登陆注册
5382300000310

第310章 CHAPTER XXXIX(3)

During the first part of the Turkish campaign of 1877-78, when the Russian armies were repulsed in Bulgaria and Asia Minor, the hostility to autocracy was very strong, and the famous acquittal of Vera Zasulitch, who had attempted to assassinate General Trepof, caused widespread satisfaction among people who were not themselves revolutionaries and who did not approve of such violent methods of political struggle. Towards the end of the war, when the tide of fortune had turned both in Europe and in Asia, and the Russian army was encamped under the walls of Constantinople, within sight of St.

Sophia, the Chauvinist feelings gained the upper hand, and they were greatly intensified by the Congress of Berlin, which deprived Russia of some fruits of her victories.

This change in public feeling and the horror excited by the assassination of Alexander II. prepared the way for Alexander III.'s reign (1881-94), which was a period of political stagnation.

He was a man of strong character, and a vigorous ruler who believed in Autocracy as he did in the dogmas of his Church; and very soon after his accession he gave it clearly to be understood that he would permit no limitations of the Autocratic Power. The men with Liberal aspirations knew that nothing would make him change his mind on that subject, and that any Liberal demonstrations would merely confirm him in his reactionary tendencies. They accordingly remained quiet and prudently waited for better times.

The better times were supposed to have come when Nicholas II.

ascended the throne in November, 1894, because it was generally assumed that the young Tsar, who was known to be humane and well-

intentioned, would inaugurate a more liberal policy. Before he had been three months on the throne he summarily destroyed these illusions. On 17th (29th) January, 1895, when receiving deputies from the Noblesse, the Zemstvo, and the municipalities, who had come to St. Petersburg to congratulate him on his marriage, he declared his confidence in the sincerity of the loyal feelings which the delegates expressed; and then, to the astonishment of all present, he added: "It is known to me that recently, in some Zemstvo assemblies, were heard the voices of people who had let themselves be carried away by absurd dreams of the Zemstvo representatives taking part in the affairs of internal administration; let them know that I, devoting all my efforts to the prosperity of the nation, will preserve the principles of autocracy as firmly and unswervingly as my late father of imperishable memory."

These words, pronounced by the young ruler at the commencement of his reign, produced profound disappointment and dissatisfaction in all sections of the educated classes, and from that moment the frondeur spirit began to show itself more openly than at any previous period. In the case of some people of good social position it took the unusual form of speaking disrespectfully of his Majesty. Others supposed that the Emperor had simply repeated words prepared for him by the Minister of the Interior, and this idea spread rapidly, till hostility to the bureaucracy became universal.

This feeling reached its climax when the Ministry of the Interior was confided to M. Plehve. His immediate predecessors, though sincere believers in autocracy and very hostile to Liberalism of all kinds, considered that the Liberal ideas might be rendered harmless by firm passive resistance and mild reactionary measures.

He, on the contrary, took a more alarmist view of the situation.

His appointment coincided with the revival of terrorism, and he believed that autocracy was in danger. To save it, the only means was, in his opinion, a vigorous, repressive police administration, and as he was a man of strong convictions and exceptional energy, he screwed up his system of police supervision to the sticking-

point and applied it to the Liberals as well as to the terrorists.

In the year 1903, if we may credit information which comes from an apparently trustworthy source, no less than 1,988 political affairs were initiated by the police, and 4,867 persons were condemned inquisitorially to various punishments without any regular trial.

Whilst this unpopular rigorism was in full force the war unexpectedly broke out, and added greatly to the existing discontent.

Very few people in Russia had been following closely the recent developments of the Far Eastern Question, and still fewer understood their importance. There seemed to be nothing abnormal in what was taking place. Russia was expanding, and would continue to expand indefinitely, in that direction, without any strenuous effort on her part. Of course the English would try to arrest her progress as usual by diplomatic notes, but their efforts would be as futile as they had been on all previous occasions. They might incite the Japanese to active resistance, but Japan would not commit the insane folly of challenging her giant rival to mortal combat. The whole question could be settled in accordance with Russian interests, as so many similar questions had been settled in the past, by a little skilful diplomacy; and Manchuria could be absorbed, as the contiguous Chinese provinces had been forty years ago, without the necessity of going to war.

When these comforting illusions were suddenly destroyed by the rupture of diplomatic relations and the naval attack on Port Arthur, there was an outburst of indignant astonishment. At first the indignation was directed against Japan and England, but it soon turned against the home Government, which had made no adequate preparations for the struggle, and it was intensified by current rumours that the crisis had been wantonly provoked by certain influential personages for purely personal reasons.

