Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-03-11
nnEspIsINa poMINIoN.


Count Tolstoi, in letter to the Lon.
don Times, says he regards not only the
Russian government, but ali govern
ments. as ''intricate institutions sanctiiied
by tradition and custom for the purpose
of committing by violence and WITH
inpuaity the most dreadful social
crimes.
He, therefore, thinks the efforts OF
those who wish to improve social life
should be directed to the liberation oi
themselves "from the governments whose
futiIity in these times is becoming more
and more obvious. This object could
only be attained by the unique means OF
religiously and morally periecting
SEPARATE individuals. The idea IS prev
alent that the evil accomplished by the
"present particularly coarse, cruel,
stupid and deceitful Russian govern
ment' is due to the fact that the Rus
sian government is not organized on the
model of other existing governments,
which care similar institutions for the
committal of all kinds Of crimes against
their peoples" For the purpose OF
correcting this the people had used all
the means at their disposal, ''imagining
that an alteration Of the external forms
might alter the essence.
"Sueh activity" Count lolstoi says,
'fs inexpedient and unreasonable, In
that the people assert rights which they
do not have.
"yiolent strife by external means on
the part of an insignificant handful OF
men against a powerful government de-
tending its life is only comical from the
point of view of the possibility Of sue
cess, and piteous as regards the uniortu-
nate misled individuals who perish in
the unequal strife.
''The Russian government has no
right to claims which do not appeal to
the great mass of the people. One hum
dred million of the peasaItry need moth
ing OF these demands, their one desire and
expectation being the liberation oil the
land from the law of property or common
ownership of land, matters which are
entirely ignored in liberal positions and
speeches and only incidentally alluded
to in the revolutionary sOcialistic pro-
gramme."
Concerning the representation de-
mands. Count Tolstoi says:
"The people in great mass still be.
lieve in autocracy both by reason OF
inertia and because they think that only
through autocracy and through the Car
can they attain this communication oil
land. The present activity is pernicious
because it distracts the people from the
moral perfectioning of separate indiyid-
uals, whereby only can be obtained the
objects towards which those who are
fighting the government are striving.
"One cannot participate in political
action which draws the people into in-
trigue, subterfuge, strife and spite ex'
tending TO murder. Political action not
only fails to contribute to the liberation
of man from the violence OF govern
ments, but on the contrary renders the
people more incapable Of that vigor
which only eau liberate them.
"Light.minded people, Judging super
6cially, especially those upset by the
butchery in st. Petersburg, thought the
chief cause OF those events lay in the
despotism of the government; and u
the autocratic monarchical form of thS
Russian government is replaced by q
constitutional or republican one, then
such events could not be repeated.
"But the chief calamity from which
the Russian people are suffering is no
st. Petersburg events, but the reckless
disgraceful, cruel war instigated by
score of immoral individuals. The war,
which already has destroyed hundreds o
thousands of Russians, imposes an enor'
nous tax upon the labor of future gen
erations. That which took place in st
Petersburg or January 22 Is nolling II
comparison to what is taxing place II
M anchuria.
In conclusion Count Tolstoi says thai
in America, France, Germany, JapaI
and England the perniclous characte
of the governments lis so marked tha
| those belonging to those nations point t.
events in Russia and naively imagin
what is done in Russia is done only ia
Russia, while they enjoy complete free
deni and need no improvement OF thel
positions.
Es''But' he adds, "they are in the mos
hopeless state OF slavery-the slavery
slaves who do not understand that thel
are slaves and pride themselves on thel
position as slaves. The factis that ever
c)ercive government is in the essence
great and unnecessary evil. Therefore
the aim both of the Russians and OF a
men should not be to replace one forI
of government by another, but TO fire
themselves from every government an
.L.f;ah ~ -