The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-22

Those onlookers who notwithstand-
ing the widespread and startling proofs
Of popular disalIection in the Cars
dominions, are disposed to maintain
that Russia is not ripe for revolution
may do we'll to note what took place
at the extraordinary meeting OF profess
sors and students of the st. Petersburg
University held on Monday, Feb. 20.
At this meeting which, be it remeln
bered, was authorized by Governor GEN
eral TREPoFF and with which no inter-
ference was at any time attempted by
policemen or soldiers, not only was Vie
suspension of all university work until
September agreed upon, but the Cars
portrait was torn TO rags, the whole
system of autocratic government was
furiously denounced, and by an almost
unanimous vote the professors and
students demanded the immediate con-
vocation of constitutional convention,
TO be elected on the basis of universal
suffrage and under conditions of liberty
OF speech. of the press and OF associa-
ton. Will any student Of French his
tory assert that such a meeting and
such a declaration on the part OF the
professors and students of the Sorbonne
would have been tolerated in Paris on
the eve OF the assembling of the States
General at Versailles?
If the actual state Of things in the
Cars European realm be compared with
the attitude of the subjects of LOUIS
| XVI. in the early months Of 1889, it will
be recognized that Russia to-day is
more ripe for revolution than was France
! at the date mentioned. We are told that
| the great mass Of the Russian popula
/ ton is still patient docile, trustful
! and accomplishing. The same thing
| could with more truth be said OF the
| bulk OF the French people N 1888. The
! Russian mouiiks, bound hand and
! foot by the regime Of communal pro-
! perty and burdened with collective re-
sponsiblity for taxes, are in plight
! inoomparably worse than was that Of
/ the French peasantry in the year named
/ who. "a ARTHUR YOUNG testified, had
/ already advanced far on the road toward
individual ownership of the land they
cording to modern standards they
were overworked and i'll fed, were far
better of and more contented than are
the operatives. mechanics and manual
laborers in Russian centres Of industry
at the present day.
We are told. again. that in Russia
the grea; majority of the people are
!narticulate That was equally true
of France in 1855 The French peasant
knew nothing and cared nothing about
the alleged arbitrary encroachments
on the traditional rights OF French
law courts or Pdriements: about letires
decacbef; about the anxieties Of financiers
concerning the payment OF interest on
their advances 10 the royal treasury.
French workmen. on their part, had
not been taught By unprovoked and
frightful massacre like thst witnessed
on Jan. 80 in St Petersburg that their
economical interests could only be safe
guarded by the overthrow OF autoc-
racv Neither peasant nor workman had
ever heard Of the constitutional type
OF government lnuded by MoNTEsoUIEu,
or OF the natural rights of man pro-
claimed by JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU.
1t was only upon educated Frenchmen
that the dreams and doctrines of thos e
celebrated authors had made a profound
impression.
1t was, in a word, the brain OF France
that shattered the oncien regime and
brought about revolution. That
R.,., ,-ae acti-a and articuiota apl,,
in the universities, in the law courts,
in the great foci Of industry and COM
meroe and in a liberal minded and
free thinking section OF the mobiles.