The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-15
From LesIie's weekly.

From Les1ie's Weekly.
From time to time, more particularly
of late, vague rumors have leaked
through the meshes of Russia's jealousy
guarded official net of diplomatic NEGRO
NANCY and deceit which serve to explain
the deep-rooted causes of seething unrest
threatening to outburst with fearful vio-
1ence at any moment. The smoke CT
the smouldering fires of internal rotten
ness, of which the outside world infre-
quently catches a glimpse, is but sug-
gestfon of the hidden fires eating at the
Foundation of Russia's very existence as
q nation. The Punishment of the veneer
able patriot Tolstoi the simultaneous
student and peasant uprisings in widely
separated parts of the empire, the eager
solicitude of Russian diplomatists to d.
vert public attention from the growing
menaceS of her internal economy by a
dramatic activity in her Asiatic policy,
all these are of interest as showing how
the wind blows 1t is curious instance
of the far-reaching results Of Russian Of
fetal surveillance that although the
world is acquainted in a general Wy
with the rigorous policy of Russian JUS
tice (?)-save the mark--yet, what re-
ports have reached the public ears have
been of such a vague and illusiouary
character as to be lightly CLOSED over
with that whimsical disinterestedness
with which humanity views things ct
distance
In spite of the unmistakable hand writ
Ing on the wall, which shows that a
great revolution is brewing in Russia,
greater than the bloody attempt of the
seventies that ended in the assassination
# Alexander IL, Russian diplomatic pol
icy, ostrichlike, has buried its head in
the sand, and by inaugurating an era OF
unparalleled severity is but tanning into
a wider and more uncomfortable flame
the fire of internal disaffecti m Which it
seeks to stamp out.
Recently a brief mail report, escaping
the vigilant eyes of the censor, crept into
the pages of the st. Petersburg Viedo-
mostly, detailing a bloody outbreak in
the penal colony on the desolate island
of Saghalin, off the coast Of Siberia.
There was a bit of grim Justice in this
brief announcement, for by this token
hangs a tale of dark iniquity and me-
diaeval barbarity that scarcely finds par
allel in history. Since Remnants volu-
minous expose of the horrors of Russia's
penal system in Siberia the world has
ben led to believe, by subtle suggestions,
and apparent frank and OPEN e55timony,
which, If sifted to the bottom, would be
found to emanate from Russian official
sources, that all the horrible conditions
which then existed, and subjected Russia
to the scornful moral fouting of all
Christendom, have given away to tenn
perate regime which would not compare
unfavorably with the penal system of
any other nation This was official Rus
STA. The car, who would really be
humane and progressive ruler, could he
throw off the tentacles of the lecherous
policy of his advisers. knew that it was
a lie and refused to give countenance
to his ministers persistent scheme for
fooling Europe.
az The car, autocratic as is his power, is
as ignorant regarding many of the social
sores fostering in his empire as a Hotten-
tot or Fiji islander. He must depend for
Information on his minister's and the de-
peit and classifying evasion Of Russian d.
plomacy is notorious. This explanation
IS demanded in justice, for to lay at the
door of Car Nicholas the horrors and
ghostly enormities of the convict system
would be manifestly unjust and mislead-
Ing.
The outbreak following Remnants ap-
Palling revelations taught Russia a les
son. The moral protest of the civilized
world doubtless would have given her
little concern, had she not foreseen that
defiant and unbending ignoring of such
protests must have a reflex action on her
Future commercial and political rela-
tons. She might snarl and gnash her