.
ntil reign Consequently, provinc
etd Russian nowadays ID far from what
i'm used TO be. He feels his conuecti
with the rest of the world, and he
gained an initiative as we'll as la ori
oism. Moreover. the provincial pre-
.aos Irotiting by the stupidity of the To-
s ssn' oensors. sometimes brings to liz
iii, facts of the greatest Importance, VIII
r in would never come out through
the metropolitan press.
for -s---
i he Eastern Swedish Conference.
10 10 Anoardiny IN a raanlution If