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dDpni Catmrif
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remained a monBter still . In the normal notion of man monstrosity is included as a disturbing possibility from without , but in no sense is it admitted as a rule . A pure and simple inquiry into such monstrosities would have been strictly proper in Russia , but M . Haxthausen arms himself with the accursed philosophy of Hegel for quite another purpose . He draws the conclusion that the imperial power in Russia is the best government possible . ' ' * Only one thing is wanting , " continues our holy doctor , "to this government to be perfect—to be Catholic . " Donoso Cortez at Madrid was wont to announce the end of the world if England were not speedily reconciled to Catholicism .
Since the separation of the Russian Government from the Russian people two Eussias have been face to face . On the one hand , Russia Crovermental , rich , armed , not with the bayonet only , but with all the resources of chicane borrowed from the chanceries of the despotic States of Germany . On the other , Russia poor , agricultural , laborious , communal , and democratic : Russia disarmed , conquered ( conquisita ) without having been vanquished . What wonder , then , if the Emperors have handed over to their Russia , to the Russia of courtiers and officers , of French fashions and German manners , that other coarse-bearded , barbarous moujik Russia , incapable of appreciating that imported civilization which has descended on it by the grace of the Throne , and for which the ignorant peasant openly professes the most unmitigated disgust . And why should he regard that Russia ?
" How cross you have been these last few days , " said the Count—— , one of those male concubines in the suite of the Empress Catharine , to one of his parasites . The individual to whom these words were spoken , half in question , half in reproach , was a poor nobleman , the ignoble butt of the ignobler pleasantries of the blase favourite . The buffoon , a fat , bloated , greedy fellow , used to wait everyday eagerly for the moment to devour the Count ' s dinner . The latter , perceiving the voracity of the wretch , bethought himself of a singularly funny contrivance . He had a horse collar bought , and fastened round the buffoon ' s neik , and thus harnessed he was lot loose upon the dishes and the wines . He represented very accurately a wild beast gorging himself with the food , and leaving plates and bottles empty . The host was infinitely amused at the beast , and his guests too .
"Oh ! how much cause have I to be sad ! " said the harnessed , nobleman . "Of all the persons in your suite , I only have the misfortune not to be the object of your bounty . " " How do you mean ? " " Have not you given Cossacks to all the rest ? I only am excluded from your favours . " The Count burst out laughing , and , to his gueste , said , " What do you think of this fellow ? he xa not such a fool as he looks . What , you , too , want Cossacks ? " "Why not ? " replied the fool , " they cost you nothing ? " " Well , indeed , what do they cost me ? Well , you shall havo some Cossacks . " " Count ! you are joking ! " " No , on my word . " And Caliban covered witli kissos the hand of his worthy protector .
Thia "was just at the time when Little Russia , was being reduced to feudal servitude . Catherine II ., that "Mother of her country , " possessed by lusts untfuntalile , gave away 300 , 000 male peasants as the price of one of her Babylonian orgies . The Count had but to speak to keop his word , and the nobleman unharnessed went away into Little Itu . 'i . sia lord and master of a commune of Cossacks . 1 cannot resist recounting a second act of this drama . Last year , passing over the St . Gothard , I perceived a Russian name on a traveller ' s album . Below that name another traveller had written a biographical notice not without interest . The Russian chamb erlain of H . M . I ., Ac , a proprietor in Little
lUifmia , had during Hevontl years martyred bis serfs and his Horvmita . Immensely rich , but of insatiable rapacity , lie woro them out by his exactions and his tyranny . In 1850 , when ho was living on his domains , the Herfu driven to desperation resolved to make a Nitfiial example of their lord . Breaking one night into hia house , mined , and showing him a bunch of rods "ewly out , they offered him the choice of death or corporal ohaHtisoniont . The chamberlain reasonably <; hon « correction . It whh duly administorcd . When tlit ) pmuNlmuint was over the- florfs exacted of him a wntfctj u promise not to divulge tho events of that '" tfh t . Ho wrote and nigimd that noble promise , and what in more , —ho kept , it , for fear of worse .
'ion ™ months after caino the-recruiting fxwion . Tho n ' w'lw . li ' , < l orto of Ins serfu as tho contingent of bin ' -onnnuno . Thin conHoript , it appears , bad hot been ° no of tho leant ardent or tho leantvigorous in a < l" > nunt «> ring the nnoturnnl cantig-ation , and ho folt not unnaturall y convinced that tlio lord in naming him for 1 >•> contingent was satisfying indirectly n vengeance lo i > tf KuppresHecl . Military oonscription , it should bo 1 ( ' membcre ( l , i « regarded with horror by tho llunsian I' « af . ia , ut . Tho young conncript resolved to take Inn ( > y « 'ngo . Before i ] n ) assembled military oouncil de r < < 'ntxcm . cnt h <> declared aloud th .-. t he wiih in ado a Hohlier "''' ybeeauno h « hail thrashed bin lonltho chamberlain . ¦ » l « wjw thought mad . <•! . ' . Y ° think mo inn . « l , do you ? " h « roplicd ; Jl < l » " « jh Hoinothiii tf to convince you . " "
And he drew from his pocket and read out loud the seigneurial document . The amazement was universal . This revelation was so . unexpected , that they forgot to suppress the conscript or the accusing document , which was not even given back to the chamberlain . In the first fit of surprise they drew up a report of the circumstance . The Russian lord had not provided for a case of thrashing a chamberlain .
