登陆注册
5382300000194

第194章 CHAPTER XXVII(10)

The first specific proposals were direct deductions from the lessons taught by the war. The war had shown in a terrible way the disastrous consequences of having merely primitive means of communication; the Press and the public began, accordingly, to speak about the necessity of constructing railways, roads and river-steamers. The war had shown that a country which has not developed its natural resources very soon becomes exhausted if it has to make a great national effort; accordingly the public and the Press talked about the necessity of developing the natural resources, and about the means by which this desirable end might be attained. It had been shown by the war that a system of education which tends to make men mere apathetic automata cannot produce even a good army; accordingly the public and the Press began to discuss the different systems of education and the numerous questions of pedagogical science. It had been shown by the war that the best intentions of a Government will necessarily be frustrated if the majority of the officials are dishonest or incapable; accordingly the public and the Press began to speak about the paramount necessity of reforming the Administration in all its branches.

It must not, however, be supposed that in thus laying to heart the lessons taught by the war and endeavouring to profit by them, the Russians were actuated by warlike feelings, and desired to avenge themselves as soon as possible on their victorious enemies. On the contrary, the whole movement and the spirit which animated it were eminently pacific. Prince Gortchakof's saying, "La Russie ne boude pas, elle se recueille," was more than a diplomatic repartee--it was a true and graphic statement of the case. Though the Russians are very inflammable, and can be very violent when their patriotic feelings are aroused, they are, individually and as a nation, singularly free from rancour and the spirit of revenge. After the termination of hostilities they really bore little malice towards the Western Powers, except towards Austria, which was believed to have been treacherous and ungrateful to the country that had saved her in 1849. Their patriotism now took the form, not of revenge, but of a desire to raise their country to the level of the Western nations. If they thought of military matters at all, they assumed that military power would be obtained as a natural and inevitable result of high civilisation and good government.

As a first step towards the realisation of the vast schemes contemplated, voluntary associations began to be formed for industrial and commercial purposes, and a law was issued for the creation of limited liability companies. In the space of two years forty-seven companies of this kind were founded, with a combined capital of 358 millions of roubles. To understand the full significance of these figures, we must know that from the founding of the first joint-stock company in 1799 down to 1853 only twenty-

six companies had been formed, and their united capital amounted only to thirty-two millions of roubles. Thus in the space of two years (1857-58) eleven times as much capital was subscribed to joint-stock companies as had been subscribed during half a century previous to the war. The most exaggerated expectations were entertained as to the national and private advantages which must necessarily result from these undertakings, and it became a patriotic duty to subscribe liberally. The periodical literature depicted in glowing terms the marvellous results that had been obtained in other countries by the principle of co-operation, and sanguine readers believed that they had discovered a patriotic way of speedily becoming rich.

These were, however, mere secondary matters, and the public were anxiously waiting for the Government to begin the grand reforming campaign. When the educated classes awoke to the necessity of great reforms, there was no clear conception as to how the great work should be undertaken. There was so much to be done that it was no easy matter to decide what should be done first.

Administrative, judicial, social, economical, financial, and political reforms seemed all equally pressing. Gradually, however, it became evident that precedence must be given to the question of serfage. It was absurd to speak about progress, humanitarianism, education, self-government, equality in the eye of the law, and similar matters, so long as one half of the population was excluded from the enjoyment of ordinary civil rights. So long as serfage existed it was mere mockery to talk about re-organising Russia according to the latest results of political and social science.

How could a system of even-handed justice be introduced when twenty millions of the peasantry were subject to the arbitrary will of the landed proprietors? How could agricultural or industrial progress be made without free labour? How could the Government take active measures for the spread of national education when it had no direct control over one-half of the peasantry? Above all, how could it be hoped that a great moral regeneration could take place, so long as the nation voluntarily retained the stigma of serfage and slavery?

All this was very generally felt by the educated classes, but no one ventured to raise the question until it should be known what were the views of the Emperor on the subject. How the question was gradually raised, how it was treated by the nobles, and how it was ultimately solved by the famous law of February 19th (March 3d), 1861,I now propose to relate.

