part05+-第9部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！




found　exceedingly　interesting；a　statesman　who　had　gained　a



power　in　the　empire　second　to　no　other　save　the　Emperor　himself；



and　had　centered　in　himself　more　hatred　than　any　other　Russian　of



recent　times；the　former　Emperor's　tutor　and　virtual　minister　as



regards　ecclesiastical　affairs；　Pobedonostzeff。　His　theories　are



the　most　reactionary　of　all　developed　in　modern　times；　and　his



hand　was　then　felt；　and　is　still　felt；　in　every　part　of　the



empire；　enforcing　those　theories。　Whatever　may　be　thought　of　his



wisdom；　his　patriotism　is　not　to　be　doubted。　Though　I　differ　from



him　almost　totally；　few　men　have　so　greatly　interested　me；　and



one　of　the　following　chapters　will　be　devoted　to　him。







But　there　were　some　other　so…called　statesmen　toward　whom　I　had　a



very　different　feeling。　One　of　these　was　the　minister　of　the



interior。　Nothing　could　be　more　delusive　than　his　manner。　He



always　seemed　about　to　accede　to　the　ideas　of　his　interlocutor；



but　he　had　one　fundamental　idea　of　his　own；　and　only　one；　and



that　was；　evidently；　never　to　do　anything　which　he　could　possibly



avoid。　He　always　seemed　to　me　a　sort　of　great　jellyfish；　looking



as　if　he　had　a　mission　to　accomplish；　but；　on　closer　examination；



proving　to　be　without　consistency；　and　slippery。　His　theory



apparently　was；　〃No　act；　no　responsibility〃；　and　throughout　the



Russian　Empire　this　principle　of　action；　or；　rather；　of　inaction；



appears　to　be　very　widely　diffused。







I　had　one　experience　with　this　functionary；　who；　I　am　happy　to



say；　has　since　been　relieved　of　his　position　and　shelved　among



the　do…nothings　of　the　Russian　senate；　which　showed　me　what　he



was。　Two　American　ladies　of　the　best　breeding　and　culture；　and



bearing　the　most　satisfactory　letters　of　introduction；　had　been



staying　in　St。　Petersburg；　and　had　met；　at　my　table　and



elsewhere；　some　of　the　most　interesting　people　in　Russian



society。　From　St。　Petersburg　they　had　gone　to　Moscow；　and；　after



a　pleasant　stay　there；　had　left　for　Vienna　by　way　of　Warsaw。



Returning　home　late　at　night；　about　a　week　afterward；　I　found　an



agonizing　telegram　from　them；　stating　that　they　had　been　stopped



at　the　Austrian　frontier　and　sent　back　fifty　miles　to　a　dirty



little　Russian　village；　that　their　baggage　had　all　gone　on　to



Vienna；　that；　there　being　no　banker　in　the　little　hamlet　where



they　were；　their　letter　of　credit　was　good　for　nothing；　that　all



this　was　due　to　the　want　of　the　most　trivial　of　formalities　in　a



passport；　that　they　had　obtained　all　the　vises　supposed　to　be



needed　at　St。　Petersburg　and　at　Moscow；　and　that；　though　the



American　consul　at　Warsaw　had　declared　these　to　be　sufficient　to



take　them　out　of　the　empire；　they　had　been　stopped　by　a　petty



Russian　official　because　they　had　no　vise　from　the　Warsaw　police。







Early　next　morning　I　went　to　the　minister　of　the　interior；



presented　the　case　to　him；　told　him　all　about　these



ladies；their　high　standing；　the　letters　they　had　brought；　the



people　they　had　met；assured　him　that　nothing　could　be　further



from　possibility　than　the　slightest　tendency　on　their　part　toward



any　interference　with　the　Russian　Government；　and　asked　him　to



send　a　telegram　authorizing　their　departure。　He　was　most　profuse



in　his　declarations　of　his　willingness　to　help。　Nothing　in　the



world；　apparently；　would　give　him　more　pleasure；　and；　though



there　was　a　kind　of　atmosphere　enveloping　his　talk　which　I　did



not　quite　like；　I　believed　that　the　proper　order　would　be　given。



But　precious　time　went　on；　and　again　came　telegrams　from　the



ladies　that　nothing　was　done。　Again　I　went　to　the　minister　to



urge　the　matter　upon　his　attention；　again　he　assumed　the　same



jellyfish　condition；　pleasing　but　evasive。　Then　I　realized　the



situation；　went　at　once　to　the　prefect　of　St。　Petersburg；　General



von　Wahl；　although　it　was　not　strictly　within　his　domain；　and　he；



a　man　of　character　and　vigor；　took　the　necessary　measures　and　the



ladies　were　released。







Like　so　many　other　persons　whom　I　have　known　who　came　into　Russia



and　were　delighted　with　it　during　their　whole　stay；　these　ladies



returned　to　America　most　bitter　haters　of　the　empire　and　of



everything　within　it。







