DECLINE OF THE RUSSIAN NOBILITY.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 126, 31 October 1885, Page 5

DECLINE OF THE RUSSIAN NOBILITY.

. Hopelessly Bankrupt and Steeped in All 1 the Vices and in Petty Crime. 1 The little battle fought on the Afghan- " Russian frontier on Maroh 30th, whioh haa ! ma<|e so much noise throughout the world, 1 haa opened a series of imposing festivities ' in the Czar's country. In all the cities and ! towns Bussians have recently celebrated 1 three jubilees. 1 April 18th was the thousandth anniversary ; of the death ot St. Methody, o»e of the two ' Slavonian Apostles. This religious Slavonian millennial, writes aSt Petersburg correspondent to the New Yoik "Sun/ was very opportune. In view of the dangerous Anglo -Russian oonflict, which in the end might test the strength of the great Northern Empire, the national prayers to the Slavonian Apostles not only have strengthened, but even sanotified the patriotism of Russians Over a thousand years ago two Slav brothers, missionaries from Byzantium, penetrated the dense primeval forests, thinly inhabited by the nomadic pagan tribes, and preached to them the gospel in their own tongue. Then the two missionaries went West, where they were wanted bv some Slavonian kingdoms ; but they left behind them to the pagan tribes of their own race a precious gift, the Bible in Slavonian characters. Thus they are identified in the Kusaian imagination with the religious unification of the country, and through that with general patriotism. Such brilliant religious processions and such crowded public meetings as on this occasion of the great Slavonian anniversary have never before been witnessed here, and the biographies of Sfc. Cyril and St. Methody have been scattered far and wide through out the countiy, like the leaves of the fail. Thus the military ardour of the war party is, as it were, sanctioned by natural and even religious feelings. In his present excitement the Russian giant is a dangerous fellow to fight, dangerous even to John Bull. Another jubilee was the centennial cele bration of the imperial charter, by which very important rights and privileges were granted to the Russian nobles, such as the possession of serfs and civil and military ad ministration. In fact, since Catharine 11. until the abolition of serfdom in 1861, the nobility was exclusively a ruling class in Russia. The Czar-Liberator, however, has taken away from the nobles all their speoial rights, so much so that to-day the peasant boy has as many chances of making a good career as has the heir of the most illustrious princely family. It is a general opinion of Che best observers here that the Russian nobleman is fast degenerating. Be is bound to yield his place to a new blood. Public ■schools, collages and universities of to-day are preparing here a new generation of boys .vho boldly push to the front, not the least -ishamed that their families are not inscribed in any "velvet book." No matter whether this liomo novus is the son of a village priest or a country physician, or of a merchant, or iof a tradesman, or of a peasant, or of a Government clerk: he is bound to get his due by virtue of his education and personal ability and energy. In his rescript issued on the occasion of the nobles' jubilee (May 3), the Czar has virtually admitted that this title class of people is in a state of hopeless bankruptcy, and in order to save their lands from the hands of speculators he has ordered the establishment of a special Nobles' Land Bank, by means of which the State will be the sole creditor of the bankrupted nobles. Recently in a Moscow court there figured a certain Prince Galitzin He was tried and condemned for a petty crime. PrinceMestchersky, in his "Citizen," on that occasion said : " I remember very well when this Prince Galitzin, a brilliant officer of th 9 Imperial Guard, by marriage came into relation with such families as Count Kusheloff s and stro ganoff's. And now the same Prince is proved a common swindler. Is he an exception to the general rule? Not at all There is a direct relation between the criminal and his own titled class. The high life of to-day is not what it used to be a quarter of a century ago. Formerly our nobles valued most noble principles, and now all prostrate themselves before the golden calf. Honour, honesty, duty, everything is put on the altar of that deity. They do not mind borrowing money under worthless pledges. They are ready to dishonour their family name every day provided they will got by so doing money for women, champagne, horse?, and similar dissipation." Such are the Russian nobles of to-day according to the " Citizen," and yet the Czar urges them to see to it that the children of the country at large bo brought up in the rules of honour, honesty, and faith. The third jubilee wa3the centennial celebration of the self-government of Russian cities. Czarina Catherine 11. , on having granted certain rights and privileges to the different guilds, found it advisable to intrust to their hands the management of theii own affairs. Since then the industrial city bas taken lead of the official city in Russia, [n this and in other cities Russian tradesmen have arranged industrial exhibitions in order to show the progress of Russian in•lnstrips. I visited the exhibition in this oity several times, and from that I have seen *uu nutircl there I cannot help concluding that Russia still is a world in itself, separated from the outer world. Her tradesmen work in their own obsolete styles. lam told that nine out of ten Russians eat to-day with wooden spoonß from wooden plates and bowls, and drink water from wooden ladles. "Could not you afford to make these bhings of galvanized iron ?" I asked a manufacturer of woodenware. " Perhaps we could," he answered, " but 30 far our people think of what to eat, And not of what to eat it from." Slowly grows the Russian giant. Poor fellow, though 1,000 years old, ne is hardly able to feed himself.