Gilpin observer., 1905-11-02
SHACKLES FALL
czAR GIVES FREE GOVERNMENT
TO RUSSIA.
M. WirTE IN FULL CONTROL

Imperial Manifesto Renounees Abso-
Iutism-Extends to the People the
immutable Foundations of Civil Lib
erty-M. Witte Sends Message to
Americans.
ST. Petersburg.-The following is
dated October Both at midnight: i
am sure the American people, who un-
derstand what freedom is, and the
American press, which voices the
wishes of the people, will rejoice with
the friendly Russian nation at this mo-
ment, when the Russian people have
received from his imperial majesty the
promise and the guarantees OF free
dom, and will join in the hope that the
Russian people will wisely aid in the
realization of those liberties by coop
Grating with the government for their
peaceful introduction. Only thus will
1t be possible to secure the full beneflts
of the freedom conferred upon the peo-
pie"
Count Witte sent the above message
to the American people through the AS
ISOLATED 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-
proval to a manifesto and to a program
which will forever end the rule OF alb
solutism exercised by him and his
Romanoff ancestors for 800 years.
A simple perusal of the manifesto
shows how complete is 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 bombasuc phraseology
which heretofore has characterized his
majesty's manifestos.
1t not only betrays the real author
ship, but shows that the Emperor at
last has irrevocably bowed to the 1nev-
liable. 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 inviolabii1ty OF
person and liberty Of conscience,
speech and assembly He not only con-
verts the farcical imperial douma, with
only consultative power, into an abso-
lutte Legislative assembly without the
assent of which no measure shall be-
come law and before which all govern
mental authorities must answer, but
promises eventually universal suf-
rage.
Following is the text of the imperial
manifesto:
I'VE, Nicholas the Second, 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.
The happiness of the Russian SOW
ereign 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 success of measures
for pacification in all circles of public
life. which are essential to the we'll
being of our people.
I'VE therefore direct our government
to carry out our inflexible will in the
following manner:
"First-To extend to the population
the immutable foundations of civic lib
erty, based on the real inyiolability of
person, freedom of conscience. speech,
union and association.
"Second-Without suspending the
already ordered elections to the state
douma, to invite the participation. so
far as the limited time before the con-
vocation of the douma will permit,
those classes of the population now
completely deprived of electoral rights.
leaving the ultimate development of
the principle of electoral right in gen
eral to the newly-established legisla-
tive order of things.
"Third-To establish as an un-
changeable rule that no law shall be
enforceable without the approval of the
state douma. and that 1t shall be pos
sible for the elected of the people to
exercise real participation in the super
vision OF the legality of the acts of the
authorities appointed by us.
I'VE appeal to all of the faithful sons
of Russia to remember their duty to-
ward the fatherland. to aid in termi-
mating these unprecedented troubles
and to apply their forces, in co-opera-
tion to the restoration of calm and
peace upon our natal soil.
Given at Peterhof. October 3Otk. in
the eleventh year OF our reign.
NICHOLAS"