The mirror., 1915-04-01

"A
quest by the surrounding autocratic
governments, and after a struggle
lasting over $50 years they were
finally conquered, but their invinci-
BILE spirit is still honored by the
memory Of such patriots as Puliski
and Koscinsko. In 1905 the Tsar
promised this people a constitution,
and at the beginning of this war this
promise was renewed. 1t is to be
hoped that these people, so well able
to govern themselves, may soon
realize their highest wish.
Among the Poles are Millions of
weforeed into the country by the
autacratic+ policy of the government,
andsliving under conditions of most
cruel and grinding proverty. The
effect of this prolonged oppression
of the entire province finds ample
expression in the character of it's
music and literature.
Aaong the Baltic we find a great
marry Germans, who occupy most Of
the commercial positions. Then the
Let's, the Oldest remment of the old
Aryan stock. Still farther north are
the Films, subject 20 Sweden for
many years, but a part of Russia
sincs 1909. The Firms are Mongolian
in ofigin but Teutonlc in culture,
being protestant. In spite of their
strut gle with a poor soil. an adverse
climate and an overpowerful
sovereign they have developed far IN
education and government. While
this province has enjoyed more self
government than any other in
Russia, its independent spirit is
utterly out of harmony with that of
it's master and it's people are entitled
to greater independence. Original
ly the Films occupied the whole of
northern Russia. St. Petersburg
itself was built, ready to use, in
Finnish country, a land of marsh
and forest. Its German name and
it's prevailing architecture reflects
early Teutonic influences and is
more in accord with historical and
actual conditions than it's Russian
Petrograd. Along the northern edge
of the Empire are the Laplanders
with their reindeer, and toward the
northeast the Samoyed. a heathenish
flsherfolk. Along the Caspian Sea
and the Caucasus are found the fag
ends of many non-slavic races pre-
serving.
The great characteristic of the
Russian individual at large is con-
servatism. Widely prevailing ig-
norance, poverty and intemperancs
has had a great deal to do with this
condition, but all of this would un-
doubtedly have been greatly modi-
fled had the government been built
upon more liberal foundation.
History presents some astonishing
proof of the ignorance of not only
the Russian masses, but the rul-
ing class during the time correspond
ing with the Queen Elizabeth's reign
in England, and for the century
after that. When Russia began
diplomatic relation with other
European Countries it could not
find men among its own qualified
to held the position as representa-
tives in foreign courts, but was COM
PEELED to engage foreigners, notably
French, English, and Germans, who
we're engaged in business there. 1t is
said that in Valdimirs time Russian
mothers bewailed as dead the child
ren taken from them and taught the
alphabet. The people were not
a5le to record their early history
but nearly ali the earlier events in
Russian history come down to us in
English, French, German and Scan
dinavian writer's who ventured into
the unknown regions from the tenth
to the sixteenth centuries and sup
piled practically all the intellectual
| and husineSs life of the countrv