The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-07-15

coed, but to subdue the others and
take possession Of their territory. and
the armed retainers. who were wont
formerly to wander about A. 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 principallties
was Novgorod. Since the days when
Rurik had first chosen It a. his head
quarters the little capital on the Vol
khov had grown Into a great CONNER
| cial city ard brought under subsection
a vast expanse of territory, stretch
Ing from the shores OF the Baltic to
the Ural mountains. Unlike the other
| Russian principalItles II had a dem
| ocratic, rather than q monarchlal form
Of government. The republic Of Nov
gorod was the first and only flicker
OF freedom in the long night Of Rus
sia, and 1t glowed but for q 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
popular assembly which was called
together In the market place rs oeca-
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 AZ
fairs obtained. There the supreme law
was the Will and within of an autocrat
Democratic Novgorod and autocratic
Moscow 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
future Russians. Had Novgorod won
out In the thirteenth century We
might not have the problem Of Dol
sheyism In Russia today. But II was
to be otherwise, and with the success
of Moscow, autocracy was enthroned.
The Russian night came on.
Tatar Eruption.
Then came the Tatar yoke. The
Golden Horde" conquered Russia. The
conquerors built their capital at Sar
on the lower Yolga. The Mongols pill
LACED and robbed Tax gatherers kept
the peoples backs bent In toll The
first trail to Siberia was blazed, the |
cruel road that was TO play such an |
important part In the horrors of Rus |
sian history. Oddly enough the first |
wayfarers who jourDeyed OF this road
were Russian autocrats, the degener-
ate and corrupt descendants of Rurik-
The grand khan, the chief Of the Mon
gol empire, lived with the Great
Horde in the valley Of the Amur In
Siberia. Russian princes were puppets
in the eyes of this autocrat Of auto
Gratis. He commanded them to appear
before him. Before making the peril
Gus trip the prince made his last will
and testament and gave direction for
the guidance of his children. Few ever
came back. The road to Siberia then.
as later, was journey into the shad-
DIV of death. Some died on the trip.
others found execution the reception
At its end The few who returned es-
capped the wrath of the great khan by I
and bribery.
The princes of Moscow were the
most willing and plant tools OF the
,reat khan. They outraged and robbed
heir own subjects TO satisfy the Mon
,ol court Muscovy grew strong under
he Mongol empire. The betrayal OF
he Russians was the price. This is
he faint in the blood Of the CARBON
# Muscovy out of this line the czars
anne. When the Russian princes be
anne strong enough they turned on
he Mongol empire. II was weakening
Il the battle of Kulikovo, 1880. the
fongol yoke was broken.
Three czars. Ivan III, known as the
treat, his son Basil, and HIS grandson o
van ", called Ivan the Terrible, U
hose united reigns cover a period Of
ne hundred and twenty-five years
4s2 to 1884. forged and fixed the
hackles on the people OF Russia
hackles which clanked until the exc
ution of the last Romanoff, Nicholas.
was Ivan III who snuffed out the !,
lst spark Of liberty in Russia, the
emocracy of Novgorod. Ivan ~ Nm
he'd the job; popular assemblies
ere abolished. freedom Of conscience
as killed. The complete doom OF the !
ussian people began. .
NapN