New-York tribune., 1903-08-24

-. q. ,.s United States and resident Of New-York
and is wsH aaoHu as an educator and writer.l
London. August u 1893
Recent developments il Finland point on the
surface 10 certain weakening Of the forces of
.l-t.5raI opposition and corresponding degree
81 success for The policy of classification. How
Mss has come about, after the widely expressed
-ers-r-=-afiou 81 the Finnish people 10 oppose
,be f1l force Of that passive resistance" for
,rh.rh rhe national character is 80 singuIarly
-.0-e5. it Is necessary TO explain. and toward
u. e5eguara explanation VariouS talks that ]
-,e,-s reE vitn some of the leading citizens Of
--i--sr5 temporarily in London in particular
CONT N-unerhein, one OF the first four Fin
.z~5ers eNilel Uv Bobrikof, and DR.. J. II.
Renter ol the University of Heisingfors, have
.-atrtauled in 10 small degree.
IN t1e first place II must not be. forgotten that
80 same cause which has initiated so seriously
against ae unity. both social and political Of
-5le Austrian EUpiTe-dlVerSlty Of racial ele-
--.arrs and lauEuage-haS. though perhaps in
lesser degree. brought division and Weakness
mo F-r'.rd-s .oUus6ls There exists in Fin
land dual racial problem. which has ever
7-szr more OF less q source Of weakness 10 the
s.ere and corresponding lever for the appli-
cation II pressure on the part or Russia when
eoerar orC5 sion warranted
THAT This pressure thus unhappily aided. and
-r some desTee encouraged. from within, is now
being applied ruthlesslE 10 the destruction Of
Finnish au-ougruy and rational life has be-
r1--e manifest TO al outside observers, and has
excited and is continuing 10 excite, great in
5-ararig- iu all The countries Of Europe. That
n hse ava 1ere1 comparatively feeble interest in
America SO far IS due not more 10 the remote
O- Lf'fa- hi4t rtcsit u eitl@li li4di
20 tho lt-ar lack II mention II Finland in our
school textbooks whether OF history or of polti-
cal E=oEraI I.lE--a neglect which, 10 one VINO IS
-1-versaul with that small bat highly cultured
nation and IFS standing one Of the eulight-
ene5 de7-oeracte@ of the earth. can never fail to
~ 4 source oI mingled asJonishment and regret.
STEPS ~ THE WORK or DESTRUCTION.
Tn order in the first place. TO put the mat
-er 81 tEe dearest light. u is. perhaps pest TO
racap=--.a-e briefly the successive Steps By
which Russia has S-gna-lZed her intention 70
wipe Finland. not merely as an autonomy. but
as q separate nationality, OF the face Of the
man ali pledges and oaths TO protect her con
s-.turirr-I -ur-y Notwithstanding The first
STEP -he1. t1 his direction. after Nicholas II
EzE beer persuaded that, even IS his grand
father had Eussifed Poland and his father the
Baltic prov ngss, il was his historic mission 10
racrdce Finland 70 the fetch of Russian
unity vas HE .rpo-ltn,ert OF Bobrikof. who
had already made himself disiEed in Diyon.a
and EsthCu-a, as Governor General in December,
1SeS. The next step was me appointment by
rEa Gar in the following year Of State Secre-
rs-y won PlenWe formerly chief of the political
police che man -o7 held bv the Jews responsible
for the uasSacres AZ Kishineff). as Ninister-Sec-
rerary oI state for Finnish Affairs an office that
hzl eyer since The union Of Finland with Rus
s-s in 1903 been filed, in accordance with the
flreaIEellial laws ~ the country, by a Fin
lander. in this way the Gar deliberately cut
himself or from all direct personal contact with
ms Finnish subjects. and COuntenarced the sys-
-euatc replacing Of Finnish officials in the
grand duohE by Russians ignorant OF the Ian
Elaee and 0f the history. traditions and customs
or touch with its Inhabitants. whom they We're
supposed To serve
Then followed one blow after another. with
rae fun Concurrence Of the Gar. aimed directly
e INST Fiulard's continued national life The
famous ukase Of February 1900, marked the
breaking Of the storm. By this decree uaJured
A. four successive midnight conciaves in St
Petersburg, and forced upon the Finnish Senate
under threats of armed intervention in case of
failure 10 prouulgate II. the legislative bodies
n Finland were reduced 10 the position OF mere
registers of the imperial viii. Thereafter came
The manifesto of June, 1900 providing for the
introduction Of the Russian tongue the official
medium in all governmental intercourse Imm o
dia1ey following this. on July 2 came the anuuI-
Inent Of he right OF pubnc meeting, guaranteed
from time imnlemorial by the fundamental laws
Of the Finnish people, while on the same day
another decree repealed the food law adopted
after long and careful consideration by the
Finnish Diet
Next after the Russian authorities had ap-
propriated the rifles bought by the Finnish
treasury for the use OF the reserves, there fell
The heaviest blow OF all. BY the manifesto OF
lEhe - 1891, concerning military service. Fin
.a-- ha al-oIlel army was wholly abolished, in
absolute defiance OF the constitution Of the land i.
