The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-08-27
RUSSIA'S TREATMENT OF THE FINNS

AS an incident of the crushing of Finland by Czar
Nicholas II over 100000 Films have left the father
land in a little over two years Previous to Febru-
ary, 1899. the Firms were people unknown to the
world except through the tales of travellers, and, IN
general way, to readers of history. Today there
are 100000 of them in the United States alone. Up
to that date they content to remain in their own
bleak and inhospitable land where they had become
almost universally prosperous and contented Today
the tide of emigration that is carrying them out
from under the yoke of oppression seems destined to
create a wilderness where a few years ago was a
peaceful happy and prosperous state. 1t would be
fitting rebuke to the perfdy of weak and evilly
counseled ear
In 1909 Finland was ceded by Sweden to Russia
For 80 years Russian monarchs permitted and even
guaranteed the existence of conditions soemny
agreed to when that now unhappy land became sub
ject to the Russian crown.
The people of Finland had adopted constitu-
tion in 1892. They had religion of their own
Russia guaranteed to guard and respect that re-
lgon forever, and promised that the constitution of
1892 should be forever upheld And for 80 years
the trust was kept. 1t has remained for Nicholas
IL to violate every honored promise of his fathers
and to invoke by single degree the destruction of
a state together with all its institutions of language
church. government and literature, and the banish-
ment of people from land they had inhabited
for centuries. History records few more pathetic
national tragedies
A few years ago the Firms were self-governedl
people And, it is openly alleged, because Russia
feared the influence of the spectacle the ear issued
a manifesto February Is, 1899, sllspendng the Fin
nish constitution reducing the people to the level of
the poorest Russian subjects; making them subject
to obligatory military service and killing even their
literature by establishing the Russian language Out
of 100000 people, but 5000 could speak Russian
at all
During the years they were left to govern them
selves the people of Finland had made great prog
ress. They had left far behind them the gloom of
Ignorance in which Russia is destined to grope for
further generations Illiteracy was practically un-
known. They had become moral intelligent people
who governed themselves so wisely and we'll as to
elicit the admiration Of students of statecraft every
where. They were farmers who owned their own
lands; artfcers who owned their own shops; fisher
men who controlled their own interests, and as
nation the Films had established and were main
tanning schools and academies Of high order. By
their own efforts they had carved out their own
state and created the conditions that made them
happy and prosperous By one stroke of his pen
the car robbed them of all he had promised to hold
IN sacred trust for them. He destroyed their whole
fabric Of state and society and reduced them from
the pinnacle Of independence to which they had
raised themselves to the most humiliating depths of
despondency and beggary. 1t was an act unworthy
OF great ruler, even though that ruler be the ear
OF the Russlas The Firms have the sympathy of the
whole world; Nicholas II has only its scorn.