Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1879 — NIHILISM IN RUSSIA. [ARTICLE]

NIHILISM IN RUSSIA.

History of the Origin, Kise and Progress of the Society—lts Terrors and Its Resolution—lta Oath and Its Proclamations. [From the New York Herald J The attempt on the life of the Czar, taken in connection with the recent assassination of Prince Krapotkine and the attempted killing of Gen. von Drentelin, attracts renewed attention to the secret order which now keeps the people of Russia in a state of terrorism. A brief sketch of the rise and progress of this dreadful society will, therefore, be read with interest. The birth of free ideas in Russia dates from a few days previous to the accession of Emperor Nicholas L, in 1825, at which time a secret society was formed, under the name of “Decabriaty ” (Decemberists), called after the month in which a revolution occurred in St. Petersburg. Citizens of St. Petersburg remember that terrible day, Dec. 19,1825, as one of dreadful carnage. AU the principal streets of the capital were red with the blood of the victims. The principal leaders of this secret society were Pestel, Rylieff, Betauzuff, Roumin, Mouravieff Apostol (all of whom were hanged), Ogareff, Bakounin, Hertzen Iskander, Satin and Toutchkoff. Though many members of the society were hanged and thousands sent to Siberia by Nicholas 1., many escaped or were unsuspected, and continued their work. The object of the secret organization was to dethrone Nicholas I. in order to form a constitutional Government, with Constantine Paulovitch (an elder brother of Nicholas I.) at its head. FoHowers and members of the secret society established a journal in London, called the Kolokol (the Bell), whose proprietor and editor was the famous red revolutionist, Heitzen (Iskander), who died in Switzerland a few years ago, an exile and under the death sentence of his native country. Hertzen’s ideas were exalted, although he sometimes carried them to extremes. Possessing great power of language, he acquired much popularity and a powerful influence over Russian youth, who received, secretly read and hid his journal as some sacred relic, believing in Hertzen as in God. The most remarkable of his productions published in the Kolokol were “Letters from This Side.” They contain minute accounts of the most secret affairs of the Imperial Government, as well as the Czar and his family, together with the editor’s views and hopes of the future of Russia. His sympathizers and | agents penetrated the seclusion of the | households of the highest circles of Russian society as well as the private chambers of officials. Hertzen’s chief objects were to bring about a representation of the people, to sweep from the face of the earth every member of the Czar’s family, the titled aristocracy and the priests, and to make an equal division of all lands. These letters contain much valuable historical material, from the fact that their statements are true to the smallest details. His influence continued strong in Russia until 1848. hertzen’s followers. The boldness and fascination of his writings, promulgated everywhere, though secretly in Russia, had the tendency to encourage the formation of new societies under various names, ..such as Young Russia (Molodaia Rossia), Land and Freedom, and others, all having a common sympathy and purpose with Hertzen. Leaving in the background many of his opinions and views as belonging to a past generation, these societies advanced and adopted new ideas more in accordance with the new era of which they believed they saw the dawn. These ideas were first expressed through two popular journals, Sovremiennik and Ruskoie Slowo, which were suppressed about ten years ago by the Russian Government, and some of their writers sentenced to hard labor for life in the mines of Siberia. Among these were Czernyshevski, who wrote the celebrated Russian romance, “ What To Do,” Mikhailoff (a poet) and others. The principal leaders of Nihilism at that time were Czernyshevski, Mikhailoff, Antonovitch, Dobroluboff, Pissureff and Nietchaieff. Switzerland gave up the last-named person in 1870, on the demand of the Russian Government, under accusation of being one of the assassins of Ivanoff, a member of the Nihilists, who attempted to betray their secrets. They had bad opportunity to spread their Nihilistic ideas through these journals undermost favorable circumstances, as during the interval between 1858 and 1872 comparative freedom of the press existed, which had never been the case previous to that time. On June 7, 1872, an order was issued from the Czar giving power to the Minister of the Interior to punish any undue freedom of the press. Since then there has been nothing but persecution. The above men (except Nietchaieff) were well-known and distinguished writers, exercising a powerful influence in the conversion of the opinion of the Russian youth. REVOLT OF THE WOMEN. The sympathies of the women were so far engaged that they became willing to make great sacrifices to show their total disregard of the existing customs of society. They cut off their long hair, and many entered professions. Many studied successfully, and became doctors of medicine. As such stand prominent the names of Sonslova, Tagantzova and Pavlova. Following recklessly the examples of men, they affected contempt for the mere ceremony of marriage, and entered into the relation of wife without the performance of the legal formalities, declaring their intention of renouncing every time-worn custom as a trammel upon the freedom of thought and action. They ridiculed the old notions of their parents, pronouncing them “Otstalbiy They declared that they were no longej satisfied to be only well-dressed dolls, with painted faces, but demanded the rights which men enjoyed, and the same opportunities of knowledge; to have position everywhere, and to be useful members of society. “We shall resist our oppressors as enemies to the improvement and progress of women.” Tourganieff, in his novel “ Fathers and Sons,” attempted a contrast of the old and new generations struggling for the defense of their respective opinions. But his story does not by any means afford a clear comprehension of the subject. It required a more powerful hand to represent faithfully the shadows and lights of the past and present of the social and political life of the Russian people. NIHILISM NAMED. Following this work appeared a series of letters by Oknerousam (Antovitch), published in the journal Otscherki (1864), under the title of “Confessions of a New Generation in Russia,” seemingly prepared for the purpose of showing how little Tourganieff really understood, and how poorly he had portrayed the true picture of the direction and progress of opinion among the liberal men of his country. He applied, to these representatives of new ideas the name Nihilists (from the Latin word nihil, nothing), conveying the idea that they believed in nothing, and from that time the name has been retained and applied. There existed, and still exists, even in private life, a terrible struggle between the old and new representatives. Children adopting the new ideas go to the Extreme and disregard all respect or regard for the old order of things. They hold in con-

