Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-07
THE TWO REVOLUTIONS
Outbreak in Russia Similar to
That in France.
RISING OF TIE PEOPLE
CHARACTER OF NICHOLAS LIKE
THAT OF LOUIS XVI.
Subjects Of the Former Have No Such
Coterie of Leaders as Those Who
Caused the Reign of Terror.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Although the disturbances in Russia have
been dreadful, they are not nearly so bad
as those which occurred in France hun
dred years ago, at the time of the French
revolution. There has been very much
less murder pillage and anarchy. The
mobs of Petersburg, Moscow and the cities
on the Black and Caspian seas have been
wicked and fierce and cruel, but they have
shown greater moderation and have not
been so destructive to life and property as
the French mobs either during the revolu-
ton or the commune.
At the same time there have been many
points of resemblance. When Louis XIV
died. in 1T74, his grandson, Louis XVI as
cended the throne. very much like Nicholas
II Of Russia. The burden of government
was too heavy for both men. and although
they made frequent efforts to reform the
administration of the government they
were unable to correct or counteract the
results of the corruption, fmbeclity and
arrogance of their ministers, the tyranny
and dishonesty of the members of the court
and the privileged classes, the extravaganza
and mismanagement in every branch of the
executive departments the heavy taxes
ana oppression suffered by the working
classes and other people of small incomes
and the unrebuked and unrestrained per-
sonal vices of those who surrounded both
the King of France then and the Car of
Russia today. The official degeneracy in
France over a hundred years ago was no
greater than 1t is in Russia today; the
prohigacy of the princes and the nobility
was no worse than that of the present
grand dukes of the Romanoff family; the
grating embezzlement and bribery which
prevailed throughout the OF a
French empire was no greater than that
which has prevailed in Russia since the
opening of the war with Japan. BY these
the intelligent people of both countries
were driven into bitterness of feeling all
most beyond description.
Nicholas Resembles Louis.
Nicholas II of Russia, like Louis XVI OF
France, has the best of fntentions--plenty
OF good paving material, as a wit might
say-but he lacks the strength of charac-
ter to carry them out and was tossed back
and forth like feathered cork between
two battledores, yielding to whatever in
huence happened to be directed at him at
any particular moment. Both men were
similar In sentiment, in affections and in
imagination; both have shown similar
weaknesses, and both have had their SUI
perstit1ons played upon by clever adven-
turers. Both have made concess' ons to
public sentiment and to the mobs and the
mobs have demanded more and more from
each of them. Finally both took oath TO
support constitutions. There the parallel
ends, at least SO far as events have oc-
CURED in Russia. Nicholas II has re-
manned in his palace, twenty-four miles
from st. Petersburg, protected by Cos
sacks and the imperial body guard and 1t
is said that the royal yacht lies off the
garden at Peterhoff. with steam always on
ready to receive the imperial family when
ever the palace gets too hot for them
Louis XVI tried to escape from his palace
at versailles, but was captured at Va
rennes and carried back to Paris. The as
sembly of France then suspended the royal
power, although the kings flight was not
given as a formal reason for that action
The last vestise of his authority vanished
when he tried to run away. He endeayored
to temporize and to placate the leaders of
the mob, but showed no nerve no deter
mination, no decision of character He
was always yielding and the mob was al
ways demanding more. 1t Is still an open
question whether the same will be repeat
cd in Russia.
Russians and the French.
The people of Russia are much better
organized and are working in greater har-
mony than the French people have ever
shown in any of their political demonstra-
lions. although the Russians have no great
leaders like Mirabeau, Robesplerre, Marat
and Danton in the first revolution, and
Gambetta. Theirs and others in the COM
mune of 1871.
This is a good time to read the history
of the French revolution. The story has
unusual vitality and interest because of its
resemblance to the turmoil In Russia, and
1t Is fascinating to see how political evo-
lutions work 1t Is interesting to anticipate
what may happen In Russia in the light of
what has happened In France. The mob
in Petersburg has been much more moder-
ate than that of Paris, for when the French
n tkn hn
Russian army in Manchuria-it marched to
the Tuilleries and sucked the most mag
ni1cent palace in Europe The king fled
for protection to the assembly which pro-
yided him with accommodations in the
Luxembourg palace nearby, The mob fol-
lowed him to the assembly, which, under
Its influence, repudiated the king and pro-
claimed a republic. Louis XVI was ar
ecuted by the guillotine on the Place de la
Concorde 1t is possible, of course-but not
at all probable-that this tragedy may be
repeated in st. Petersburg. There does not
seem to be any animosity toward the en-
peror in the minds of the Russian peas
ants. They have not sacked a single pal
ace; they have not thrown a stone at a
grand duke.
Universal Confusion in France.
During the Instruction of 1898 In France
there were strikes In every part of the en-
pire, but they were not so orderly or So
well organized those that now prevail
in Russia. France was involved in uni
versal confusion. There was no law, no
order. no safety for person or property.
Horrors followed upon horrors; the large
cities were completely given over to an
archy; all industry was suspended; the
mob lived by loot and the poor by plum
dering the rich. Terror was supreme
Even the Christian religion was formally
abolished by resolution In the assembly.
There We're fifteen hundred executions in
six weeks, including the queen Marie An
toinnette, who had been kept a close
prisoner since the execution of the king.
The discussions of the leaders caused
their own downfall. They betrayed and
accused each other, and the mob guillotined
them on the same spot where their own
victims had been beheaded. Finally, when
passion began to exhaust itself and the
tigers and wolves were satiated with blool,
more honest and intelligent class of citi-
zens took hold of affairs and obtained In
Atinr L. -.