登陆注册
5343800000066

第66章

A well-known Russian economist, Professor Ivanukoff,(3*) has tried to show to what extent the press shared with the Government the difficult task of elaborating the scheme, according to which the serfs were to obtain "freedom and land." He is quite correct when he says that, with the exception of a single paper called the Journal of Landed Proprietors, the whole Russian Press unanimously declared itself in favour, not only of the abolition of personal servitude, but also of the endowment of the peasants with land. Such writers as Katkof, the well-known editor of the Moscow Gazette, a man who has lately played so prominent a part in the reactionary movement, were then the open friends of Liberalism, and rivalled the most advanced reformers in their defence of civil freedom. The opinions of Katkof were so greatly at variance with those of the Government at the beginning of the movement, that he was obliged to bring to a close a series of articles on the social condition of the serfs which he had begun in his periodical, the Russian Courier. Another eminent publicist, Koschelev, who was the author of one of the numerous private schemes of emancipation (their number amounted to sixty-one), was obliged at the same time to abandon the further publication of a journal called the Welfare of the Country, on account of the strong language in which he advocated the endowment of the liberated serf with those portions of the land already in his possession. A Russian magazine of great renown, the Contemporary, was at the same time on the point of being suppressed on account of an article written by Professor Kavelin, expressing his views as to the opportuneness of redeeming the lands actually possessed by the peasants, and that, too, with the direct help of the State. The Minister of Public instruction, Evgraf Kovalevsky, was even asked to issue a circular, by which the censorship was entrusted with the power of suppressing any article, pamphlet, or book, dealing with the question of enfranchisement, that had not previously been approved by the central committee. This untimely warfare against public opinion and the liberty of the press, fortunately enough, did not last long. The circular was printed in April, 1858, and seven months later the Government relaxed the restrictions imposed; and that because of the complete change in its own views as to the outlines of the reform. The opinions recently suppressed became those of the Government, and the prosecuted writers were considered, for a while at least, its surest allies. I insist on these facts, because I know of no instance which better characterises the ordinary proceedings of the Russian bureaucracy. It begins, as a rule, by suppressing all that lies in its way, and then, finding no other issue, it adopts the line of conduct which it has recently condemned. A foreigner who has no notion of this mode of procedure must find great difficulty in understanding how it happens that in a country where no freedom of the press is recognised, in which generals and high officials seem alone to have the right of professing opinions on public matters, the press, nevertheless, has more than once exercised a decisive influence on the course of politics. The all-powerful bureaucracy is very often but an empty-headed fool, anxious to accept the ideas of the despised and prosecuted journalist. In Russia, as well as everywhere else, the true and lasting power is that of public opinion, and of those who know how to influence it. Periods in which the Government acts contrary to public opinion occur from time to time. They are very harmful to those who dare to remain faithful to their opinions. For a while nothing is heard of but the need of suppression both of opinions and of those who publicly profess them. But time passes and the Government begins to reap the fruits of its own sowing. At every step it takes, it finds on the part of those it governs nothing but ill-will, a hidden but profound mistrust. As soon as it feels that it is losing all hold on the minds and hearts of the people, it is the first to condemn what it has recently praised. Some fine morning everybody is stalled by learning that the very men who had done their best to render impossible the public expression of certain ideas are now drawing their inspiration from these same ideas.

But I feel that I have made perhaps a necessary, but at all events a too long, digression from the direct line of my inquiries. I will therefore return to them at once, and begin by pointing out those points on which the committee appointed to elaborate the law of enfranchisement carried out in their scheme -- the opinions of the press.

It was the press which first advocated the notion that the liberated peasant ought to become the owner of the land actually in his possession. Schemes for realising this idea had been already worked out in the reign of Nicholas by some patriotic scholars and publicists. Among them was Professor Kavelin, whose project was published by the Russian contemporary, at the head of other articles, on the impending reform. It was on Kavelin that first fell the responsibility of expressing ideas in opposition to the views of the Government. His opinion as to the necessity of endowing the peasant with land soon found an echo in the debates of the nobility of Tver, who petitioned the Czar to extend his promise concerning grants of land to the enfranchised serf, not only to his homestead and the ground surrounding it, but also to the shares the peasant possessed in the open fields of the village. In giving an account of the different opinions expressed by the provincial nobility, the central committee referred to this scheme proposed by the nobility of Tver, and recommended it to the Government. Thus we see how prominent a part the press played on this occasion.