Great was the embarrassment of the Minister ; he referred to the Emperor . The Emperor , who had kept his chamberlain by his side as long as lie only thrashed his peasants , was indignant with him as soon as he got thrashed himself . He expelled him from his service and from the empire . The serfs were left unpunished . Ever since our ex-chamberlain has been parading , by order of his master , his striped back , and shoulders through all the capitals of the civilized world , and he inscribes his name on Mont St . Gothard .
And to make his story all the more piquant , ^ let me add , that this measled and mangled chamberlain—this cruel and cowardly seigneur , is no other than the noble grandson of the harnessed nobleman—of that gluttonous buffoon who was let loose upon a commune of serfs . The thrashers were the descendants of those > oor Cossacks bent to the yoke , and cast as a prey to & greedy mountebank . Well ! what do you say to this harnessed father , this striped son , and to the Emperor Nicholas carrying on the propagande sui generis b ' y sending this chamberlain on his travels . I shall conclude my letter by some new details on Russian society .
There is no law of primogeniture in Russia . Peter the First tried to implant it among us , but the manners of the people resisted it , and at his death the docree was revoked . Nicholas has permitted one or two privileged families of the highest aristocracy to indulge in this caprice ; but that is only an anomaly , an absurdity the more . The rule is for the sons to have an equal share in the distribution of the father ' s property . Por the nobles it constitutes a rapid descent to poverty . A lord who owned two thousand serfs , held a good position . His two sons are left , each with half the fortune of their father , while they , in their turn , leave a moiety of it to their children . At the same time , the price of every thing is increased , more rapidly than the income of the estates or the number of the serfs . Civilization
introduces into the families of aristocracy luxurious tastes , and wants unknown to our forefathers , so that , with an estate lessened by three-fourths , the grandson has to supply demands twelve times greater than those of hia grandfather . We must not forget this important phase in tho question—the manners of the nobles . No people in Europe is more unfitted for habits of order and economy than the Russians . and Poles . We must see how , in tho course of two or three generations , fortunes , whether great or small , are made , and lost , and passed from hand to hand . The Russians are greedy , very greedy of money , but care less than their neighbours for property in land . They love money , for tho pleasure of throwing it away . Economy is unknown amongst us . There is no middle class between niggards and spendthrifts .
In general , when the land is onco distributed , the sons tread in the steps of their father . If one of them has need of money he mortgages his estate to the bank ; tho money is soon squandered , the interest eats up the remaining- incomo , tho estate , before long , i , s sold by auction , the surplus , if there is a surplus , is paid to the ex-loril , and , when be has eaten that , his eyes aro opened to his ruin . One man , in order to relieve hia embarrassments , gives himself up to play , without restraint ; another begins
to drink , from very despair , and dies in his debauchery ; another , better advised , takes some official employment , and robH ' iniRcnipuloiisly . This man prospers , but Iiis son will bo ruined . liofcween the yearn 1 . 812 and 1840 , a small minority strove to constitute themselves exceptions to tho general rulo . They were , for the most part , men educated out of Rusuia , grent admirers of political economists , like Say and Maltlms . They becamo industrious , and asuuiucd tho manners of tho bowffeoisic ' , but they were few in number , and had fe w disciples .
But what mid tho commune in the midst of this eternal conio and go of proprietors , this parcelling out of estates , this continual change ? Tho thousand sorts , who obeyed' one lord , wore each timo scattered over three or four communes , varying in extent , each having thoir own individuality , their own organization , and distinct lands . The lord will have a single management for th « whole of his estate . If a distribution takes place , ho is compelled to complete the communal lots by menus of pecuniary arrange ] mints , and concisions of various kimlH . This is practicable , but only up to a certain point . Wo come to tho division of tiio commune itself - sometimes two or three * brothers lmve
undivided ponuossioii of a village , moro or less important . But this division can \ w oHeotetl in spite of thorn . If tho portion of one of them is seized for dob to , will tho new proprietor mibmiI ; to the unity of possession , the common management' ! . 1 le will hasten , more frequently , Ut got rid of it . Tiie proprietor , who ban tho lamest in torus t in the
commune , taxes and worries the others in all conceivable ways , and while these portions of lords are overwhelmed with embarrassments , with complications , with inextricable disorders , the peasants fall into the same ruin . The parcelling out of communes , the increase of estates , enclosed and intermixed in every direction , has enforced the attention of the Government , and it has
been obliged to take measures for arresting the complete ruin of the serfs . Thus it has formed a minimum of serfs , after which no further distribution is allowed . The next step is to fix an indemnity , and to decide on . the question of expropriation . Evidently the rights of the nobility do not appear so sacred to the Government , when fairly put to the test ? how otherwise could the right become weakened in proportion to the number of the peasants ?