February 19th according to the old style, which is still used in Russia, and March 3d according to our method of reckoning.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 春风十里玉门关

    春风十里玉门关

    她是威震四海八方的顾家将军,敌人无不闻风丧胆,同僚也常被她的冷面吓得不敢多话。就连小孩深夜啼哭,也被借她的名字用以威吓。不过……“回来了?”“禀皇上,臣幸不辱命,凯旋而归。”顾清若沉声应答。“说重点!”“……我发誓我绝对没有受伤!”顾清若特地举了三根手指表示肯定。“是么?”冷眸一抬:“那便让朕‘检查’一下。”顾清若表示:下了战场上龙床,脱了战袍换云裳,她鸭梨也很大的好么……本文日更,女将军X皇帝,强强联手,共赏江山。
  • 灵界邮差

    灵界邮差

    经常死去是一种什么体验?是的,你没有听错,因为戴来就是这样的人,不但能经常死去,还能再活过来!“死去”的时候魂魄进入灵界,在这个神奇的世界中存在的,都是生前强大的魂魄,能够自由出入灵界的戴来,被灵界里面的人当作了重要的信使,从此,戴来开始了传递消息的邮差工作……当然,送信肯定是要给邮费的,那么戴来将获得怎么样的邮费呢?
  • 帝王有情之美妃请上座

    帝王有情之美妃请上座

    “告诉你们,曾经那个任由欺凌曲芝瑶已经死了,不信谁再来试试?”曲芝瑶看着吓得不轻众人,不屑的笑道。她对谁都可以狠心,唯独他......,那个为了帝位一而再伤她心的男人。一天,曲芝瑶甩下一张休书扬长而去,不料半路被他劫入怀中“都是我的人了还想跑?没你要这江山又有何用?”江山权利不如你,平凡亦是一种乐。
  • 长生诠经

    长生诠经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 变融

    变融

    普通人徐图遇到极为不平凡的使命,在异星科技的加持下。拥有了超越凡人的智慧,同时也肩负了艰巨的使命——一千年内改变人类文明的走向,消灭纷争,消灭恶念,消灭侵略性。一千年内无法成功,徐图及地球文明便会被强大的宇宙联盟抹杀掉。宇宙联盟为了维持宇宙的和平,对所有新出生的文明加以监视,有侵略倾向的在没成长起来前随手灭之。有挽救余地的派遣特使引导,引导成功就接纳进宇宙联盟,补充新鲜血液。徐图的使命看起来简单,又有超越常人无数倍的智慧。但地球上国家繁多,宗教林立,文化差异,以至于很多民族水火不容、不死不休。想要和平引导谈何容易。一千年时间只短不长……
  • 佛说孙多耶致经

    佛说孙多耶致经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 裸体画像(希区柯克最悬疑的故事集)

    裸体画像(希区柯克最悬疑的故事集)

    本书辑录了希区柯克惊悚小说三十余部。这些小说事件惊心动魄,情节跌宕起伏,结局出人意料。每一篇小说都充满了希区柯克特有的惊悚、紧张、刺激和恐怖的色彩,谋杀陷阱连环布局,杀机惊魂步步惊心,黑暗之处幽冥来袭,事件场景血腥残酷。故事以人性的冲突为出发点,情节安排巧妙,结尾曲折惊险,出人意料,其中又不乏黑色幽默式的夸张,淋漓尽致地展现了希氏的惊悚手法的精髓。阅读希区柯克的惊悚小说,体验希区柯克的超级惊悚盛宴,感受最强烈的心灵震撼,与希区柯克一起,在希区柯克的惊悚世界里齐声尖叫!
  • 好人马有福

    好人马有福

    和十年前相比,马有福的生活几乎没有变化。他住在厂家属区的平房里,一切都还是老婆离开时的老样子。厂子关门有三四年了。而他的头发也日渐稀薄,尤其头顶正中,一圈稀疏的短发围着一块巴掌大的空地,暴出赭红色的头皮。他买了顶棒球帽戴上。这使他显得比实际年龄年轻一些。然而终不协调,因为他毕竟是个好静而沉闷的人。老婆离开以后,他和马丽共同生活。可马丽却在一个多月前走失了。算起来,它有十多岁了,也是个老太婆了。五年前,他发现马丽偷酒喝。每天晚饭前,他会给自己倒上一小杯白酒,在他转身的时候,酒杯就干了。
  • 网游之永生十道

    网游之永生十道

    越级杀怪有木有?这个必须有!极品装备有木有?这个自然是有!萝莉,御姐有木有?这个,敢没有吗?炫丽的个人PK技术,浩大的帮战以及国战!
  • 谁念庭风独飞雪

    谁念庭风独飞雪

    苏千雪以为,能够嫁给他是美好的开始。她也以为,再等等,顾廷睿对她就不会有那么多的冷漠和无情。结果,夜夜折磨,她发现他深爱的只有自己的继妹。胎死腹中,父亲身亡。她的深爱换来了刻骨铭心的痛恨,也终于决定远离顾延睿……