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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7899, 18 March 1887, Page 4

It is evident that the internal condition of Russia is becoming very serious. The details of the recent attempt on the Czar's life supplied to day shows how deeply seated and wide-spread is the destructive desire to throw society into a state of utter disorder. This insane desire appears to have taken possession of a large portion of the people, irrespective of class or sex, insomuch that it seems hardly possible that those whom they have selected as their victims can long escape. There is another section of the people whose aim is also to overthrow the listing state of things with the view of creating another, or, ia other words, substituting a democratic in room of the autocratic form of Government. It was to this party that reference was made in a telegram appearing on the 26th o» February, which stated that a conspiracy to overthrow the Russian Government and establish a Republic had been discovered in St. Petersburg. And it must be to their design that allusion is made in its portion of to-day's telegrams which expresses a fear th*S the plotters favour the adoption of a Panßclavist policy. For the original Pansclavist movement was essentially republican in its character. It was to promote it that the secret societies, so numerous and active prior to the last Russo-Turkish war, were created. To counteract this Republican tendency lgnatieff originated an Imperial Pansclavic movement; and, since the war of 1876 those entering into this movement have remained in the ascendancy. These form the party that "is the power behind the throne," and strives to perpetuate the despotism for which Russia has been proverbial. Between these two rival parties—the Republican and the Imperial Pansclaviste —there is a fresh struggle for ascendancy in preparation; while the Nihilists, or party of destruction, are in some measure at feud with both. In order if possible, to save the empire front the distractions and dangers to which it is thus exposed, a considerable number of ad these parties —and comprising the best portion of each appear to have formed what, in the cable' messages is called a "constitutional"conspiracy, with the view of compelling the Czar either to grant» popular constitution, such as that he advocated before mounting the throne, or to abdicate. Among these are said to be included numbers belonging to the army and among the provincial nobility. But the leading men in their ranks, ac« cording to a report coming from Vienna, have been arrested, and the old traditional party, which has so long controlled the destinies of the Empire, still retains tirinly the reins of power. How long they can retain, or whether they can retain these at all, save by engaging in a foreign war, amid the dangerous energies now at work, remains to be seen. In any case, amidst the couflicts that are waged by these factions the doom of the Czar seems foreshadowed.