Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-31
FREEDOM FOR RUSSIA
CARS DECREE WHICH ENDS
AUTocRATIC RULE.
Count Whites Important Part in In
augurating New Order Of Govern
ment-Civil Liberty.


The following is the text of the imperial
manifesto which was issued at st. Peters,
burg last night:
I'VE, Nicholas II, by the grace of God
emperor and autocrat Of all the Russias,
grand duke of Finland, ETC., declare 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.
1.-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 government and to assure the sue
cess of measures for pacif1cation In all cir
cles of public life which are essential to
the well being of our people.
I'VE therefore direct our government to
carry out our infiexible will in the following
manner:
A Guaranty Of Civic Liberty.
First, to extend to the population the
immutable foundations Of civic liberty,
based on the real inviolabilty Of person.
freedom of conscience, speech, union ano
association.
Second, without suspendlng the already
ordered elections to the state douma, to
invite the participation in the douma, SO
far as the limited time before the ccnvoca-
ton of the douma will permit, OF those
classes of the population now completely de-
prived of electoral right, leaving the ulti-
mate development of the principle of the
electoral right in general to the newly es-
tabliShed legislative order of things.
Third, to establish as an Interchangeable
rule that no law shall be enforced without
the approval of the state douma, and that
it shall be possible for the elected of the
people to exercise real participation in the
supervision, of the legality of the acts OF
the authorities appointed by US.
I'VE appeal to all faithful sons of Russia
to remember their duty toward the father
land, to aid in terminating these unprece-
dented troubles and to apply their force,
in cooperation with us, to the restoration
of calm and peace upon our natal SOIL.
Given at Peterhof, October 30. in the
eleventh year of our reign NICHOLAS"
Count Whites Report to Gear.
Count Whites report to the emperor. who
inscribed thereon ITO be taken for our
guide" is as follows:
Your majesty has deigned to indicate to
alton of the actual state of Russia
THE agitation of human society is not
the outcome of partial imperfections in the
social and governmental regime or of &C
lions organized by the extreme elements.
Its roots are much deeper. 1t took birth IN
the violation of the balance between the
moral aspirations and the exterior forms OF
Russian society.
believing that Russia aspired to laws
based on civil liberty. the chief problem of
the government consists in making effective,
even before approval by the state douma,
all elements Of civil liberty in the elabora-
ton of normal legislative measures giving
equality before the laws to all Russians
without distinction of race or religion.
THE problem ensuing consists In the es-
Establishment of legislative forms seeming
and economic liberty. These benefits should
be extended to the mass of the people, I'M
der the reserves safeguarding the laws in
all civilized countries.
Reforms to Require Time.
'It must be realized. then, that these
objects cannot be maintained Immediately,
as no government could suddenly prepare
1875, 600 men with a vast administration for
new liberties. 1t is therefore necessary to
have the powers of a homogeneous govern
ment united in its aims. taking care to put
in practice the stimulating principles of lib
erty and to display sincerity and upright
ness In its intentions
THE government should abstain from any
interference with elections to the douma
and keep in view my sincere desire for the
realization of my ukase of December %,
1904 1t must maintain the prestige of the
douma and have confidence in it's labors
and in no way resist it's decisions SO long
as they are not inconsistent with Russia's
historic greatness.
1T is necessary to respect the ideals of
the great majority of society. and not the
echoes of noisy groups and factions too
OFTEN unstable, 1t Is eSDaciaIly
to secure the reform of the council of the
empire on an electoral principle.
Principles for Executive.
Il believe that In the exercise of the ex-
ecutive power the following principles
should be embodied:
First Straightforwardness and sincerity
in the confirmation of civil liberty, and In
privilege guarantees for it's maintenance.
Second tendency in the direction of
the abolition of exclusive laws.
Third. The coordination of the activity
of all organs of government.
Fourth. Avoidance of repressve meas
ures In respect of proceedings which do not
openly menace society or the state
Fifth. Resistance to acts which mani
testify threaten society or the state such
resistance being based upon law and moral
unity. CONFIDENCE must be placed in the
political tact of Russian society 1t is i'm
possible that society should desire a condI
ton of anarchy which would threaten In
addition to all the horrors of civil strife.
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the empire
Whites Message to Americans.
Count White. Russia's first premier sent
the following message to the American neo-
pie through the press. He had lust arr;vad
at his residence on Kammeniovrov prospect
from Peterhof. where. in the Alexander
palace, the emperor two hours before had
given his final approval to the manifestn
ana 10 program which will forever end
the rule of absolutism exercised Inv hi,r
ana his Romanoff ancestors for three hum
dred years:
am sure the American people. who
snii what freedom Is. and the Amer
lean press. which voices the wishes of the
people. will rejoice with the friendly Rus
sian nation at this moment, when the Rus
sian people have received from his inper-
ial majesty the promises and the guaran-
tees OF freedom, and will Join In the hope
SLOW,