The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-08-10
A Gar OF RUSSIA
Eccentric Alexander H., Who
Gave Freedom to the Serfs.
AND THEN CRUSHED POLAND.
Out Of the Reform He Started by the
Liberation Of the Masses Grew the
Nihilst Movement, Which 5roush.
About His Own Death by Bomb.

hibCId AtOn W Wv tNa@a~o ANOW WV
Nihilist Movement, Which Broueh.
About His Own Death BY Bomb.
1t is curious fact, says the Kansas
City Star. that one of the greatest re-
forms that ever came TO Russia-the
liberation Of the serfs in lS6l-came
through Alexander H., man educated
under the Prussian military system.
Born in 1918. the son of sternly au-
toeratic father, growing up in an at
mosphere In which 1t was looked upon
as treason to criticlse the corner police
man since he was representative Of
the government, Alexander persisted
IN cherishing an interest In all sorts OF
humble people.
He came TO the throne in 1855, when
Russia was flOundering waist deep in
the Crimean war. Russia was defeated
and demoralized, and it was an unusu.
ally auspicious time for men with re-
form ideas to get a hearing. Peace
was made at the end of year and
new laws passed encouraging industry
and commerce. Plans were laid for an
extensive railway system partly TO de-
velop the natural resources Of the
country and partly to Increase its mill
tary efficiency.
Then in 1858 Alexander received
petition from certain great landowners
In Iithuania praying for a more salts
factory adjustment Of relations be-
tween themselves and their serfs. The
car replied with lavish praises of their
public spirit and assumed that what
they wanted to do was to improve the
condition of the serfs, which In point
Of fact was not true at all. Their petl.
ton had given him an opening.
Without consulting his ministers the
car caused copies OF his instructions
to the governor general Of Lithuania to
be forwarded to the governors OF all the
other Russian provinces Suggesting"
that t,.e'l n,,GT1crs of their provinces
might also care 20 consider emancipa
ton of the secfs. Local committees
went 10 work on the subject.
There were in Russia at this time
some 23,0O0,000 serfs. slaves of the
soil They could not be sold away
from the land on which they We're
born. but IN all other respects their
bondage was virtually complete. The
ear set the ball rolling by freeing the
100000 geIfs on the imperial estates.
! The abolition OF serfdom was inovita.
| bic, but the landowners tried to stave
1t Off as far as possible. They submit
ted plan for making the serfs agrI-
cultural laborers. entirely dependent
upon them economically. The car re.
fused to accept It. II the serfs were
really 20 be free he decided they must
be able TO own land. A state loan,
payable annually at per cent for for
ty-nine years enabled the former serfs
to bJy certain share Of farm land OF
Russia and become peasant proprie-
tors The land was held by the village
communities and by them apportionsd
TO their members, The ukase freeing
the serfs was published March 3, 1861.
Hope famed very high In Russia at
that time. and men OF the more vision
airy sort looked forward TO an imme-
diate Utopia. They were disappointed,
OF course, and they found that freeing
the ecrrs did not cure all the Ills to
| which Russian fesh was heir. Out OF
their disappointment and their impa-
tience that Alexander did not make
Russia into Socialist community
there developed the nihilist movement.
| whose passion for revolution involved
passion for assassination.
The car In the meantime was en-
deavoring to steer a middle course. It
Is one Of the curious contradictions of
his character that this man, who car
ried through the freeing of the serfs
almost single handed, should have look
cd with entire GOODNESS and disfavor
upon Poland's aspirations for freedom
embrace the union with Russia"
he told the Polish delegates, and
abandon all thoughts OF independence.
now and forever impossible"
And in 1853 when revolt broke tut In
Poland 1t was relehtlcssly rcpressed
under Alexander H., and thereafter
every step was taken to crush the ma
tional spirit OF Poland, destroy Its Ian.
guage and traditions and make OF 1t an
integral part OF Russia. Tie doctrine
Of Panslavism took strong hold Oh
his imagination, aud he went to wal
with Turkey In 1877, feeling himself
the chivalric liberator of the Chris
tian peoples of the Balkan country.
But his hopes OF confederation OF
Slav states under Russian rule In the
Balkan peninsula were dashed by the
congress OF Berlin next year.
The last years OF Alexanders life
were dreary ones. More aud more he
yielded to depression as he saw his
high hopes for Russia fail TO mate
rlalize. Numerous attempts were made
upon his life, and after the explosion
IN the Winter palace In 1880 the cgar
gave practically dictatorial power FOR
six months TO General Loris Melikotf.
distinguished liberal officer Nell.
l;off advised the granting OF a consti-
tuition to Russia, nnd Alexander was
on the point Of issuing ukase to that
eifect--had indeed signed it--When he
was slain, March 10. 1881, by n nlhilist
bomb.