同类推荐
  • 太上洞神三皇仪

    太上洞神三皇仪

    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。
  • The Young Forester

    The Young Forester

    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。
  • 吕祖三尼医世说述管窥

    吕祖三尼医世说述管窥

    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。
  • 佛说内藏百宝经

    佛说内藏百宝经

    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。
  • 医学源流论

    医学源流论

    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。
热门推荐
  • 路书

    路书

    回来我逗阿路,要不要去隐居啊?阿路说,不要。我不会想去隐居的。我不开心的时候会叫阿路陪我喝酒,我发短信给阿路:我寂寞。阿路也回复:我寂寞。这三个字儿成了我们的密码。我开玩笑对阿路说:这大概也是我们生活的密码。
  • 我的掌门

    我的掌门

    修灵师、异灵师、灵兽师、哪个最强?在这片宇宙当中,太多的秘密等待着少年的挖掘,他要成为最强,竟然要斩七情六欲,成仙,又成了一条不归路。
  • 友谊赠言(当代教育丛书·现代名言妙语全集)

    友谊赠言(当代教育丛书·现代名言妙语全集)

    这些名言警句句句经典,字字珠玑,精辟睿智,闪耀着智慧的光芒和精神的力量,具有很强的鼓舞性、哲理性和启迪性。具有成功心理暗示和潜在力量开发的功能,不仅可以成为我们的座右铭,还能增进自律的能力。
  • 鬼妈妈的恐怖故事簿

    鬼妈妈的恐怖故事簿

    父母离异的小姑娘安心一直与父亲一起生活。十二岁时,父亲因公要常驻非洲某国,因此送安心去到独居的母亲身边。母亲居住在一个偏远的山村里。母亲有一所又大又旧的古屋,安静,典雅,还有些诡异。某日,安心进到母亲书房中,发现一本厚厚的破旧红色笔记簿,从此,走入了一个个或恐怖或诡秘的故事里。
  • 续命经

    续命经

    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。
  • 营养师指导:健康宝宝怎么吃

    营养师指导:健康宝宝怎么吃

    本书介绍了母乳喂养、辅食添加及分阶段给出宝宝辅助食品添加的原则及经典食谱的制作方法;各月龄宝宝的身体发育特征及所需要的营养、适宜制作辅食的食物。另外,本书还针对市场上出现的各种宝宝食品进行选择性指导,告诉父母如何选择宝宝吃的奶源,如何分析宝宝奶粉的营养含量,如何让宝宝顺利接受配方奶等知识,使年轻的父母在喂养宝宝的过程中不会因没有经验而手忙脚乱,也能找到更适合自己的喂养方式,从而科学地喂养宝宝,使宝宝的成长更健康。
  • 十荒大罗

    十荒大罗

    诸天万界,恒河流沙。谁臻元始,谁掌大罗?掌中停日月,袖里纳乾坤。———————————————————肉身有九重:一重炼皮,二重炼膜,三重炼肉,四重炼筋,五重炼血,六重炼骨,七重炼气,八重炼精,九重炼神通玄开八门:一重祭灵,二重生法,三重真元,四重天罡,五重灵犀,六重阳神,七重玄冥,八重归一紫府铸七宫:一重昆仑,二重照海,三重灵墟,四重神藏,五重日月,六重璇玑,七重紫宫道宫立神府:一重天门,二重玉景,三重神机,四重紫薇,五重明道,六重白玉京
  • 他是饲养员

    他是饲养员

    (唔……是一篇小短文)陆琛是G市五中有名的混世魔王,不曾想他,会栽在一个,爱哭的小姑娘身上。陆琛家后草坪…“陆琛,你又在打游戏!”某个爱哭包眼泪汪汪…陆琛看到这幅模样,深切表示,好嘞,我怂了…
  • 三世轻狂:一只小妖出墙来

    三世轻狂:一只小妖出墙来

    修炼千年的花妖在一次吃神仙肉的时候,遇上九重天高高在上翩翩谪仙上神。她贪恋上神美色,几次企图染指他未果,她死皮赖脸勾引他的功夫堪称一流,无论床上嘿咻还是摆首弄姿都能惹得自己难耐不忍,而上神被剥得精光仍是一副飘逸脱俗的笑容“美男!你要记住一句话,顺妖者昌,逆妖者亡,包小三拿去喂狼!”她勾着他的脖子霸道开口。”唔-----“他这样结束谈话。”美男,我是你的徒儿!你要养我一辈子!“她扒拉在他身上叫嚣着。“一辈子很长,得有千万年!”他很是潇洒的开口。
  • 世界文化博览(第二册)

    世界文化博览(第二册)

    《世界文化博览》精选了大量世界文化与自然遗产,以精炼的文字从多方面加以说明与介绍。揭开历史,一窥背后的故事,将人类历史上的里程碑和转折点,冲突和战争、创造和发现、崛起和衰落等,一一呈现在读者面前。其内容涵盖了原始社会、传媒通讯、人类军事武器的产生、数学宝库、西方文明的产生、人类走向宇航时代等。带你领略世界文化的博大精深,感受文化的力量和魅力,享受精神的盛宴,浓缩世界文化知识精粹。旨在为读者提高文化修养、丰富人生内涵、添加知识储备、准备写作素材、增加聚会谈资……