The sun., 1916-12-31

which Count Leo IOIstOy wrote to
Gar Nicholas II. in 1901. during the
period of terrorism and executions.
The letter addressed to the Car was
accompanied by tn, following note
written by Tolstoy In his own hand:
YoUR IMPERIAL MAJESTY: In sending
you herewith the letter addressed to
YOU and your aids, called forth by the
recent sad events. I bet' your Majesty
to believe that I have ~,'ritton It only
because I consider 1t m, duty to my
conscience. and l was guided solely by
my desire for the welfare o. the Rus.
sian people and your Majest.'.
yours with love. Lee ToLsTor."
, The following are characteristic ex.
tracts from Tolstoy's remarkable epis.
tie To the Car:
Again assassinations, again exscu.
TONS again terror and false ACCUSE.
tons, threats and bitterness on on.
side and hatred and the desire FOR
vengeance and the readiness to make
sacrifices on the other. Once more
all the Russian people are divided into
two inumical camps. committing and
cvcr ready to commit tho creates, Of
crimes.
1T may very well he that the az.
tation which has now come to tho sur
face will he suppressed. but it nay also
be that the soldiers, the police and the
officers, upon whom the Government
Is depending SO much, will realize that
the thing they are compelled to do u
tho greatest crime, fratriCidc. and they
may decline to obey orders. But even
il the present agitation should he sup
pressed this time. II cannot he muflcl
altogether. Secretly it will spread over
more and more. and sooner or ,atcr il
must manifest itself with even greater
force and produce ever more terrible
suTerings and crimes.
What is the use of all this? What
i the use of all this. since it i 50
easy to remedy il?
we are addressing ourselves to YOU.
to those who are in power. from The
car. the members OF the Council NJ
the Empire. the members Of the cab.
met. to your relatives. the unclcs. tho
brothers OF the Car and those near
To him who can influence him. We
are addressing ourselves to YOU not az
tn enemies hut as brothers. inscp8ra-
bly, bound To us. whether you like il or
not. so that the sufcrings which Ne
are experiencing are reflected also
upon you. Inc wen more So. IL you but
realize that you could have averted
these surerlngs and yet you have no,
done il.
T you. or TO most OF YOU. IL seems
that the things which are happening
are due to the fact that there are Ger
tain restless people. dissatisfied agita.
tors. disturhers Of the peace; that these
people alone are 10 blame: that 1. 10
necessary To pacify and bride these
restless. dissatisfied people. and that
this done then everything would he
well again. and that no changes are
necessary.
, but II II were only a question NJ
these restless. angry people all tina,
would he necessary would be to catch
'hcm. lmprison or execute them. and
the agitation would come to an end
But these men have heen caught nv
the thousands for thirty years. i'm
~prisoncd. exiled or executed, and yet
their numbers are ever growing and
tho dissatisfaction directed against .he
present order Of things not only con.
tinucs bu is spreading so that now
millions Of working people, the great
majority OF the whole nation. are
among tho dissatisfied.
The causes are duo To tho fact that
In consequence of the unfortunate ac-
cidcntal assassination of tho car who
liberated the scrfs. an act ~ terror
committed by a small group ot people
who enormously imagined that 'n't
were. thus serving the entire nation
3 III" Government not only rcsol, cl -
refuse TO mako progress. ~renouucir.
It's dospotic forms, but on Tho Cou'Ilr,
believing that is salvation lay oul, On
these brutal, obsolete forms NJ govern.
ment. has for twenty years gone back
ward instead Of going forward or even
remaining stationary. thus separating
itself ever moro AMI NOR" from no
people and their demands
80 that not 'hcso angry, dissatisfied
people nrc to blame, hut on, thc ru'.
crs, who would lot sec anything ex-
cept your own interests AT this mo.
mcnt.
IF these people arc acitatod now
and SOON to desire To harm YOU i =
only because you appear to them - Zoo
tho obstacle which dcprivrs not oN''
themselves, but millions o. their broth
rem, of thc greatest bliss ~ manhrnl-
liberty and enlightenment"
Then Tolstoy enumerated -four vHrs
in which tho cvil could 10 romed'cd
First, by cqualizinc tho peasant, In
all their rights with the rest Of 'he
population.