tempt their parents, who retain cherished beliefs, consequently the most bitter enmity often exists among those of the closest ties of relationship. Czernyshevski, in “What to Do,” presents with great cleverness his opinion of the young generation of Russia. From 1870 the Nihilists began to take decided and important action. The young men spread themselves through the different provinces, propagating the new ideas among the peasantry, presenting them with books and instigating them to revolution. Young ladies even of the highest ranks of society dressed themselves as peasants and sought menial employments, that they might instruct others in their peculiar views. Tomboyskoie, a wealthy Princess, and moving in court circles, was discovered among peasant washerwomen, with a like object. In the schools the young girls nearly all became converts, and no restrictions, no persecutions have been able to arrest the rapid growth of Nihilism. STRENGTH OF THE MOVEMENT. The result must finally be terrible bloodshed, such as has never been surpassed in the history of mankind. Such a sacrifice of the educated portion of the Russian youth will have its effect for all future time on the history and progress of the nation. Already there is organized a secret Government by the Society for General Freedom. The present strength of the movement may be judged from the following facts: From St. Petersburg it was announced, under date of Sept. 14, that, in consequence of an attempt to assassinate Gens. Mezentzoff and Makaroff, the local police are in search of the secret Government which calls itself “ The Society for the Freedom of Russians,” and has branches in every province of the empire. The funds ©f the Geneva committee for the aid of political criminals are already wholly transferred to Moscow. In the city of Rostov, recently, a spy named Nikonoff was assassinated for revealing a few of the Nihilists or Socialists to the police. The “ society ” issued a proclamation in which it openly avowed its armed organization, and that the sentence of death had been passed on all spies. These declarations caused a panic in St. Petersburg among the agents of the police. The following order of the Czar was issued under date of Aug. 21, 1878:

In the frequency of late of political crime, having the character of clear disobedience and resistance to the powers of the Government His Imperial Majesty recognizes a ring of secret criminals, who, under the influence of social, revolutionary, and other theories, would destroy the whole constitution of the state. These criminals, refusing to recognize the necessity of official order, the rights of property, the sacredness of matrimonial ties, or even faith in God, do not hesitate to employ any means, however infamous, of carrying out their plots. They boldly attempt the most heinous crimes, they destroy the public peace and endanger the power of the state—the sacred duty of which is to defend society and counteract criminal purposes. The constant repetition of these unneard-of crimes demands the immediate institution of such measures as will inflict the most severe punishment For that reason we order that all above-mentioned criminal cases be tried under the jurisdiction of the military courts, and punishment to be enforced according to the criminal code. We order all such above-mentioned persons charged with armed resistance to the powers of Government, or charged with attempting to resist military or police agents during the performance of their duty, to be brought under the power of the military courts, and sentenced according to Military Order No. 279, issued 1875. This order appertains to all cases which are not left to the ordinary courts. , SECRETS OF THE NIHILIST ORDER. The great Russian secret society is administered under the following rules: Six members can form a separate body, or circle, with full power to act and receive new members, but only with the greatest precautions. A candidate for admission must be recommended as a trustworthy man, upon whom reliance can be placed under any circumstances. After satisfactory investigation, the circle, in full meeting, votes on the new member. Two votes against him are sufficient cause of rejection. One may be, if the opposing member can support his opposition by undoubted evidences of disqualification. A newly-chosen member is invited to a meeting of the circle, where he must take the following solemn obligation on oath:

