New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-05-07

ceeu, Out TO SuDdue the others and
take possession of their territory. and
the armed retainers, who were wont
Formerly to wander about as free
lances. gave up their rowing mode of
life, settled down permanently. be-
came landed proprietors and sought
to share as boyars the princes au.
thority.
The greatest of these probabilities
was N~ovgorOd. Since the DAYS when
kurik had first chosen it as his head.
quarters the little capital on the Vol.
khov had grown into a great CONNER
cial city and brought under subsection
a vast expanse of territory, stretch.
ing from the shores of the Baltic to
the Ural mountains. Ualike the other
Russian principalities 1t had a dem
o%cratic, rather than a monarchial form
OF government. The republic of Nov
gorod was the first and only flicker
or freedom in the long night of Rus
STA, and it glowed but for a short
moment.
Novgorod had a prince. but he was
engaged by formal contract. He was
merely the commander of the troops.
All the political power remained in the
hands of the civil officials. They had
a popular assembly which was called |
together in the market place as occa-
sion required. by the tolling of the
great bell. The maxim of the state
was: IF the prince is bad, into the
mud with him"
In Moscow a different state of af-
fairs obtained. There the supreme law
was the will and within of an %autocrat.
Democratic NovgOrod and autocratic
became bitter rivals. The fu-
ture Of Russia was In balance. The
question was light or darkness, day
or night, freedom or slavery for the
Russians. Had Novgorod won
out In the thirteenth century we
might not have the problem of boil
.hevism In Russia today. But 1t was
to be otherwise. and with the success
Of Moscow, autocracy was enthroned.
The Russian night came on.
Tatar Eruption.
hen came the Tatar yoke. The
Horde" conquered Russia. The
,onquerors built their capital at Sari
IN he lower Volga. The Mongols pill.
aged and robbed. Tax gatherers kept
he peoples backs bent in toll. The
irst trail to Siberia was blazed, the
road that was to play such an
important part In the horrors Of Rus a.,
ian hJcfnru ndIlp apo,ub tho G-,t
vayfarers who %journeyed on this road f,
we're Russian autOcrats, the degener- +,
tie and corrupt descendants Of Rurik. :
he grand khan, the chief Of the Mon !,
empire, lived with the "Great -
iorde" in the valley Of the Amur in
Iberia. Russian princes were puppets .
h eyes of this autocrat OF auto :
rats. He commanded them to appear =
efore him. Before making the peril :
US trip the prince made his last will L
nd testament and gave direction for .
guidance of his children. Few ever
anne back. The road to Siberia then.
later, was a journey into the shad-
W of death. Some died on the trip.
found execution the reception
its end. The few who returned es-
iped the wrath of the great khan by
'cOphancy and bribery.
The princes Of Moscow were the l.
ost willing and plant tools Of the 4
eat khan. They outraged and robbed
cir own subjects to satisfy the Mon
court. Muscovy grew strong under
e Mongol empire. The betrayal of
e Russians was the price. This is
e faint In the blood Of the carbon
Muscovy out of this line the cars
me. When the Russian princes be-
me strong enough they turned on
e Mongol empire. II was weakening.
the battle of Kulikovo. 1880. the
,ngol yoke was broken.
Three czars. Ivan Ill. known as the
eat, his son Basil, and his grandson hi
IN w, called Ivan the Terrible. u
lose united reigns cover a period Of
e hundred and twenty-five years,
- to 1884, forged and fixed the
,ckles on the people of Russia. q
ickles which clanked until the II r,
ion of the last Romanof. Nicholas.
was Ivan III who snuffed out the thu
( spark Of liberty In Russia, the VIII
nocracy Of Novgorod. Ivan Nv in- wi
ed the job; popular assemblies gai
re abolished, freedom OF conscience ly
3 killed. The complete doom of the =
people began. the
pyriEht. 1920. Western Newspaper Union> in