As　to　Von　Wahl；　who　seemed　to　me　one　of　the　very　best　Russian



officials　I　met；　he　has　since　met　reward　for　his　qualities：　from



the　Czar　a　transfer　to　a　provincial　governorship；　and　from　the



anarchists　a　bullet　which；　though　intended　to　kill　him；　only



wounded　him。







Many　were　the　sufferers　from　this　feature　in　Russian



administrationthis　shirking　of　labor　and　responsibility。　Among



these　was　a　gentleman　belonging　to　one　of　the　most　honored



Russian　families；　who　was　greatly　devoted　to　fruit…culture；　and



sought　to　bring　the　products　of　his　large　estates　in　the　south　of



Russia　into　Moscow　and　St。　Petersburg。　He　told　me　that　he　had



tried　again　and　again；　but　the　officials　shrugged　their　shoulders



and　would　not　take　the　trouble；　that　finally　he　had　induced　them



to　give　him　a　freight…car　and　to　bring　a　load　of　fruit　to　St。



Petersburg　as　soon　as　possible；　but；　though　the　journey　ought　to



have　taken　only　three　or　four　days；　it　actually　took　several



weeks；　and；　of　course；　all　the　fruit　was　spoiled。　As　I　told　him



of　the　fruit…trains　which　bring　the　products　of　California　across



our　continent　and　distribute　them　to　the　Atlantic　ports；　even



enabling　them　to　be　found　fresh　in　the　markets　of　London；　he



almost　shed　tears。　This　was　another　result　of　state　control　of



railways。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　there　is　far　more　and　better　fruit



to　be　seen　on　the　tables　of　artisans　in　most　American　towns；



however　small；　than　in　the　lordliest　houses　of　Moscow　and　St。



Petersburg；　and　this　solely　because　in　our　country　energetic　men



conduct　transportation　with　some　little　ambition　to　win　public



approval　and　patronage；　while　in　Russia　a　horde　of　state



officials　shirk　labor　and　care　as　much　as　possible。







Still　another　sufferer　was　a　very　energetic　man　who　had　held



sundry　high　positions；　but　was　evidently　much　discouraged。　He



showed　me　specimens　of　various　rich　ores　from　different　parts　of



the　empire；　but　lamented　that　there　was　no　one　to　take　hold　of



the　work　of　bringing　out　these　riches。　It　was　perfectly　clear



that　with　the　minister　of　the　interior　at　that　time；　as　in　sundry



other　departments；　the　great　question　was　〃how　not　to　do　it。〃



Evidently　this　minister　and　functionaries　like　him　felt　that　if



great　enterprises　and　industries　were　encouraged；　they　would



become　so　large　as　to　be　difficult　to　manage；　hence；　that　it



would　be　more　comfortable　to　keep　things　within　as　moderate



compass　as　possible。







To　this　easy…going　view　of　public　duty　there　were　a　few　notable



exceptions。　While　De　Witte　was　the　most　eminent　of　these；　there



was　one　who　has　since　become　sadly　renowned；　and　who；　as　I　revise



these　lines；　has　just　perished　by　the　hand　of　an　assassin。　This



official　was　De　Plehve；　who；　during　my　acquaintance　with　him；　was



only　an　undersecretary　in　the　interior　department；　but　was



taking；　apparently；　all　the　important　duties　from　his　superior；



M。　Dournovo。　At　various　times　I　met　him　to　discuss　the　status　of



sundry　American　insurance　companies　in　Russia；　and　was　favorably



impressed　by　his　insight；　vigor；　and　courtesy。　It　was；　therefore；



a　surprise　to　me　when；　on　becoming　a　full　minister；　he　bloomed



out　as　a　most　bitter；　cruel；　and　evidently　short…sighted



reactionary。　The　world　stood　amazed　at　the　murderous　cruelties



against　the　Jews　at　Kishineff；　which　he　might　easily　have



prevented；　and　nothing　more　cruel　or　short…sighted　than　his



dealings　with　Finland　has　been　known　since　Louis　XIV　revoked　the



Edict　of　Nantes。　I　can　only　explain　his　course　by　supposing　that



he　sought　to　win　the　favor　of　the　reactionary　faction　which；　up



to　the　present　time；　has　controlled　the　Czar；　and　thus　to　fight



his　way　toward　the　highest　power。　He　made　of　the　most　loyal　and



happy　part　of　the　empire　the　most　disloyal　and　wretched；　he



pitted　himself　against　the　patriotism；　the　sense　of　justice；　and



all　the　highest　interests　and　sentiments　of　the　Finnish　people；



and　he　met　his　death　at　the　hands　of　an　avenger；　who；　in



destroying　the　enemy　of　his　country；　has　struck　a　fearful　blow　at



his　country's　happiness。







While　a　thoughtful　American　must　condemn　much　which　he　sees　in



Russia；　there　is　one　thing　which　he　cannot　but　admire　and



contrast　to　the　disadvantage　of　his　own　country；　and　this　is