The Red Cloud chief., 1905-11-03
LIBERTY FOR SLAVS
GEAR ISSUES IMPERIAL NANTES.
TO ENDING AUTocRATic RULE.

Body With Extended Suffrage, FREQ
Speech, Civil Liberty and habeas
Corpus-Witte Is Premier.
st. Petersburg, Oct. 31.-"I am sure
The American people. who understand
what freedom is, and the American
press, which voices the wishes or
the people, will rejoice with the
friendly Russian nation at this mo-
ment, when the Russian people have
received from his imperial majesty
the promises and the guarantees OF
freedom, and will Join In the hope that
the Russian people will wisely aid In
Che realization Of those liberties by
cooperating with the government for
their peaceful introduction. Only thus
will 1t be possible to secure the full
benefits Of the freedom conferred up
on the people"
Count Witte. Russia's frst premier.
sent the above message to the Amer
scan people through the Associated
Press. He had just arrived at his
residence from Peterhof, where. In the
Alexander palace, the emperor two
hours before had given his final ap-
prevail to q manifesto and to q pro-
gram which will forever end the rule
Of absolutism exercised by him and
his Romanof ancestors for 800 years.
A simple perusal Of the manifesto
shows how complete IL the emperor's
abdication OF his autocratic power.
The very style Of the document Is
clear and direct and devoid Of the
verbose, vague and bombastic phrase
ology which heretofore has character
lied his majesty's manifestos. 1t not
only betrays real authorship, but
shows that the emperor at last has
i~rrevocably bowed to the inevitable.
He does not even conceal the fact
that the discomfort and agitation OF
his subjects has driven him to take
the step and practically yields every
thing-civil liberty, the in%violability OF
person and liberty OF conscience,
speech and assembly. He not only
converts the farcical imperial douma,
with only consultative power, into an
absolute legislative assembly, without
the assent OF which nc measure shall
become law and before which all gov
but promises eventually universal suf-
frage. The title, "Autocrat Of all the
Russias," with which the manifesto
begins now takes its place with the
title OF King OF jerusalem" borne by
the king of Spain and the emperor Of
Austria, and with other obsolete titles
OF European sovereigns.
Text Of Manifesto.
The following is the text Of the i'm
perial manifesto:
I'VE, Nicholas the Second, by the
grace OF God, emperor and %autoCrat of
all the Russias, etc, declare to all our
faithful subjects that the trouble and
agitation in u capitals and in numer-
Gus places fill our heart with excessive
pain and sorrow. The happiness of the
Russian sovereign is indissolubly
bound up with the happiness of our
people and the sorrow of our people
is the sorrow OF the sovereign. From
the present disorders may arise great
national disruption. They menace the
Integrity and unity of our empire.
The supreme duty imposed upon us
by our sovereign Office requires us to
efface ourself and to use all the force
and reason at our command to hasten
In securing the unity and coordination
OF the power OF the central govern,
ment and to assure the success OF
measures for pacihcation of all cir
cles Of public life, which are essential
to the ~well.being OF our people. We
therefore. direct u government tc
carry out our ~indexible will In the
following manner:
"Frst-To extend to the population
the immutable foundations OF civic
liberty, based on the real i%nviolabilit,
OF person, freedom OF conscience
speech, union and association.
"Second-Without s%uspending tn,
already ordered elections to the stat,
douma, to invite the participation II
the douma so far as the limited timl
before the convocation of the doum:
will permit, those classes of the pop
ulation now completely deprived o
electoral rights, leaving the ultimate
DEVELOPMENT of tho pr'nCiplo Of ~,