A BIT OF EARLY RUSSIAN HISTORY
The history of Russia is the history of so many diverse races and
governments that it is impossible here even to touch upon many events
of the greatest import. Of two phases of Russian history, however, we
must get a glimpse in order to understand her problems: first, of the
ancient Republic of Novgorod, and, second, of Russia’s long struggle
for the supremacy of the white race.
Over a thousand years ago, when the great Teutonic and Anglo-Saxon
races were still barbarians, there existed in northern Russia a
wonderful republic, with a constitution that causes men of modern
times to marvel, a constitution that could have been formed only by a
people supersaturated with the spirit of liberty and dominated by an
unshakable belief in the equality of mankind. This wonderful republic
was known as Novgorod. It was governed by the Vietche (Congress)
elected by the people, which, in turn, elected its head, or “Posadnik.”
This chief was looked upon as a servant of the people amenable to the
constitution of the republic.
The people of this ancient free country were of Scythian origin, from
whom all Slavic races have descended, and who migrated from some
Asiatic region into eastern Europe about twenty-four hundred years ago.
The inhabitants of Novgorod showed wonderful commercial tendencies,
their trading extending into Greece, Persia, and even the East Indies.
The republic was so rich and powerful that all the nations around it
became subservient to it, until eventually there was coined a phrase,
“Who dares to oppose God and the Mighty Novgorod!” The fabulous
wealth of this mighty republic became known to the Mongolians, who
made repeated attempts to overrun Novgorod. In time the Novgorodians
became surrounded by Asiatics of Mongolian origin, such as Finns,
Khozars, Tartars, and others, and instead of being able to follow
their commercial and agricultural pursuits, they were forced to defend
themselves against the hordes pouring down upon them from Asia.
[Illustration: AFGHAN “ISHAN” COLLECTING MONEY IN THE NAME OF ALLAH
Taken at Samarkand. Note in background Sarts, Tadjicks and Uzbecks all
wearing the “chalma”]
As to-day, so then the Aryans of western Europe could not see the
danger threatening the white race, and instead of banding with the
Novgorodians and helping them drive the Mongolians back to the place
from which they had come, they too made war upon them. When, in the
ninth century, the Novgorodians received as their grand prince, Rurik,
a descendant of the Variags (forefathers of the Scandinavians), it was
on condition that he be amenable to the constitution of Novgorod. But
finally, the downfall of that wonderful Republic came, the Tartars fell
upon the land like wolves upon prey. At length there was nothing left
of the mighty Novgorod, whose power had been likened unto that of the
Almighty. The divided sovereignties were again and again overrun by the
Tartars, who destroyed everything and carried back with them thousands
of Russian women to become inmates of their harems. Eventually, worn
out by the long struggle with the Tartars, weakened by internal
dissensions, and depleted by a plague, the republic of the people, for
the people and by the people disappeared from the earth.
Three hundred years of Tartar yoke brought to Russia even a worse
calamity than the downfall of the republic--namely, the degradation of
the Russian character. The famous Tartar, Genghis Khan, appeared with
his vast armies, and sweeping all before him, subjected Russia to the
horrors of the darkest forms of slavery. It was not until the reign
of Catherine II, in 1783, that the last Tartar, Khan Shagin Gherei,
was deposed. That year, which saw the birth of the American nation,
found Russia getting rid of the last of the merciless invaders. No
people have ever been compelled to suffer the soul-racking tortures
and cruelties, the continual plunder and pillage, that fell to the
lot of the Russian people. The tyranny which the Tartars visited upon
them during this three-hundred-year period justified all efforts on
the part of the Russians to escape from it. Infamy no longer brought
shame in its train, and punishment was no longer the accompaniment
of crime. Honor disappeared, and only fear--great, overmastering
fear--held the Russians in its grip, brutalizing the natures of all.
The Tartar crushed every bit of pride from the haughty Russian heart,
vice and avarice became the leading characteristics of the nation, and
might became stronger than right. There was danger for travelers on
the roads, and families had no security against the desecration of
their homes. Tartars destroyed all the cities, first pillaging and then
burning them.
[Illustration: TURCOMANS
The most dreaded of robbers of the Kara Kum Desert, Transcaspia,
Central Asia. After the terrible battle with the Russians at Geok-Tepe,
they were practically subdued. They are related to the Tartars]
Russian history shows that prior to the Tartar invasion the Russians
were very thrifty, generous, law-abiding citizens, and that they
possessed, to a high degree, gentle and mild characteristics. When
other European countries indulged in all forms of tortures and inhuman
barbarities in punishment of political or religious offenders, it
was an unknown thing to them to mutilate or torture even the worst
criminal, political or otherwise. In 1113, Vladimir Monomachus
abolished capital punishment, saying, “Put not even an enemy to death,
for the soul of a Christian is sacred.” It was not again instituted
until a long time after the Tartar conquest, when the no less noble
Dimitri Donskoi (who administered a crushing blow to the Tartars
in 1380) was compelled to reinstate it owing to the then changed
disposition of the Russian people.
