The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-02-06
England Using the Latter as Tool to Check
the Slav in Order That She May
Get Slice of China.
Americans Should Not Be Misled Into
Taking Sides Against Russia, Which
Has Been Our Friend.

harncssed to paganism is as material
as it is relentless and ptless. In
Russla we have a population of Slays,
persistent patient people, strong,
simple, religious and idealistc. Their
Christianity is medieval, their faith
fcrvid; and while tolerance of other
forms of religious belief exists, it is a
tolerance which neither meddlcs with
others nor permits the mcddlng Of
others with them. That form of re-
liglous attenuation, of religious indif-
ference which borders on ngnosticism.
which does duty for tolerance in other
lands, is not very well known in Rus
sin. After his long, bitter and solitary
light with the savage hOrdes of Asia,
after the long battle with Tartar and
Turk, when no Christian hand was
lifted to aid him as he stood like q
dixie to -snve-4 4atarope- from the food of,
Aslan savagcry, the Russian began his
steady and rcsistless march to the
| east until he stood on the shores Of
the Pacific. The Slav is devoted to
his faith and his Gar; wherever he
goes the Christian faith goes; and
when he sheathcs his sword he gives
tile hand Of fellowship to the man he
has conuucrcd; he fosters and protects
| him, and takes him into his household
| to make him Il Russian and Il brother.
The Russian is medieval in many Of
his ways; the jew to him is still the
slayer OF the Saviour; the communal
system of his town governs him in his
home: and the nutOclmcy of the Gar,
his high-priest and father, is to him
rational and satisfactory. He moves
slowly and deliberately, for the ages
are his His race is young. fresh, full
Of hope, homc-loving, loyal, and has
in 1t vast possibilities for good. Wher-
ever he goes he stays; wherever his
flag is planted it remains; his advance
may be arrested temporarily, but with
marvellous wisdom and patience he
waits the psychological moment, when
his COssacks move on to stretch the
frontiers of the empire. At this mo-
mcnt Japan, backed by Russia's hered-
itary enemy, England, and encouraged
by American ingratitude, bars the
way; but If the advance is checked,
the volume in the rear is gathering mo-
mcntum, and within few years Russia
will strike, and strike hard. Educa-
tiOn for the Russian masses is meagre;
commercially she is not abreast of her
European rivals; industrially she is be-
hind her neighbOrs; but she is guided
by the keenest minds and captained by
the boldcst soldiers in Europe; and
though her progress be slow, it is sure.
With all her deficiencies and faults
it is not too much to say that the hope
of a vigorous, fresh. fruitful. Christian
civilization lies in the Slav; and when
the exhaustion, degeneration and rot
tenness which seems to be the fate Of
the hurrying, nervous, struggling,
greedy, Industrial peoples shall have
left them inert the Slav will remain
to regenerate and revivify civilization.
The sins and defects of the Russian
are those of primitive, unspoiled peo-
pie; his virtues are those Of new
and simple nation, to whom the teach
ings Of Christianity are verities, to
be practiced and carried into the
world. He is called cruel and brutal
for his persecution of the Jews, by
the nation which murdered women and
children by thousands in the prison
camps Of South Africa; he is called
grasping by those who have murdered
and plundered all round the world; and
yet his conquered provinces in Asia,
for contentment, prosperity, peace,
law and order shine by comparison
with bankrupt, diseases stricken, fam
ine-swept, sullen India, for two CEN
turies almost in the hands of the
Pharasee among nations. Eliminating
the superficial aspects of the imbroglio,
the question then is, shall the redemp-
tion of the Orient be achieved by and
under the auspices of Christian ma
ton; or shall it's restorat ton to yieor be
achieved by militant paganism?