I, A. 8., do solemnly, before the altar of my mother country, promise and swear, that I will never disclose, under penalty of death, any of the secrets of the “Russian National Secret’Society” before any agent of the tyrannical Russian Government, having the Czar at its head, or any one whom I do not actually know to be a member of this society; that I will sacrifice my life and all that is sacred to me in the struggle against the bloodthirsty tyrantsand oppressors of the Russian people; that I will obey and execute every unanimous decision of the circle without hesitation, be’ng ready to sacrifice my life and regardless of any personal danger I may encounter in so doing. I know that I must be ready to fight in the name of the liberty of the Russian people when the moment of rising shall arrive and the grand sign be given calling all to arms. Ido solemnly swear that I will resist, in case of an attempt to arrest me or any other member of the society by the Government agents, with whatever weapon is at my disposal at the moment, without fear or regard for personal consequences; that I will not recommend any new member without the knowledge that he is a true friend of the oppressed Russian people; that from the moment I become a member of this “ Secret National Russian Society” I regard myself as a sworn enemy of the Russian despotical Government, and begin to act against it by every means I can command. HOW THEY MULTIPLY. When a circle reaches the number of sixty it is subdivided into ten circles of six each, so that if discovered by the police only six persons will suffer arrest. Into these circles, which meet ostensibly only for social purposes, gathering about the Somaiwar as in the enjoyment of friendly hospitality, it is sought to draw in members from every class of society—military officers of every rank, common soldiers, the middle classes and peasantry. Very few priests find favor enough to be admitted. The system is similar to that which existed among the Italians before they gained their freedom. It is the passion of the day, and the dreadful mystery which envelopes the order adds to the fascination. Every member, according to his means, make weekly or monthly payments to the treasurer. Money is used for the purchase of arms, the propagation of free ideas among the peasantry—each circle sending an armed agent on this errand. Many women belong to these circles. In every town and village of Russia there are so many circles that had the Government a true conception of their number it would be even more seriously alarmed than it is. THEIR ALLIES. Besides this there are 14,000,000 of the so-called old faith men (Starovier). They are divided into various sects, among whom exist most dangerous elements. They employ agents who go from village to village spreading their faith and declaring that the Czar and his family are agents of the devil. They endure every form of persecution, and in event of a general uprising of the people could be counted on as firm friends of the Nihilists. They are Scattered from .Astrakhan to the White sea, but are more numerous about the Volga river. The Starovier are all able to read and write, and are liberal in their ideas, having much sympathy with peasants. There are multitudes of Poles among these circles waiting for the promised uprising to recognize their opportunity for freedom. No oppression, no knouts, no chains in Siberia can stay the progress of events which hastens the fierce death-struggle which will be made for freedom of press and opinion in Russia. THE LAST ASSASSINATION. The recent assassination of Prince Krapotkine, Governor of Kharkoff, by the Nihilists, is too well remembered to require extended notice. Prince Krapot-

kine attended “the ball of the daughters of the nobility* in Kharkoff. He -was returning from the festivity at about 11 o'clock, and had almost reached the Government House in his carriage, when, on rounding a street corner, he was sliot with a revolver by some person, who, apparently, had stepped lightly up on the step of the carriage in order to take deliberate aim. The Prince died from the wound in a few hours. The remarkable feature about the murder was the proclamation posted throughout the empire a few days after. It read as follows: The Russian Socialist revolutionary party has disposed of one of its deadliest enemies—one of the most inhuman jailers of its condemned and imprisoned brethren. On the 9th of February Prince Krapotkine, the Governor of Kharkoff, was killed with a revolver. This execution was carried out by the Russian Socialist revolutionary organization, which is also respon-ible for all the executions in 1878. As on the last occasion, that organization begs to lay before the public, frankly and sincerely, the reasons that have compelled it to have further recourse to the revolver. Krapotkine had committed the following crimes: 1. At the end of last year he sanctioned and ordered the barbarous treatment to which political prisoners were subjected in the prison of Kharkoff. 2. He falsely reported to the Minister of the Interior, on the subject of the last disturbances at the University of Kharkoff, that the police had been attacked by the students, whereas in reality it was the latter who, by his own orders, had first been flogged with Cossack whips. 3. He is directly responsible for the ferocious and barbarous treatment of political prisoners at Borisoglebsk, and his name is intimately connected with the history of the Central prison in that town, where he was guilty of the following acts: [The barbarous treatment of the Russian prisoners is then specified at great length ] Such are the crimes committed by Krapotkine. Snch are the causes and considerations that have compelled the Russian Socialist party to sentence one of its enemies to death. Death for death, execution for execution, terror for terror. This is our answer to the threats, the persecutions and the oppression of the Government Should the latter persevere in its old oonrse, the bodies of Heyking and Messentzoff will not have turned into dust before the Government will hear from us again.