Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-22
RUSSIAN LAWYERS ADDRESS
At the Trial Of Kaleief, Assassin Of
Sergius.

Correspondence of the Associated Press
ST PETERSBURG. Wednesday. June ~
The following Is a literal translation Of
the speech delivered by NJ Ivanoff. the cell
ebrated Russian lawyer. at the trial OF
Kaleieff. the murderer of the Grand Duke
Sergius The proceeding was before a spe-
cfal tribunal composed of members of the
ruling senate" and was held behind closed
doors at MOSCOW. Ivanoff was subse-
quently arrested for discussing the trial
at a meeting of barristers. His speech has
been circulated by hundreds Of thousands
by the social revoluttonaries:
'senators-In this trial two great everfts
stand out before all else-the death Of the
Grand Duke Sergius and the penalty to
which kaleief must submit. The facts are
only too clear. They admit Of no argu-
ment 1 desire only to submit few OBJ
servations upon the character of Kaleieff's
act. May Kaleieff whose life is In your
hands, pardon me IL lack the words and
moral force to fulfill the duty assigned to
me- 1t is. senators. in a peculiarly difficult
moment that you are called upon to Judge
this case. An understandable political move
ment as result Of the complete bank
ruptcy OF our present economic, political
and military systems has produced the
present condition of affairs in Russia
Every section Of the empire is in revolt:
workmen have persisted by hundreds in the
streets of the capital
In the smoke of burning estates the peas
ant is looking for a solution of the condi-
lions which are grinding him down. The
lnteiiigentsia Is martyrfZing itself Two
great forces are at war; the old regime.
established centuries ago, and young Rus
sia. which aspires to liberty. Hope that
this struggle can end pacifcalIy is lost.
hQ nd in he lie
tory or this great battle the social reyo-
lutionary party will be found to have writ
ten the most striking and terrible page,
for 1t has written 1t in its own blood and
the blood OF those whom 1t considers the
enemies of the people.
Having chosen political murder as an
instrument, the revolver and the bomb as
arms. the social revolutionarles seek by
terror to accelerate the political liberation
of Russia. But it Is not cowardly murder.
me social revolutionaries understand very
well that 1t is impossible for the masses
OF the people with pitchforks and fails
In their hands to destroy the bastille, de-
Tended as 1t Is in our time. January ~,
with Its bloody story. furnished eloquent
pie against bayonets and bullets. The
social revolutionaries can only oppose ma
chine guns with revolvers and bombs-the
oarrlcades OF the twentieth century.
III Is true they are the implacabie enc
mics of the present regime and they do not
ask for themselves mercy. They face death
sentences as men court death on the field
OF battle. The procurer is right. They do
not only menace the lives of others but
they throw away their own with the reck-
lessness OF madness. They make others
perish, but they perish themselves. Ka-
leien will die also. and 1 have only one re-
guest to make Of you: Do not look upon
him as criminal but as an enemy after
the battle. and in pronouncing your YER
dict remember that in the future, In the
oioody sunrise which Is already upon the
horizon all the past will be weighed In the
balance. Do not make that balance too
heavy;. 1t already contains enough of
blood"