The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-03-29

of Its strength The aristocracy, deprived Of any
participation in politics. was forced to submit to
the paramount race (Poles and Lithuauians).
while the middle classes were subjected to every
kind Of vexatIon.
The peasant had lost the right to possess either
house or land He had become a serf. Numer-
Gus taxes weighed him down TIL he was mere
accessory of the earth. The Orthodox churcn,
which In those times the representative OF
the nation, had become dependent upon govern
ment ill-disposed toward II as to the PEASANTS
II underwent n crisis which nearly brought about
Its dissolution. Up to this period Lithuanian
Ukraine had progressed slowly, but from the
middle OF the sixteenth century II progressed
more rapidly under the influence OF the Polish
institutions. Moreover about 1909 nearly all
the districts of Lithuanian Ukraine were taken
from it's rule and simply annexed to the Polish
republic. They Vohynia. Eastern Podoa.
Podlachje (the western Bug district), ana
Kyjever. The Polish aristocracy came In num-
bers reside in its new 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 a reaction and
a desire for Il national renaissance Having re-
gard the special circumstances In western
Ukraine, where the aristocracy In particular had
been nearly demolished, one will see that the
intellectual and national regeneration could not
hope to succeed In the long run. 1t found sup
port however. In n social and political fac
tor which at this critical moment appeared In
eastern Ukraine, that is to say the Cossacks.
The Cosaacks 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 enormous number of peasants
who at the end of the sixteenth century were
leaving western and northern Ukraine for the
east In order to escape the heavy burdens OF
serfdom. About 1880 the Cossacks came into
conflict with the Polish government. and their
disagreements grew more serious as time went on.
Each struggle inspired fresh energy in the Uk-
rainlans, TIL at last prolonged reptsals G63s-4D
led to revolution. In 164S the people rose, led
by Bohdan Chmielnitzky.
The Polish army 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 totuled about 100000 men at the
beginning of the In 1e4S, their leaders did not
consider the liberation Of the people possible by
the means at their disposal. Chmielnitzky hesi-
tated between methods. The one was to
create Il federation of the orthodox states, Mus
covy. Ukraine Moldavia, 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 Chmielnltzky to decide for Mus
covy. For time Muscovy had not dared to
accept the protectorate of the Ukraine. 1t feared
war with Poland and remembered the cruel de-
feats which that nation had inflicted at the be-
ginning of the seventeenth century. Not till 1853
did Mlscovy decide to extend its protection TO the
Cossack army and to the Ukraine by committing
treaty was signed bearing the name, ARTICLES of
Bohdan Chmelnitzky therein was defined the
position OF the Ukraine to Muscovy.
From the moment the Empress Catherine came
to the throne the days of the Ukrainian autonomy
were, however over.
In 1872 when Poland first divided up west
ern Ukraine now eastern Gacia, became part
of the IIapsburg kingdom In virtue OF certain
lons-standing claims of the Hungarian crown to
this country. Some years later Bukowina (the
fn,,A trh uarfV
Moldayia was added to II. This passing OF
western Ukraine into the rule of Austria awoke
a new national fervor in the country. 1nsignih-
cant in reality the reforms brought ABOUT
this attitude nevertheless created n deep impress
sion upon the Ukrainian population, which once
again enjoyed sense of nationality and lost the
feeling of despair with which 1t was stricken
during the later years of Polish supremacy. Even
after the Austrian government, under the lnnu-
ence of the Polish aristocracy, had characterized
its Ukrainian policy by Il strongly reactionary
feeling the energy of the national movement was
not completely dissipated.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian territory
which had fallen to the share of Russian rule on
the partition of Poland had no cause to look Tor
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 were 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 re-
searches into tha life of the people. the renals-
sance of the Ukrainan language and literature
such as we 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
hdoped its aspirations toward independ-
.nce that was no longer feasible In order to re-
,Iace them by realizable political program
fhe Oldest of these programs that was In any