Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-11-21
RUSSIA OF TO-DAY.


The closing lecture on Russia was
given Friday afternoon before the
New Century Club by Miss Jaoot, who
said that Peter the Great seemed lyrical
Of his country; brilliant, intelligent,
active, earnest and purpcseful, but
brutal, rough, barbaric and tyrannical;
harsh, and yet with soft moments.
Like him Russia is rough, but has
great possibilities. When We considar
the fame and Importance OF her litera.
ture today and remsmber that the Rus.
sian language only became written
one in 1928, the advance seems maj
velous. The only written language was
Slavonic and it Nas only for ecclesiasti.
cal purposes. The Russian language
was only in the mouths Of the people
until put into form, and 10 order to
simplify it, since the people did not uhe
the Slavonic tongue, Peter invented and
arranged set of Russian characters,
sent them to Amsterdam and had tyne
made and the result is language that
though hampered hy oumhrous in.
flexions has remarkable richness and
fieSibility. Yet its difficulties for a
foreigner are so great that it has kent
out European knowledge There ia q
dense solid mass of Ignorance in the
lowest classes. In come parts OF the
empire iliteracy rises to "a per cent
and Russia is 400 years behind Western
Europe. For 300 years she was sub
merged in the night Of the Tartar
Mongel invasion and deprived OF ad.
vanced civilization for centuries after
it had illuniined the west. Many a
peasant still clings to the superstition
of his heather ancestors and to pro.
pitiate the djinns, or evil spirits, they
place outside their houses food and
offerings in the hope that the wander
ing spirits may leave blessing on the
household. In the eastern towns Of the
kirgdom recognized institution is
the Thieves Market, where goods known
to have been stolen are openly offered
for sale When the first printing Office
was established at Moscow in 1863 the
people, thinking 1t due to sorcery,
mobbed and burned it.
But now that the great Trape.
Siberian railway is opeu from ST
Petersburg to Talienwan there will be
branches and ramitioations of it on ali
sides that will open up the dark places
in the land, that will let in light and
emancipate thought. The most marked
advance Russia has made was under
Catharine III, in whom literary men
found friend, and she first gave
serious consideration to education for
all classes. In the pass few years there
has been multiplication Of schools
Tor the people, and they Rave puwer
Of self-adaptation to new conditions.
The middle and upper Glasses ia Russia
want reform and failing to obtain Il
turn Nihilists. The Tsar's right to
opnress this cultured and politically
ambitious class is maintained by the
ignorant and unprogressive mass OF
peasants to whom, in their loyalty and
devotion the Tsar rules by divira right.
But the measures sor the encourage.
ment of industry and the spread Of
education taken by Nicholas III are
steadily making new conditions by
which Russia Is to be regenetrAted.
The people have shown that they nos.
sess qualities and aptitudes which will
insure them a future of power and even
of splendor in the coming progress Of
the world. Their literature already
takes first rank and is conspicuous for
the intensity Of it's devotion to human
welfare as we'll as for the completeness
with which it combines artistic with
humanitarian ends. A. S.