The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-21
UNFIT FOR
The Russian People Let Pass tic On.
portun.ty to Establish Their Free
dom From DcpotIsua.

portun.ty to Establish Their Free
dom Frcm Dcpotisna.
Seldom in history has an oppressed
people been face 20 face with 50 n
an opportunity 10 wrest their liberty
from the grasp IF tyrants: and never
before has 4 people shown Itself 80 ut
terly unequal TO the task. 50 unworthy
OF Its fortune.
The Russians are The most oppressed
people IN Europe, not excepting the
Osmanli Turks. or the Christian Greeks
still under their rule They have been
trodden under foot, their faces ground
In the earth under the heel Of the no.
bility. Even in their emancipation from
serfdom they still remain ab.cet
slaves of the upper classes They are
STEPPED in ignorance n superstition.
unworthy alike Of the name Of eiviii-
lied people and Of Christians. And now.
| when the armies that the car has with
difficulty driven to tho Far East To
be routed by an Infinitely superior race
have been destroyed or demoraltzea.
and when the fleets OF the empire are
| at the bottom of The sea, or flying the
Japanese flag or dismantled and COW
ering before a single mutinous crew IN
the Black sea-, they show that they are
| utterly incapable of rising and shakins
of the chains that Japanese shot n
| shell have already broken in a thous-
| and places. From the car to muzhik'
Russia is blind, iumb. stupefied, con-
| founded-hopeless.
The right of revolution Is mora d.
- -g-ks 80 hing And Inc
| Russian people, at least those among
| them VINO can recognize the true CON
| dition of the empire and who are rap
| able of sober thought, are DESTROYS or
revolving. They wish the overthrow oil
tho government, snd the establishment
J of free and representative institutions
They see the necessity for action, n
recognize the opportunity; but they
are utterly incapable of seiZing IL u
snatching their freedom rom the u
of the car who now holds a barren
sceptre in his gripe.
The historian of abortiye revolutloa-
ary movements will record the rare op-
portunity for rag n
ful revolutjonist3 offered by the mutln-
los at Libau, Reval and Odessa anu
he prisings at Warsaw, Lode, n IN
the Caucasus. But he will also re-
cord the amazing inaptitude OF the So
called leaders of revoult and the equal
Nv amazing stupefaction OF the eh~'te
nation. ANY one of these mutinies or
unrisings would have been sufficient tor
a hold and resourceful leader, a Crom-
well. a GaribalG,, or a Danton. But
with the Russians. who seem TO ha'a
M genius for revolt, a dozen small IN
surrections would not be adequate
It is extremely unfortunate for the
race that the Russian people have ae-
valoned in this critical hour in their
history no genius for revolution FOR the
riobt of revolution is one OF the most
sacred rights OF mankind and Is apso-
mtely essential for the race, II IL Is 10
win and maintain It's freedom.
What a splendid opportunity was
missed in the mutiny of the crew Oh 'he
battleship Potemkin. Here was An
| ideal nucleus for a successful reNot.r :
was the strongest vessel lett 10 nus.
sia: it was we'll equipped and suppued
; with ammunition, IL could nave oo-
tanned all the coal and FOOD mat ~
. needed by levying upon Russian po'ts'
: and it had the Black Sea to ltssi. rs
it's hold attitude had forced TWO RUS
sian admirals to dash for the shei,eI
of land batteries and dismantle tuetr
shins. And yet what did 1t
: Worse than nothing. After IL was JOIN
i ed by the mutinous Georeel, anu >
x two vessels could have forced ouesa "
9 terms and made Z centre lot the 'ho
y ough organization OF ~reVoiu'ion'
s two vessels separated n each Maa
then abandoned by its crew. lhere W.
n two thing the PGtemkin could now
done. seize Odessa as a base lot q '
e ,nIt ar steam to Batum or Pott and give
q welcome and perhaps decisi'e -,
agonent TO the revolutionlsts IN the
= Co,oaSus The leaders of the revolu-
$ tion If il has leaders, or brains, shouio
d 80 mt men aboard the Potemkln u
It d;ract her movements and transform
d - into a mobile base of the revolu-
ton. rms
rand ducal cabai, the powers ina
a nnrev in ST. Petersburg and Moscow ma
1t we'll exult. They nave triumphed iol
Or tho hour: at least they have escapF'
onnibilation. Their policy has 9aslr
ID sad itself. Wisdom, 1t was sald "
q those of old tine, is Justihed OF ne
- children. but in Russia folly also Il
= i,stifed of her brood. The poic! Y
,fl keeping the people in blind lehoIanS
lie and suDerstition proves no" 10 pS
lie strongest bulwark OF the noDiii.y. IN
re Russian people are too stupiu, - W
rs a.liobiened 10 blind and dumb ah'
n naIsied nv superstition to rise agaihs
ri tvrants. even when TO rise Is cas-,
'sS a,d- triumph sure. Not until the torc
- enliphtenment is ablaze for year
" IN the Cimmerian darkness OF the IAN
w;u the Russians be capable OF intelii
Il. cont revolution. They do not kno'
What liberty is; how, then can they y
exnected to fight for ii, or even TO wires
- from the nerveless grasp OF the mo-
imhecile rulers that ever held a peopi