同类推荐
  • 古林如禅师语录

    古林如禅师语录

    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。
  • 增广和剂局方药性总论

    增广和剂局方药性总论

    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。
  • 法集要颂经

    法集要颂经

    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。
  • 王阳明集

    王阳明集

    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 Golden Dog

    The Golden Dog

    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
  • 借丧

    借丧

    小高镇长上午十一点回到家里,发现老高镇长像一个被遗弃的老树疙瘩蜷缩在床上不动了。早上出门时还听见老人的房间里传来几声呻吟,怎么这么快就没气了?小高镇长看着床上的老人有些傻眼和茫然。他嘴里叼着烟,右手捏着下巴,邋遢着脑壳在老人床前转了两圈,突然想起了狗二爷,想起了狗二爷的环球阴阳服务公司。电话通了,没人接。再拨号码,还是没人接。小高镇长仿佛受到比媳妇被野男人睡了还入木三分的羞辱,狭长的脸上顿时要挤出水来。小高镇长顿了顿又拨通了狗二爷的顶头上司蔡家沟村长蔡明亮的电话。叫他挖地三尺也要把狗二爷挖出来。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 千古绝唱

    千古绝唱

    一部一段历史,一本一个故事。《千古绝唱》展示了中华五千年历史文化的灿烂辉煌。讴歌了中华儿女的杰出伟大。杨力历史小说《千古绝唱》文笔优美、情节震撼、历史内涵厚重,既给人以历史的感悟,又得到文学美的享受,展示了她非凡的文学天赋。
  • 资治通鉴故事导读本(上册)

    资治通鉴故事导读本(上册)

    本书精选《资治通鉴》中重大历史事件和重要历史人物,完整详细地交代原委,帮助读者更清楚地了解历史,将其中的精彩故事、人物串联起來,并对知识点进行链接,语言风格符合青少年读者群,让中小学生在阅读的过程中学到历史知识及做人的道理。本书由范毅然编著。
  • 超级记忆术:很强很有效的记忆方法大全

    超级记忆术:很强很有效的记忆方法大全

    优秀的记忆力是获得成功的关键因素。人的记忆力是超乎想象的,每个人的大脑都是一个巨大的宝藏,只要掌握了适合自己的记忆方法,我们就可以轻松打开藏宝室的大门,让自己在记忆的海洋里畅游,开发出超凡脱俗的强大记忆力,使自己可以更加高效地工作、学习、生活……有更多、更充沛的时间去发展事业,将自己的生活规划得更加合理,一步步走向更高、更宏伟的人生舞台,走出一条辉煌的人生路。
  • 不灭武尊

    不灭武尊

    一门被视为垃圾的功法,一个被同门视作废人的修炼狂人,在得到一枚阴阳玉佩之后,一切将彻底改变。十倍修炼速度,令古飞一再突破武道极限,千百年来已被人认定的铁律,被古飞一一打破!奇迹……古飞不相信奇迹,他相信的只有血和汗,在这个武道已经没落,真正的武道奥义已经失传的腾龙大陆修炼界,且看古飞如何以武逆天,脚踏道术神通,拳打妖魔鬼怪,怀抱红颜绝色,成就不灭武尊!
  • 君主今天掉马了吗

    君主今天掉马了吗

    其实我没有你们想象的那么完美,但是为了你们,我会变得很好。——慕君
  • 黯灭大陆

    黯灭大陆

    黯灭大陆,一个让人黯然泪下的大陆,一个被神遗弃的大陆
  • 苏云传

    苏云传

    希望大家能够多多支持,大家的支持就是对我最大的动力
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。