Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-21
STUDENTS HURL
DEFIANCE At CAR
SPIRIT OF REVOLT BLAZES IN
THEIR EYES
PUPILS AND PROFESSORS JOIN
Modern Mrabeaus Shout That Hang
ina of Proletariat Of Inte IIigenee
Rings Death knell of the
Autocracy
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Feb 20.-The
spirit of revolution had complete pos
session of the great meeting of pro-
fessors. students and directors of the
of the st. Petersburg university which
assembled today to discuss the ques-
ton of joining in the general strike in
augurated by similar institutions in
Russia, and decided to close the uni
versity until fall. In anticipation Of
possible trouble, when the meeting
broke up. squadrons of Cossacks again
paraded the streets, especially the
Nevsky Prospect and the neighbor-
hood of the Kazan cathedral, which is
always point for student demonstra-
tions
1t was the first joint meeting of the
students and professors ever author
lied, but in view of the gravity of the
situation it was hoped the presence of
the professors. most of whom are in
complete sympathy with the liberal
movement, would exercise a restraining
influence. The meeting was held in
the auditorium of the university pile
of yellow buildings on Basil island,
Neva hall being comparatively small
and capable of holding but one-fifth
of the four thousand students as
sembled. The auditorium was packed
to suffocation with earnest-looking
young men and women, and the door
ways and windows were banked with
students who held others on their
shoulders.
Government RuthlessIy Denounced
1T was a strange gathering. Most
of the students were poorly clad and
all were in a state of intense excite
ment, their very eyes burning with
zeal. A small rostrum in a corner
was occupied by the speakers. A bell,
with which the student who presided
tried to stop the thunders of applause
with which the orators were greeted,
was completely unavailing. From the
outset student orators set the imagina-
ton of their auditors afame with the
spirit of liberty, unsparingly denounc-
ing the course of the government. de-
claring that promises could no longer
avail and that the only satisfaction
would be freedom of speech, of con-
science and of the press and the con-
vocation of a national assembly. The
majority coupled this with a demand
for ending the war. Almost every
orator went back to the French revolu-
ton for parallels Again and again
was Russia declared to be on the eve of
revolution.
Must Spread the Agitation
A leader of the social revolutionary
party made speech during which he
said: From the height of the throne
was heard the appeal for confidence in
the people but the period of hope
lasted only few months. In little
while the government returned to the
good old methods of the past. An
autocratic regime is inconsistent with
the first principles of judgment. The
moment the proletariat of intelligence
hangs the knell of autocracy is
! sounded"
With burning words the student de-
scribed the affair of January y which,
he said, had at last solidified the in
terests of the Liberals and those of
the workingman. Amid a storm of
cheers he announced that n continua-
ton of study was impossible while such
struggle was in process, and said 1t
was the duty of the young men there
assembled and others like them to re-
turn to their homes in the provinces
and spread the agitation.
Some of the professors tried to stem
the tide with moderate counsels. advis-
ing the students to go back to their
studies. but their advices was howled
down.
When Professor Speranzi, one of the
speakers related the fact that Gov
ernor General Trepoff had threatened
not to permit any student who left
his studies TO re-enter any of the big
universities, the statement was re-
ceiv ed with howls of rage.
Took No Thought of Treason
But the speeches in the auditorium
were lllllu anu ltlllptl dlC NOlilpdl Su
with those delivered at the overflow
meetings in the classrooms. where even
the murder of Grand Duke Sergius
was glorifed. An attempt of few
reactionary students to hold an OPP
position meeting ended in a dismal
failure. Less than fifty students re-
sponded to the call and the meeting
was abandoned.
The few foreign newspaper corre-
spondents who were admitted to the
university We're amazed at the In
cendiary character of the meeting aud
the absolute freedom with which the
students, knowing that the auditorium
was filled with government spies, bold
ly made themselves liable TO the charge
of treason. In the mind'e eye, one
could almost pick out the Mirabeaus
and Desmoulns and, possibly the
Dantons and Robespierres of the