Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-03-28
81 Professor (1ichaelo Hrusheu5ky


national Ukrainian life. About the middle Of the
sixteenth century Ukranan life had lost much
of it's strength. The aristOcracy deprived of any
participation in politics, forced to submit to
the paramount race Poles and Lithuanians),
while the middle classes were subjected to every
kind of veNation.
The peasant had lost the right to possess either
house land. He had become serf. Numer-
Gus taxes weighed him down till he was mere
accessory OF the earth. The Orthodox church,
which in those times the representative of
the nation. had become dependent upon govern
nent ill-dSpoSed toward it to the peasants
1t underwent crisis which nearly brought about
its dissolution. Up to- this period Lithuanian
Ukraine had progressed slowly, but from the
middle of the sixteenth century 1t progressed
rapidly under the influence Of the Polish
institutions Moreover, about 1909, nearly all
the districts of Lithuanian Ukraine were taken
from its rule and simply annexed to the Polish
republic They Volynia Eastern Podolia,
Podachje (the western Bug district, and
Kyjever. The Polish aristocracy came in num-.
bers to reside in it's territory, the Ukrainian
aristocracy became influenced by the Poles. and
the individual life of the Ukraine ceased to exist.
This did not take place without reaction and
a desire for national renaissance. Having re-
gard to the special circumstances in western
Ukraine. where the aristocracy in particular had
been nearly demolished, one will that the
intellectual and national regeneration could not
port. however, in social and political fac
tor which at this critical moment appeared In
eastern Ukraine, that is to say the Cossacks.
The Cossacks did not hesitate to proclaim the
immunity from all Jurisdiction all foreign suzer-
ainty all taxes, and all personal service of those
who submitted to the power and jurisdiction of
the Zaporogue (Cossack) army. Thus they drew
toward them an enormous number of peasants,
who ut the end of the sixteenth century were
leaving western and northern Ukraine for the
east in order to escape the heavy burdens of
serfdon. About 1890 the Cossacks came into
conflict with the Polish government, and their
disasree.nents grew serious as time went on.
Each struggle inspired fresh energy in the Uk-
rainians, till at last prolonged reprisals (163S-47)
lied to revolution. In 164S the people rose, led
by Rohdan Chmielnitzky.
The Polish army was beaten, and the rising
spread the Ukraine, even to the distant re-
gions OF the west. In spite of the number Of in
surgents, who totaled about 100000 men at the
beginning of the in 1G4S, their leaders did not
consider the liberation of the people possible by
the means at their disposal Chmelnitzky hest
tated between two methods The one TO
create federation of the orthodox states Mus
covy. Ukraine. MOdavia, and the Slavs OF the
Balkans. This alliance would have been directed
against Poland and Turkey. Several reasons,
and above all the weakness of the Turkish gov
ernment, inclined Chmielnitzky to decide for Mus
covy. For some time Muscovy had not dared to
accept the prOtectorate of the Ukraine. 1t feared
with Poland and remembered the cruel de-
feats which that nation had inflicted at the be-
ginning of the seventeenth century. Not till 1863
did MscOvy decide to extend it's protection to the
Cossack army and to the Ukraine by committing
itself to war with Poland. In March, 1854, the
treaty was signed bearing the name. ARTICLES of
Bohaan Chmielnitzky;" therein defined the
position of the Ukraine to Muscovy.
From the moment the Empress Catherine
to the throne the days of the Ukrainian autonomy
We're. however, over.
In 1872, when Poland was first divided up west
ern Ukraine, eastern Galicia, became part
CT the Hapsburg kingdom in virtue of certain
long standing claims of the Hungarian crown to
this country. SoIne years later, Bukowina (the
present regon), which formerly belonged to
Modavia added to it, This passing of
western Ukraine into the rule of Austria awoke
IL new national fervor III the country Insgniti-
cant We're in reality the reforms brought about,
this attitude nevertheless created a deep impress
sion upon the Uklainian population, which once
again enjoyed Il of nationality and lost the
feeling OF despair with which 1t stricken
during the later years of Polish supremacy. Even
after the Austrian government. under the infiu-
ence of the Polish aristocracy, had characterized
It's Ckranian policy by strongly reactonary
feeling, the energy of the national movement was
not completely dissipated.
On the other hand, the Ukranan territory
which had fallen to the share of Russian rule on
the partition of Poland had no cause to look for
any revival of nationalist aspirations. The rigor
with which the Polish or Polonized aristocracy
ruled the Ukranian peasantry became now more
merciless still, supported as the Poles We're by
the authority of Russia.
The longing TO the old constitution restored
made itself manifest from time to time, especially
on such occasions as the Russian government
sought to recruit the Cossack militia in the
Ukraine.
The study Of ethnography, and dialects the
searches into the life of the people, the renais-
sance of the Ukranian language and literature,
such as we see at the end of the eighteenth cen
fury and especially in the first half of the nine
teenth century, brought together the intellectual
classes
Under the influences of which we have just
spoken, and thanks to the ideals imported from
western Europe, Ukrainian political thought
abandoned it's aspirations toward independ-
ence that was longer feasible in order to re-
place them by a realizable political program
p kl.asa x,ran hat x1.aa In,