The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-14
Friday, July II, 1905
FIRST STAGE OF ANARCHY

AAt VI
When 4 file of soldiers, lined up to
shoot a squad of deserters, on being Or
dered to fire, turn their guns on their
officers, instead of on men they were
ordered to shoot, killing Il number of
them, we have a demonstration of the
m~utinous feeling whic" oteNaiis ~ she
Russian army. There is not a branch
of the service in which the soldiers are
true to their cOlors. The disaffect1on Is
spreading and increasing in intensity
with great rapidity. Let it spread mucn
more and the government will not nave
a single body of troops on which it can
depend to oppose the enemy or Il mon
of home r~eyolutiOnistS. The whole
empire is hOneycombed with treason
if it can be called treason to oppose
such cruel and despOtic rule. Unless
matters mend the time will o come
when the officers in command of any
body of troops will not dare order a
file OF their soldiers to fire on a body
of rioters or OF Il squad of deserters
or mutinOuS soldiers, lest they them
selves instead of the persons ordered to
be fired upon receive the bullets from
the soldiers guns. This is the first
stage of anarchy and it will soon be
followed by complete overthrow Of
military rule.
Civil authority has long since disap-
peared in many Of the provinces. The
power of the army alone is relied on to
prevent open rebellion. When this
fails the government it will have
reached the end of It's power and its
authority. Then will come complete
anarchy.
Present conditions indicate the rapid
approach of that time when the Rus
sian empire shall be 4 thing Of the
early peace with Japan; out it is doubt
full if even that can save it now. The
masses of the people were opposed, to
the war in the beginning and their OPP
postum lIICICdSCS dS II Scht11luNS, u
were peace established the govern
ment would be in danger from the
thousands of disbanded soldiers who
would return to their homes and add
10 the unrest and discomfort of the
people. 1t would have more reason to
fear them then than now with the
greater portion of them separated by
thousands of miles from the people
who have in~stigated the revOlts. Bring
back to Russia those half million SOL
diers and scatter them Over the III
try to mingle with the disconnected
peasants and they would become a
power against the government which
it could not withstand. But if Russia
keeps the war up and continues to
force the peasants into the army to be
sent to the far east and keeps up the
cruel, despotic military rule it will be
adding fuel to the flames and hasten
ing the downfall of the government.
The people have become so antagO-
nistic to the government and SO deter
mined in their opposition to it thai
they would hardly be appeased by the
granting of the reforms at first de
handed. They would now take sucf
concessions to be evidence of weak
ness on the part of the government ant
would be contented with no reforma
ton in%augurated. Their demands
would increase prOportiOnately will
the recession from exercise of despoti'
power. Their encroachments on thu
powers of the throne would at las
drive the government to make a stant
and we would find that the grantin:
of concessions had only postponed tn
evil hour.
The conditions in Russia and TIL
feeling of the people against the gov
eminent are such that no matter wha
course the latter pursues its life ap
pears to be doomed. 1t has met al
enemy stronger than itself and deter
mined on its destruction.
We are in receipt of an lnterestn
and instructive pamphlet entitled 9TH
Mining Industry in North Carolin'
During 1903" by Joseph Hyde Pratt