The Delta independent., 1905-07-14
Russia's New Peril.

St. Petersburg can give good reasons
for the terror that is lit. A foe which
could conceivably be far more danger
GUS to Russian autocracy than ever
Japan has been, has, at Odessa. struck
its first blow. Civil war is worse than
foreign war, and civil war in a particu-
larly virulent shape threatens Russia.
When despot's armed defenders be-
come Indifferent or turn against him
his case is desperate. This is the situa-
ton with Nicholas II. The mutiny in
the fleet may not extend far. Possibly
the disloyalty which is shown by some
of the soldiers may be checked before
it involves any considerable portion of
the army. There is not the faintest
doubt. however, that the sailors who
have joined the populace at Odessa in
fighting against the czar's troops, and
the unwillingness evinced there by
many of the soldiers to fire on the sail
ors or the populace, represent feeling
which is widespread throughout Nicho-
las navy and army. This is peril
which may at any moment render
Nicholas position as dangerous as that
of Louis XVI, after Louis, finding the
armyland the populace against him. fed
from Paris and was intercepted at
Varennes.
Nicholas lis position is immeasur-
ably more perilous than was that Of
Nicholas l, when, in the war Of the
Crimea, hs had half Of Europe against
him, actually or constructively. When
the British. French, Turkish and Sar-
dinian armies, half q century ago.
were confronting Nicholas on Russian
SOIL and when Austria and Prussia
were unfriendly to him, he at least had
his own people ut his back. Nicholas
was tyrant as well as despot. He
put down, with extreme rigor, all
liberalist demonstrations in Russia or
Poland. Russia was as hostile tn liberty
In Nicholas days as it was in those Of
Paul Nevertheless, he had the people
with him in his fight with the Anglo
French Turkish Sandman coalition. 1t
b otherwise with the second Nicholas.
The present car, despot, though. rs
the world believes, not tyrant at
heart, has enemies all around him.
The first Nicholas defied his foes by
riding and walking through st. Peters,
burg when his life was threatened, but
his successor of today trembles for his
safety, even in his artillery-girdled d
fastness of Tsarskoe-Sel castle. The
loyalty of his troops in st. Petersburg
rs elsewhere cannot be relied upon.
The revolt at Odessa, the fourth Of
Russia's cities in population and i'm
portance, may conceivably be repeated
at the empires capitol.
Compared with the Odessa, Lodz,
Warsaw aud other home demonstrations,
the Japanese end Of the Russian situa-
tion il of comparatively minor conse-
quence. The reports that Oyama is
marching on Kirin on ths.one side and
that Togo will soon be In front of
vladivostok on the other and that that
fastness is destined to meet Port Ar
thurs doom unless peace comes in the
interval, attract only q languid interest
ct st. Petersburg or anywhere else.
The real center Of interest has shifted
from Manchuria to Russia. Even the
peace with Japan. which may or may
not be near, may bring as little respite
~ peace with Germany brought to
France In 1871. The moment when the
Germans relaxed their grip on Paris
from the outside the Communities at
tackled the French troops on the inside.
The grievances Of the Russian popu-
lace In these days are immsasurably
rreater than were those Of the French
people at the close Of Napoleon Ills
empire and the rise Of the present re-
public. The report that Nicholas Is to
withdraw his promise ofa national as
kembly will arouse but little interest
inside or outside Of Russia In the pres
MT aspect Of affairs. Not many per-