Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-15

of the land as we'll as the privileges OF
rights i'm the said grand duchy, in partic-
uar which the Inhabitants i'm general. be
their position high or low. have hitherto
enjoyed according to the constitution. We
promise to maintain all these benefits
and laws firm and unshakable in their
full force. In confirmation whereof W.
have signed this act OF assurance with
our own hand Given in Borga March
1877. Is0?. ALEXANDER
\ like guarantee has been subscribed
by every succeeding car. including Mich
olas II.
The question OF Finland's rights has
been examined by such authorities as Sir
Edward Fry. Gehrard Absolute of the
University Of Berlin. Won Bar OF the L MI
versty of Gottngen. Ernest Nys OF the
University of Brussels. Sir Frederick
Pollock OF the University OF oxford. 4.
Westlake of the University OF Cambridge.
Van der Elugt OF the University Of Lev
den. All these. men of great judicial tai
cnts. declared that the grand duchy could
not be legally deprived OF its constitution
without consent.
IL is Ia deny the truth OF history TO pre-
tend that Russia has any right over Fin
land other than the personal right Of the
ear as sovereign OF the grand duchy.
The car is grand duke o. Finland. as NJ
Is emperor of Russia. When, in 1905.
Alexander I. ally of Napoleon. wished 70
force Gustavus ~ OF Sweden. ally 81
England. to adhere to the continental
blockade, he invaded Finland, occupied
until then by the Swedes. and IN a procla-
nation affirmed that his occupation OF the
grand duchy was purely pacific. and that
he would treat the Firms good neigh
bors. He posed as the protector Of TIE
grand duchy DESTROYS only OF averting th"
ills of war. BY the treaty of Frederick
shamm. September L. 1909 Charles III
of Sweden coded all his rights over Fla
land to tie Car Alexander. who.
have seen. solemnly swore TO maintain
the laws. All attempts TO Justify the yo-
lations committed by Russia since lsia
have pitiably failed When Nicholas II
published the imperial manifesto in 1899
making a distinction between the local
legislation of Finland and the general
legisla tion concerning the empire. tho
Finnish diet replied firmly, that the
fundamental laws accorded il anothe"
role than that of a simple consultative
body. And thus in 1905 the car was
obliged to issue a rescript re-estab,ishing
legal order in the grand duchy. but since
1908 the Russian council of ministers de-
cided to deny formally the autonomy OF
Finland.
IN the declaration OF the motives OF the
action Of the council of ministers SUBJ
mitted to the duma il IN
Official said that Russia proposed
n..;.I. simply Ito guarantee In
Finland, 4 border terri
tory. Russias inprescriptible rights
and vital interests. but not to destroy the
interior autonomy of the grand dEchy.
russ!anize the Firms. or to strike down
their civilization" Suca protestations
cannot but be regarded with suspicion
by the Firms when the project declares
that all general legislation, all participa-
ton in the expenses of the empire mill
tary service. rights OF Russian subjects
domiciled in Finland. questions which in
the interests of the empire should be
withdrawn from the jurisdiction OF Fin
nish tribunals. legislation concerning the
press, the right OF assembly and associa-
ton, shall emanate from the car. What.
may il not be asked will become OF Fin
| land rights when the government OF
ST. Petersburg is left alone to appreciate
these rights?
The good faith OF Russia i'm political
matters is not to be accepted with i'm
punity. Nor is it the first time that
Russia has adopted like means TO do in
I other countries what she proposes TO do
i'm Finland. The history of Georgia and
Poland shows that Finland is not the
first victim of Russias singular indde!ity.
When Russia WAS mistress OF the
Crimea and of the Black and the Sea
of Azof, she conceived the plan. decided
by the ministers OF Catherine II, to carry
the Russian power into the Caucasus
where she might rally under her standard
all the tribes The Russian government
commenced by concluding a treaty with
Heraclius. King Of Georgia. in 1883. BY
this treaty Georgia placed herself Under
the protectorate OF Catherine III, who In
her name. and that of her successors.
! guaranteed solemnly TO maintain the
autonomy Of Georgia, its national legis-
lation. its church, its tribunals, its Geor-
2ian money! and its military system.
Now. in 1893 the Car Paul profited by
the incapacity of George NJ. King OF
Georgia. to propose a revision or the
| treaty OF 1aS3 and q new treaty was exc
cuted which stipulated that the kingdom
of Georgia would be part of the Rus
sian empire, preserving Its autonomous
and national rights. But dangerous
! clause was inserted: a corps or Russian
! infantry composed of 5000 men was Ia
! be maintained i'm garrison Tor the pro-
! lection of Georgia.
The 18th of January, 1901. Paul I pub
iished a manifesto announcing the an
nexation of Georgia. and
Georgia it is to be noted he de-
clared solemnly, ION his
ouneAe"' imperial honor" that in
the union of the two countries ''all the
rights and privileges should be main
tanned intact George XI died about
that time and March IL, 1901. Paul | was
I aSSaSSinated. Thereupon AleSdnuef L,
his successor. ordered 10000 soldiers 10
penetrate Georgia, and an imperial mani
festo. September IL, 1901, incorporated
Georgia definitely into the Russian en-
pire To complete the proceeding which
Russia used toward Georgia. il is inter
esting to state that the original Of the
treaty of 11S:. deposited in the Church
OF Zion AT Tifis. was carried or in the
middle OF the nineteenth century and
taken to st. Petersburg. so that when
the Georgians invoked the guarantee OF
their rights they sought i'm vain the
treaty.
This was what was done to Georgia
i'm the nineteenth century. We shall see
if the like may be done to Finland in
the twentieth.
Prof. Paul NilyukoV. the distinguished
historian and leader of the constitutional
democrats i'm the duma, recently ma d.
a brilliant speech in which he condemned
Russia's foreign policy. Referring TO tile
American proposal 10 Russia, asked
what were the conditions that favored
4. La