The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-06-23
CIVIL q WAR
I I..!C'lL.lO [ !!
5st VIZ
PREDICTION n OF lvANoFF, A NO.
TED RUSSIAN LAWYER, in
SPEECH AT MURDER !.
TRIAL. laiii5 q VI

3-Il - pbSN@s l spar.
y ST. PETERSBURG, June 23.-The
following Is a literal translation OF
the speech delivered by NJ. lvanoff, the
celebrated Russian lawyer, at the trial
Of Kaleieff, the murderer Of the Grand
Duke Sergius. The proceeding was
before a special tribunal, composed
Of members of the Ruling Senate"
and was held behind closed doors at
Moscow. lyanoff was subsequently
arrested for discussing the trial at a
meeting Of barristers. His speech
has been circulated by hundreds OF
thousands by the Social Revolution.
aries.
Senators: In this trial two great
events stand out before all else-the
death of the Grand Duke serguis and
the penalty 10 which Kaleieff must
submit. The facts are only too clear.
They admit of no argument. l de.
sire only to submit few observations
upon the character OF Kaleleff's act.
May Kaleier, whose life Is in your
hands, pardon me If lack the words
and moral force to fulfill the duty as.
signed to me.
The Empire In Revolt,
1T is, Senators, in q peculiarly diff
acult moment that you are called
upon to Judge this case. An unre
stralnable political movement as a
result Of the complete bankruptcy Of
our present economic, political and
military systems has produced the
present condition of affairs in Russia
Every section Of the empire is in re
volt, workmen have persisted by hun
dreds in the streets Of the capital
In the smoke Of burning estates the
peasant is looking fora solution Of
the conditions which are grinding
him down. The lntelligentsia is mar
tyrizing itself.
Two great forces are at war; ths
old regime. established centuries ago
and young Russia, which aspires t
liberty. Hope that this struggle cal
end practically is lost. Civil war il
close at hand, and in the history 0
this great battle the social revolution
airy party will be found to have writ
ten the most striking and terrible
page, for 1t has written 1t in It's owl
blood and. the blood Of those whom
it considers the enemies of the nee
pie.
Not cowardIy Murder.
Having chosen political murde
as an instrument, the revolver an
the bomb as arms, the Social Revolt
tlonarics seek by terror 10 accelerat
the politica! liberation Of Russi;
But II is not cowardly murder.
THE Social Rcvolutonaries unde
stand very well that 1t is impossible
for the masses of the people, wit
pitchforks and fails In their hands, t
destroy the bastile, defended as 1t
in our time. January 90, with II
bloody story, furnished eloquent col
firmation OF the impotency OF the pc,
pie against bayonets and bullets.
"The Social Revomtionaries ca
only oppose machine guns with revC
: vers and bo!nbs--the barricades
the twentieth century. 1t is true the
are the implacahle enemies OF Il
present regime, and they do not as
for themselves mercy. They fat
death sentences as men court deaf
on the field of battle. The procure
is right. They do not only mena,
the lives of others, but they thro
away their own lives with the rec
: lessness Of madness.
They make others perish, but tht
perish themselves. Kaleieff will d
:. a also and | have only one request
make of you: Do not look upon hi
= as criminal, but as an enemy aft
q the battle, and in pronouncing yo
h verdict remember that in the futu
% the bloody sunrise of which Is alrea,
n upon the horizon, all the past will
: weighed in the balance. Do not maj
j. that balance too heavy; 1t alrea'
contains enough of blood"