To the Russians of the early eleventh century blows were unknown even
in the heat of a quarrel. It was the Tartar yoke that was responsible
for the introduction of corporal punishment. The Tartars, too,
introduced the practice of branding a culprit, and during the reign
of Vassili the Blind flogging with the knut was practiced, and even
inflicted upon persons of noble station. Thus the Tartar brought about
the “falling from its high estate” of the Russian character, and this
corruption was consummated by the infiltration of Mongolian blood.
I often wonder what would be the result if the fourteen million negroes
living in the United States to-day were unqualifiedly permitted to
intermarry with the white people, and if to that were added the
Mongolian and Malay strains, which predominate in the Indians,
Mexicans, Filipinos and Latin Americans. It is certain that it would
spell the end of the white race in America, for history supports the
assertion that intermarriage of a superior with an inferior race has
always resulted in the reduction of the superior to the level of the
inferior. Not in a single instance has the inferior race been elevated
one iota. We have, for example, Spain, who early adopted in all her
colonies the policy of racial intermarriage. And where is Spain to-day?
In this same way, some liberty-loving Russians, excellent types
of the Aryan race, were gradually changed into hybrids with despotic
tendencies. Fortunately, the ruling class was mostly affected, the
peasants in general retaining their white skins, blond hair and
blue eyes. Think how the descendants of those Novgorodians must
have degenerated to submit to a quasi-aristocrat such as the stern
half-Tartar, Boris Godunov, brother-in-law of the weak Tzar Feodor,
son of Ivan the Terrible, making serfs and slaves of them, when in the
days of Novgorod all men were considered equal. Let us hope this almost
indelible imprint in the Russian trait of character will be obliterated
by time, for even to-day, to a slight extent, the debasing strain of
the barbarous Mongol makes itself evident.
[Illustration: HEIR TO THE THRONE OF AFGHANISTAN
Of Turco-Mongolian origin]
From the background of later Russian history three figures stand out
pre-eminently--Peter the Great, Katherine the Great, and Alexander
II. It is said that Peter the Great did not merely develop Russia--he
created Russia! This statement is largely true, for it is in great
measure owing to his shrewd foresight, his almost superhuman energy,
and his dogged persistence, in both military and constructive
undertakings, that Russia owes her place among the nations. Peter
obtained for Russia sea course upon the Baltic, he founded St.
Petersburg, and there established a new national capital where before
had been only a swampy marsh, he built a navy; he founded schools, he
forced upon his subjects the civilization of western Europe.
The reign of Katherine the Great, from 1762 to 1796, was likewise full
of important movements and developments for the strengthening of the
Russian Empire. During her reign large territories were acquired in the
east from the Tartars and the Turks and all the Polish territory east
of the Bug and Niemen Rivers was gained. Katherine was also a patron of
literature, art and science. She gave the large towns charters, with
the right to choose mayors and magistrates, and formed the nobles of
such provinces into corporate bodies, with the right to elect judges
and various minor offices. She even made an attempt to establish a
national parliament. Katherine corresponded with Voltaire, and he had a
great admiration for the quality of her mind. Speaking of her, he said,
“Light comes now from the North.”
[Illustration: TYPICAL PEASANTS OF GREAT RUSSIA
Note shoes made of birch bark]
The reign of Alexander II was a time of great forward strides in the
life of Russia. The working of coal beds and oil wells was encouraged,
and railroad and telegraph lines were greatly extended. But the
greatest achievement of the reign of Alexander was the emancipation
in 1861 of all the serfs in the empire, comprising some fifty-three
million souls, then almost half of the entire population; and the
establishment of a system by which the serfs in the country districts
could acquire the lands that they cultivated. After the war with
Turkey, the Emperor formed still larger designs for the improvement of
conditions within the empire. There is little doubt he would have made
a great change for the better had he been permitted to carry out his
plans. But during his reign, there was formed a class of discontented
theorists, the Nihilists, who became a dangerous element in Russia.
They were too hot-headed to give Alexander time to carry out the
plans he so earnestly desired for the good of the people, and they
assassinated him in March, 1881. He was succeeded by his son, Alexander
III, father of the present Tzar.
The genuine Russians are divided into three classes: Great Russia,
with a population of forty millions, occupying the northern section
of European Russia; White Russia, occupying the province of Mogilev,
Vitepsk, Grodno and Minsk; and Little Russia, in the southern part of
the country. The Great and the White Russians strikingly resemble the
Scandinavians. They are of colossal stature, and have blond hair and
blue eyes, excepting a small proportion where the Tartar influence has
crept in. Then the yellow pigment becomes dominant, the hair straight,
coarse and black, and the cheekbones quite prominent. The White
Russians are probably the least contaminated, but there are only from
three to four millions of them.
[Illustration: TYPICAL “WHITE” RUSSIANS]