In 1845 it was permitted to the nobles of Toula to unite under the presidency of the prefects and the marshals . The question was , how to devise measures for the emancipation of the serfs of the province . Moscow waited for the same powers . From 1842 to 1846 the agitation among the nobility increased , the journals became so bold as to publish articles on emancipation . It would have been well if the Government had given some aid to the nobility in the accomplishment of this object ; but the hatred of everything that is called liberty or emancipation is so thoroughly ingrained in ] this family of incurable autocrats , that Nicholas hastily threw all such projects to the winds , on the first arrival of the news of the 24 th of February .
Such is the latest and present phase of thia question of Serfdom in Russia . The peasant continues deprived of all protection but that of the customary lavr ( la lot contumidre ) : he may be dragged from his family , from his commune , although that be recognised by the law ; he may be made a servant . The lord has the right to have him flogged , only not to death ; he has the right to imprison him in umaison de police for disobedience . He may condemn him to military
conscription , or pack him off to the mines of bibena at his own expense . In the two latter cases , the serf at least becomes free . Lastly , it is an established and constant practice to sell serfs , if not separately , at least by family . No land need be given to the peasants except just enough to allow them to vegetata miserably . The lord is under no obligation to his servants beyond supplying them with just enough food and clothing to prevent them perishing of hunger and of cold .
Shall these monstrosities , I ask , continue without an incessant , universal protest ? Surely from time to time it is well that a free voice should be lifted up to denounce these degrading institutions , this foul complicity of a Government that talks of its strength , with a noblesse that boasts of its enlightenment . The mask must be torn from these slaveholders of tho North , who go lounging and lisping over Europe ,
mingling with your affairs , assuming the rank of civilized beings , —nay , of liberal-minded men , who read Uncle Tom ' s Cabin witli horror , and shudder when they read of sellers of black flesh . Why , these same brilliant spies of the salons are the very men who on their return to their domains rob , flay , sell the white Slave , and are served at table by their living property . Alkxandjuc Hicuzkn . December 20 , 1852 .
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£ lN TltlH DKl'AHTMKNT , AS AL 1 , OlMWIONVM , nOWKVIJK 7 IXTUKMII , AH 1 C ALI . OUKD AN JiXI'ltHH . SIOS , TUB It HI TO Jt WtCltmiAKll . X HOLDS HIMHKla' lll ' . SrONSIJU . K TO 11 MOKK . I
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'JL'hero in no " married mrm but will confoo .-i ho hath inucYi prolitod by r <; : i (] ii . i ; i oont . rovorfiion , hia nunst' . n iiwakoiiod , ! iivd Iuh jm . lj ; u . ioi > L ii !) i > rp <; n < ui . If , tlum , it bo pratii . n . blo for him 1 . 0 lvxul , why dliouHl il ; not ; , at lea ; it , bo tolurablo lor himidvor . " . 'iry l . owrito- —Mxi . xon .
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STRIKES AND THE lit R . KMEDY . ( To tho . IMitor of the Leader . ) Lci'dti , November 17 th , 1 R 5 X Sir , —Your most juhnirable articles upon tho striken huvo decided mo to say a ihw words -upon the mibjeet . Tho fltrikea past and present prove , as you say , that 110 combination of men can raise labour above tho price remunerative to the capitalist ; and , on the other hand , no combination of tho masters can entirely prevent striken from occurring . So loiitf as that false political economic maxim , " That each has the . r /' f / ht to do the .
bent he . can for himself , " works as it does ; making- the interests of labour and capital antagonistic ; bo loii £ will strikes continue as an inevitable consequence . When labour n « ekn advance , it is at the Iohh of capital ; nml capital always gainft by the reduction of labour : — - ojveh " grabs wbon grab it win , " ---and honeo the differences , and Iosm to both « i < le « , and to tho world , in coiiMcquencu of these stand-Hf-iHn and strikes . If tho maxim bo right , ho must ; bo tho results ; and both « i ( Ion hi doing tho best they oan for themselves aro porfiictly right in their contention , and as usual no one in wrong ! But tho world know to the contrary , and
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November 19 , 1853 . ] THE LEADEB . 1119
Ddpni Catmrif
dDpni Catmrif
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 19, 1853, page 1119, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2013/page/15/
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