New-York tribune., 1905-01-24
THE DAY IN RUSSIA.

The second day of the Russian insurrection
appears 10 have passed more quietly than was
expected at least in St Petersburg ITSELF
There was not the prompt renewal or nghung
that was feared, but, on the contrary, the day
passed without any further outbreak. That Is
upon the face of ii an agreeable report. Its full
significance is not, however, apparent We can
not at this distance, nor can any one at any dis
tance, tell surely what is meant by such lull
in the storm. 1t may mean that the revolution
lists are cowed if not crushed and are abandon
ing their campaign. 1t may, on the other hand,
mean that they are taking breath and prepar-
ing for stronger effort than before. The res
pite may strengthen the loyalty of the troops
TO their imperial master. or 1t may strengthen
their sympathes with their brethren in the
streets and cause still more regiments to refuse
to fire upon the people. To-day may show what
it really means, but no one can tell In advance
what the day may bring forth.
Nothing is, perhaps more characteristic, and
nothing is more Illuminating, than the statement
in a dispatch that the Car is Frustrated and al
most in collapse and yet that everything waits
upon his decision. How can a PROSTATE man
decide the destinies of empire? Unless great
injustice has been done 20 Nicholas in nearly
every representation of him that has been made,
must to our regret conclude that Russia's
troubles have thickeDed upon her largely be-
cause of his unfortunate lack Of decisive tnitia-
tive. A Russian in this city said TO The Trib-
une on Sunday: THE Gar loves his people. He
would listen TO them and grant them every re-
form they seek, but he stands in deadly fear
'of the arlstOcrats. They would kill him i'm
"mediately if he were to go over TO the people"
There is reason TO credit these words. What we
know Of the Cars personal character accOrds
with this account of his benevolence What we
know Of earlier Russian history gives color to
the hideous menace against him. Had he pos
sessed the spirit on Sunday to play the part OF
young Richard II, the insurrection might have
been turned into another Wat Tyler's rebellion,
and then he might have improved upon the Eng
lish Kings example by fulfilling his word to
the people and by Kidding himself or the incu-
bus Of the Russian System" The psychology
cal moment came and passed unheeded and
now there seems nothing left but to fight out
the battle between autocracy and democracy.
We have said the day passed quietly at the
capital. How 1t passed elsewhere and what
is going on throughout the empire cannot ut
this moment be told in detail. There are strong
reasons for believing that this iDsurrection was
planned long in advance, and that it was
planned on a general and not merely local,
scale. The spread Of the strike at Moscow.
Kharkof and other large cities, where plans
for a general suspension Of work are reported.
and the burning OF the Admiralty works at Sc
bastopol apparently confirm this theory. An
uprising at the capital alone, no matter how
great and determined, might be suppressed.
But il there were like uprisings all over the en-
pire. and IL the ArmenianS, Jews, Poles and
Firms took advantage of the opportunity to
strike, the resources of the autOcracy would be
taxed 10 the uttermost.