Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-05-29
Deserves Worldwide Condemnation.

DESERVES WOrldWide Condemnation
The government of Russia is befor,
the bar of the civilized world under
popular indictment for permitting, Il
not aiding and abetting, a wholesale
slaughter of Jews in Bessarabia which
would have shamed the dark ages
When the first information of the mas
sac,e at Klshineff was made public the
story was given but scant credence. 1t
seemed incredible that, even in auto
cratic and reactionary Russia such an
atrocity could take place in the TWEEN
tieth century. When the American
ambassador called the attention of the
Russian minister of foreign affairs to
the report of the outrages it was de-
MED that such outrages had occurred
Later and authentic details, however,
not only gave the lie to Russia's denials.
but clearly proved that the outrages
were even more ruthless and extensive
than the first information indicated.
~ 40 hoN ICY luul Oh the
days following Easter Sunday the Jew
ish residents of the populous and thirty
ing city of Kishineff were attacked in
the streets and in their houses by
partly organized mob, that some two
hundred or more of them were killed
or MORALLY wounded, that large num-
bers were brutally beaten, that atroci-
Ties Of inconceivable cruelty and say.
agery-beyond the tolerance of actual
savages - were committed that the
police either failed to check or directly
melted the mob, that soldiers took part
In the slaughter and outrages and that
violence was accompanied by extensive
robbery and destruction of property
and by dissertation of the synagogues.
Everything that civilized government
exists to protect was loosed to the pas
sions of the rioters, and the forces that
should have controlled the rioters aided
or upheld them.
The nation which permits or con-
dones such a fragrant offense against
civilization cannot be called civilized
or ask the respect or consideration of
any decent government. 1t is true I'M
der ordinary conditions that one ma |
ton has not the right to suggest or
dictate to another nation how it shall |
conduct its internal affairs when only
Its subjects are concerned, but the cir.
cumstances are not ordinary, and they
justify unusual treatment They fully
warrant the civilized powers of the
world expressing to Russia in formal
and explicit terms their deep detesta-
ton of the Bessarabian brutality and
demanding the prompt and condign
punishment Of the perpetra tors of the
outrages and the officials who permit.
ted and apparently abetted them. Only
by such punishment can Russia purge
itself of the national disgrace. Fail
Ing OF this, the civilized powers would
be justified in regarding Russia as out
side the pale Of civilization and acting
accordingly.
That Russia realizes it's culpabilitv
In this matter is evinced by the fact
that the governor of Bessarabia and
the chief of police Of Kishineff have
been withdrawn from their posts. But
something more drastic and effective
than this must be done before Russia
IS rehabilitated in the esteem of tho
world.
There can be but little doubt that
he real responsibility for the Kisbi.
ler massacre, like the responsibility
or those of 1881 and 1891, rests on the
government of Russia rather than on Z
he populace, who apparently acted .
lpon a hint from the authorities. In. :,
leed' the responsibility comes very
lear to the Russian throne. Nicholas d
l. as the responsible head of n pro.
essedly civilized nation has much to u
nswer for before the bar of enlirbt.
ned public sentiment.