The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-04-07
RuSSlA's RIGHT ARM.
Influence of Her Church on
Soldiers and Civilians.
PRIESTS ACCOMPANY THE TROOPS.

tile Battlefield In RaIIying Re-
treating Soldiers-Divine Right of
the Gar to Rule Strongly Upheld
by the Church-Duty of Taxpayers
to the Emperor.
General Kuropatkin was given over
9orty icons (holy pictures), besides sa-
ered relics and other religious emblems.
Before he left ST. Petersburg to take
command of the Russian forces in the
Ear east, says the New York Mail. He
was blessed by the highest ecclesias
1ical authorities in the land, who in
trusted to him the most sacred icon in
all Russia, the chief treasure Of Rus
sia's Oldest and greatest monastery.
That icon has been borne into battle
by successive cars in all their impor
aant campaigns for hundreds of years,
and Orthodox Russians believe that it
always brings victory.
The Russian church is woven through
and through the fabric of the Russian
state, and it will do everything in it's
aoWer to bring victory to rest upon
the arms Of the car. Priests and
Bishops of the church are accompany
ing the troops into the field, every sol
der is given a religious emblem of
some kind and regards it as veritable
amulet against the bullets of the enc
my, and several church cars have been
fitted up for the use of the troops on
she Transsiberian and Manchurian rail-
ways. One of these cars was d per-
s0nal gift from the Grand Duchess
Serge.
In previous Russian wars the church
has been distinguished by it's liberality
In pouring its treasures into the cars
war chest, by the extraordinary cour-
age of its priests on the field of battle
and by their success in persuading the
troops that they were fighting for God
as we'll as the car and would go
straight to heaven if they were slain
a former Russian officer, now living
in New York, tells characteristic sto-
" on this head.
81 have twice seen Russian priests
rally .disOrganized troops and lead them
back into battle after their own Off
GERS had lost control over them,' he
said.
1.-THE first time was at Plevna, dur
ing the Russo-Turkish war; 4 battal-
ION ordered to attack one of the
breaches was met by such whitening
BTe from the Turks that most of the
officers and nearly a third of the men
we're shot down in a few moments
The battalion wavered, hung back and
was on the point of breaking and
Gearpering to the rear. The few Off
F., GERS left were beating the men with
stheir swords and calling them all kinds
Of opprobrious names, without result.
Then the priest attached to the bat
Galion-the regimental chaplain. as you
would call him-rushed to the front
holding aloft an icon, shouted to the
men to charge for God and the car
and went ahead himself without wait
ing for rhen. They followed with
cheer, drove back the Turks and held
the breach for time
"The other incident, which was very
much Of the same nature, happened
during General Skobeleff's victorious
campaign against the Nero Turcomans
in 1882. Just before the siege of Geek
Tepe, which ended that campaign. a
small engagement was fought, in which
sne Russian forces were severely ham
died by some captured feldpieces work
I'd by the TurcOmans. They had been
eaken during the rout of previous ex-
petition led against the Turcomans by
General Lomakin.
"The Russians were naturally eager
10 recapture these guns, alike as a
matter Of honor and because of the
harm they were doing in the hands of
the enemy. But attack after attack
upon them failed, although made with
desperate gallantry, until at last a
priest, mounted upon a great white
horse, rallied that famous fighting reg
fment the Pereshaff dragons, which
WAS actually in a mad rout, and took
tlle guns by furious charge that bore
comparison with the charge of the 600
1t Balaklava"
The Russian church is the most loyaI
servant of the car and stands most
1ncompromisingly for the doctrine of
MS divine right to rule automatically.
1t teaches soldiers and civilians alike
that everything they possess is at the
ezars disposal by a most sacred obli-
cation and that they cannot hope for
salvation unless they pay the debt.
The Russian catechism, which is
taught to every soldier and indeed to
every Russian, practically speaking.
asks:
TN what light is the authority of the
emperor to be considered with refer
enee to the spirit of Christianity?'
The answer is: "As proceeding di-
feetly from God,'' and in expounding
tliat order an official annotator says:
IF it pleased the Supreme Ruler to
Glace upon the throne of any nation or
nations even the hateful personifica-
ton OF vice and Wickedness it would |
become the imperative du-
ty OS every human being who has faith |
IN the sacred mysteries of our holy reli-