sn9 me army barracks. 10 the value of 1S,0OO,-
V'1 Fl7Elsh marks equal TO $500, ,000). We're
sunm1r-.y given over 10 Russian troops. Nor
WAS even this enough. At the very root OF Fin
rish Constitutional freedom and social order
and security lay the security of tenure and alb
F9-lte independence Of the government officials
Fnc The judiciary. This ruthIessly over
EroN1 bE the ordinances Of July IS and Au-
FIst IA i902 by which the whole administra-
TEe and judicial bodies Of Finland were de-
lrlFea of their rights and placed at the mercy
~ The Russian sarraD set Up in control Of the
country. whose VIII was soon after 10 be given
the force OF supreme law by the ukases of Au-
2'ist 20 and September :, 1902 which decreed
that the Senate Of Finland should cease to he a
Institutional laWmakiug body. and continue 10
exist merely 10 register the DEGREES of the Gov
ernOl General. on whose consent and pleasure
al Its acts were thencefolth made absolutely
dependent
GOVERNOR MADE ALL POWERFUL
Finally. the desDotc power Of the Russian
5o.ernor General was rendered still greater hZ
The Ellases of March and April of this wear Nv
which BobrikoT is allowed on his own min
auVe, 70 take any step that may seem 10 him
good for the purpose OF bringing sl,orI+ e,,771is
sion 10 his benests. including the right of domi-
.-.laf1 Flsils ana The arrest and summary ban
.S-el-I without hearing or trial, Of all persons
'an'Nipus 10 the Russian authorities
30 we nave the spectacle OF Finland's fore
-iss sons men or eTnlnenCe in various walks OF
--- some oi whom have spent a lifetime in the
-it-e= ~ Their fellow citizens and Of their coun-
ltr sent into exile AZ less than a weeks notice
-'iee- 70 tear asunder in a moment j the dear
-. Or human ties. for no mortal reason save
mar they maintained the integrity, the sacred
ness ~ ancient laws and institutions that Car
6-I-l lzaT. including the present one, had SOL
eH'1-E sworn before heaven TO maintain invio-
.a'=. and some Of the twenty who have thus
been -alished up TO this time Of writing have
done nothing more heinous than 10 incur the per-
s5-.al z1lmosity ot Bobrikon or OF one Of his
l.e-ts-an-s-a haigorodoh or a Maisojedoff
loF example, Russians appointed Finnish Gov
errCrs 0f provinces without knowing so much
~ the language Of the people they are sent 10
rule. much less their character anG tempera-
nent. lbeir customs and traditions; nay, ap-
pointed FOR that very reason. SO that they might
ll- ae sVayed by any ''mawkiSh sentinleataiity''
- dealing with the Firms and their pernicious
--as about Individual freedom and response
aiiit-.
by these successive steps. then. has the Rus
san Government sought 10 crush out forever
* Finnish spirit of independence and consti-
fat.1-al liberty, and. as-t have mentioned. the
most recent developments would seem 10 point
70 f. sreeCleT triumph OF their policy than was
deemed probable two or three years ago. Let
Us then examine how this has come about.
5,1ule-iateiv following the utase Of February.