New-York tribune., 1903-01-12
SELECTIONS FROM MAIL.
THE CZAR AND ARBITRATION.
Apportionment of Credit for Wide Reaching
Reforms.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Mr.. Andrew Carnegie in his message OF
January l. 1903. published The Tribune on that
DAY. made historical mistake In stating that
the Russian Emperor Nicholas abolished human
slavery from Russia this was corrected by
q correspondent iD last Sundays Tribune Mr.
Carnegie says in sllusion to this correction: True
the law freeing the serfs not finally passed
until 1851. under Alexander II, but II passed
in pursuance OF the dying request Of his father.
Nicholas !. (See this referred to in Encyclopedia
Britannica) This should not be ignored, for prob
ably the young Gar could never have overcome
the hostility the mobiles had he not been able 70
invoke the shade Of the mighty dead his
rant Let US divide the credit between father and
hereafter. / credited from memory the father
with the completed work. which he had inspired.
which mistake. All hail both OF these bens-
factors"
Mr.. Carnegie is again in error in crediting Mich
olas with inspiring the emancipation OF the serfs
In 1861 and in dividing the credit between father
and Alexander OF humane and
kindly disposition and favored the emancipation Of
the serfs more than Nicholas l. and the subject
was mooted in the time Of the Emperor Paul
and Catherine H. Under Nicholas six commits
sions appointed but definite action
taken. Nicholas I ininical anything ib-
ers1 progressive His reign began with a revolt
IN favor OF his elder brother Constantine which
ne cruelty suppressed and II seems 10 have tinged
his whole reign with arbitrary and tyrannic meas
quote some extracts from the work on Russia
by D. Mackenzie Wallace:
, From hi his saEIy youth 9s had shown strong
Tugnanee to the fymanitarian!sm and liberal prin-
tt % .rfi r Of ~ the and n sI15r I rSniS ~ mar
stEsetiens' his strong doniHatias nature had
phrases of philosophic liberalism he had most
Phosophers" He was the sworn enemy Of iibsraI-
ism ism and m s the frsterna defender end Of a5Foeraey net
Al forsgp books and GewsIapers & except th9sS Of
and Russians were prevented from travelling
abroad. Nicholas has been called the Don Quixote
trary. he believed in the practical onnipotence Of
sequence of disobedience to his orders. He had
formed once for all his theory Of government and
the blindness and obStinaey Of a reckless and
Iaeeesor he is sepGted "a 10 RTe sd On his
bed may do as he pleases. but cannot change"
tWallace pp. 437-4Ss)
Such principles exclude all praise 20 Nicholas
for this freedom OF the serfs. Many now living
recollect with what fanatcaI cruelty be rushed 10
the aid of Austria against KOssuth and Hungarian
freedom in the noble struggle Of Hungary for rs
independence in 1s49. Let award TO Alexander III
his just for the enancipa tien OF the serfs in
Russia in 1851 He is the Russian Abraham
Lincoln, and no of his predecessors Is entitled
10 share or TO divide this honor. He was
PEELED to use the whole weight of his imperial
thority in order achieve success; he officially
aided, however. by his brother. the Grand Duke
Constantine. who chairman of the commission
which formulated the terms and manner OF email
cipation 1 was in St. Petersburg in 1872. in semi
official position (as our official delegate from the
United States the International Statistical Con-
gress) and learned from the personal knowledge OF
persons near the throne that the Emperor Alex
ander III had long and severe struggle with
portion Of the noblesse and propretors for victory
Wallace says that Alexander II was kind hearted
and humane in his disposition and sympathized
with ali that was generous and human
The spirit of Mr.. Carnegie's article is highly
n1endabIe in it's intense breathings for universal
peace, instead OF the. bloody. cruel and barbarian
arbitrament Of war. May his disciples multiply
every nation until the desired end Is reached BY the
overpowering conscience and sentiment OF all civ
lized humanity. President Roosevelt in recommend
ing to the great nations united IN attacking weak
and powerlrss Venezuela arbitration by The Hague
On the side of humanity and progress after the
example so nobly set ny the present Gar. Alc9oiaS
esta biishment and psrmanency of the first inter
national court ever organized In the world; world Al Al
Russian scheme was proposed for The Hague psece
EVEN lis sanity was questioned and now infera
tonaI arbitration IS one Of the greatest events ae
the abolition of slavery that the world has ever
It should be borne in mind by New-Yorkers that
the lawyers of this State. speaking through the
State Bar Association entitled to considerable
Hag9e hags u trbuna Sa i As early as 1856 the Bar Ao
ton appointed e3m'e fb 70 9ned stStss and
Great Britain and a subcommittee formulated a
from am nine Ga I nations william D. veeder Of Brooklyn
eharsb "a sf th5 and %afs oga of New
YORK members OF the subcommittee Their report
was extensively circulated In January. lsso Sena
tor Chaurcey NJ. DepeW delivered an able and
forcefuI address before the Bar Association on the
subject OF peace and International aroltratoIl
which was as creditabe to his head as to his heart
President Edward G. Whitaker IN January, 1885,
In his annual address strongly approved or inter-
national arbitration and International court
In january 1899 the undersigned introduced 2
resolution before the Association indorSng and
fsvorine the action OF the Gar or Russia N
conyeufne an international congress TO CONSIDER t
practical reduction of the armies and savies OF Sne
world the aneloriation Of the most nagraht con-
ditions OF war and the substitution as tar as prac
ticabIs of arbitration for which resolution W
IaruIv approved and commended by the assocld-
tion The resolution first introduced recon-
mended to the President the appointment OF Amer
ican delegates to the congress OF ex-FreSloenSSS
Reniauin Harrison and Grover Cleveland and
Vice-President Levi P. Morton Possibly u tn5s
strong and powerful delegation had been app9InLsu
some action might have been taken by Inc aasss
congress toward disarmament. or parual aIsdIIis
ulent OF the nations The United states sn2u.u =
soon as practicable unite with Russia and oInsT t
tons to consider this subject and II possl9Ie @ sll9
subject Of the freedom at sea OF the unercanss
rines of all nations. not CARRYING c2htTsoalg .b
war the abolition OF the right OF olockaoe anu IL
bon1bardment OF cities and the colecuon OF PIls Ps
ysfe debts bv and blockade and the SeAzuIs .
custom houses and foreign territory an9 sosIa''
subjects w - ,aos 1sA01 O1AA -@i
Albany, n. Y, January $, lsoO-
rpfQIINE AND LEE INSURANCE.