Milford chronicle., 1905-11-03
Signed Imperial Manifesto Granting
People a Constitution.
N. WITTE THE FIRST PREMIER


what freedom is, and the America
press, which voices the wishes Of th
people, win rejoice with the friendl,
Russian nation at this moment. whel
the Russian people have received
from his imperial majesty the prom
ises and the guarantees of freedom
and viii join in the hope that the Rus
sian people viii wisely aid in the real
ization of those liberties by co-operat
ing with the government for theil
peaceful introduction. Only thus will
it be possible to secure the fun bene
fits Of the freedom conferred upon the
people,
Count Witte Russia's first premier
sent the above message to the Ameri-
can people through the Associated
Press He had just arrived at his
residence on Kammeniovrov Prospect
from Peterhof. where in the Alexan-
der Palace, the emperor two hours be
fore had given his final approval to a
manifesto and to a program which will
forever end the rule of absolutism ex
ercised by him and his Romanoff an.
eestors for 300 years.
Text of the Manifesto.
The following is the text of the
imperial manifesto:
we Nicholas the second, by the grace
Of God, emperor and autocrat of all the
Russias, grand duke of Finland, etc. de.
clare to all our faithful subjects that the
troubles and agitation in our capitals and
IN numerous other places fill our heart
with excessive pain and sorrow
ttiInn h1nninne1 nj
eign is indissolubly bound up with the
happiness of our people and the sorrow
Of our people is the sorrow of the soy
ereign.
From the present disorders may arise
great national disruption. They menace 1
the integrity and unity of our empire.
The supreme duty imposed upon us by
Our sovereign office requires us to ef-
face ourselves and to use all the force
and coordination of the power of the
central government and TO assure the sue
cess of measures for pacidcatfon in an
circles of public life. which are. essential
TO the well being Of our people.
we therefore, direct our government
to carry out our infexible will in the fol
lowing manner:
'First-To extend to the population the
immutable foundations of civic liberties
based on the real inviolability Of person
freedom of conscience. speech, union and
association.
Second-Without suspending the al
ready ordered elections to the state
douma, to invite to participation I'm the
doumai so far as the limited time before
the convocation of the douma will permit
those classes of the population now com Z
pletely deprived of electoral rights. leav.
ms the ultimate development of the prin-
ciple of the electoral right in general to
the newly established legislative order OF ,
things
''rhird-To establish as an unchange- {
able rule that no law shall be enforceable
without the approval of the state douma r
and that it shall be possible for the elect
I'd of the people to exercise real partfci-
patton in the supervision of the legality a
If the acts of the authorities appointed /,
~ us. =
1--WE appeal to all faithful sons of Rus
ia to remember their duty towards the q
atherland," continues the manifesto "to
i'd in terminating those unprecedented o.
roubles and to apply their forces in CO. .
peration with us. to the restoration OF Z"
he calm and peace upon our natal soil. q
"Given at Peterhof, October 80, in the n
lth year of our reign. NJ
CsigneD NICHOLAS" n
Bowed to the Inevitable. =.
A simple perusal Of the manifesto =,
bows how complete is the emperor's -
bdication of his autocratic power. The =,
cry style of the document is clear and
lrect and devoid of the verbose, vague 90
ld bombastic phraseology which he
sretofore has characterized his ma ~
sty's manifestos. 1t not only betrays D.
al authorship, but shows that the 90
nperor at last has irrevocably bowed =
the inevitable He does not even
mccall the fact that the discomfort ~.
ID agitation of his subjects has 70
iven him to take the step and practi- he
lly yields everything civil liberty, do
e inviolability of person and liberty
conscience, speech and assembly. an,
not only converts the farcical i'm IF
rial douma, with only consultative na,
Wet into a true legislative assem- VIII
z, without the assent of which no fa,
'asure shall become law, and before ora
ich all governmental authorities soc
lst answer, but promises eventually
iYersal suffrage. r,
!. Pierpont Morgan. Jr., and George T
Perkins were with Finance Minis por
kokovsoff when the latter received Oct
news. It was a dramatic moment. gen
e minister was called to the tele. teri
'--~f eA-I NANAAa AG AHLuIueU ne was az
atty agitated and said: Gentle. this
n, the old order of things has ban
nged Russia has a constitution" flnl
News Spread Like Wlldfire. S60t
he news spread like wildire gem
oughout the city. The revolution Bet
, and active agitators generally beel
Jared loudly that the governments tori
misses would no longer suffice and whi,
the strike must be continued. ton
he effect throughout Russia is ex-
led to be instantaneous. While the
emists threaten an attempt to Ca
p up the present struggle. the best A. G
lion is that the backbone of the ofiic'
ke is broken. but in the final anaIy- Inn
the ef2eC viii depend on how far one
Mt Witte will be able to execute Dora
heavy ia k which he has assumed. will
'me persons high in the govern. phia