Butprecioustimewenton，andagaincametelegramsfromtheladiesthatnothingwasdone。AgainIwenttotheministertourgethematteruponhisattention;againheassumedthesamejellyfishcondition，pleasingbutevasive。ThenIrealizedthesituation;wentatoncetotheprefectofSt。Petersburg，GeneralvonWahl，althoughitwasnotstrictlywithinhisdomain;andhe，amanofcharacterandvigor，tookthenecessarymeasuresandtheladieswerereleased。
LikesomanyotherpersonswhomIhaveknownwhocameintoRussiaandweredelightedwithitduringtheirwholestay，theseladiesreturnedtoAmericamostbitterhatersoftheempireandofeverythingwithinit。
AstoVonWahl，whoseemedtomeoneoftheverybestRussianofficialsImet，hehassincemetrewardforhisqualities:fromtheCzaratransfertoaprovincialgovernorship，andfromtheanarchistsabulletwhich，thoughintendedtokillhim，onlywoundedhim。
ManywerethesufferersfromthisfeatureinRussianadministration——thisshirkingoflaborandresponsibility。AmongthesewasagentlemanbelongingtooneofthemosthonoredRussianfamilies，whowasgreatlydevotedtofruit—culture，andsoughttobringtheproductsofhislargeestatesinthesouthofRussiaintoMoscowandSt。Petersburg。Hetoldmethathehadtriedagainandagain，buttheofficialsshruggedtheirshouldersandwouldnottakethetrouble;thatfinallyhehadinducedthemtogivehimafreight—carandtobringaloadoffruittoSt。
Petersburgassoonaspossible;but，thoughthejourneyoughttohavetakenonlythreeorfourdays，itactuallytookseveralweeks;and，ofcourse，allthefruitwasspoiled。AsItoldhimofthefruit—trainswhichbringtheproductsofCaliforniaacrossourcontinentanddistributethemtotheAtlanticports，evenenablingthemtobefoundfreshinthemarketsofLondon，healmostshedtears。Thiswasanotherresultofstatecontrolofrailways。Asamatteroffact，thereisfarmoreandbetterfruittobeseenonthetablesofartisansinmostAmericantowns，howeversmall，thaninthelordliesthousesofMoscowandSt。
Petersburg;andthissolelybecauseinourcountryenergeticmenconducttransportationwithsomelittleambitiontowinpublicapprovalandpatronage，whileinRussiaahordeofstateofficialsshirklaborandcareasmuchaspossible。
Stillanothersuffererwasaveryenergeticmanwhohadheldsundryhighpositions，butwasevidentlymuchdiscouraged。Heshowedmespecimensofvariousrichoresfromdifferentpartsoftheempire，butlamentedthattherewasnoonetotakeholdoftheworkofbringingouttheseriches。Itwasperfectlyclearthatwiththeministeroftheinterioratthattime，asinsundryotherdepartments，thegreatquestionwas"hownottodoit。"
Evidentlythisministerandfunctionarieslikehimfeltthatifgreatenterprisesandindustrieswereencouraged，theywouldbecomesolargeastobedifficulttomanage;hence，thatitwouldbemorecomfortabletokeepthingswithinasmoderatecompassaspossible。
Tothiseasy—goingviewofpublicdutytherewereafewnotableexceptions。WhileDeWittewasthemosteminentofthese，therewasonewhohassincebecomesadlyrenowned，andwho，asIrevisetheselines，hasjustperishedbythehandofanassassin。ThisofficialwasDePlehve，who，duringmyacquaintancewithhim，wasonlyanundersecretaryintheinteriordepartment，butwastaking，apparently，alltheimportantdutiesfromhissuperior，M。Dournovo。AtvarioustimesImethimtodiscussthestatusofsundryAmericaninsurancecompaniesinRussia，andwasfavorablyimpressedbyhisinsight，vigor，andcourtesy。Itwas，therefore，asurprisetomewhen，onbecomingafullminister，hebloomedoutasamostbitter，cruel，andevidentlyshort—sightedreactionary。TheworldstoodamazedatthemurderouscrueltiesagainsttheJewsatKishineff，whichhemighteasilyhaveprevented;andnothingmorecruelorshort—sightedthanhisdealingswithFinlandhasbeenknownsinceLouisXIVrevokedtheEdictofNantes。Icanonlyexplainhiscoursebysupposingthathesoughttowinthefavorofthereactionaryfactionwhich，uptothepresenttime，hascontrolledtheCzar，andthustofighthiswaytowardthehighestpower。Hemadeofthemostloyalandhappypartoftheempirethemostdisloyalandwretched;hepittedhimselfagainstthepatriotism，thesenseofjustice，andallthehighestinterestsandsentimentsoftheFinnishpeople;
andhemethisdeathatthehandsofanavenger，who，indestroyingtheenemyofhiscountry，hasstruckafearfulblowathiscountry’shappiness。
WhileathoughtfulAmericanmustcondemnmuchwhichheseesinRussia，thereisonethingwhichhecannotbutadmireandcontrasttothedisadvantageofhisowncountry;andthisisthefactthatRussiasetsahighvalueuponitscitizenship。Itsvalue，whateveritmaybe，istheresultofcenturiesofstruggles，oflongoutpouringsofbloodandtreasure;andRussiansbelievethatithasbeenboughtattoogreatapriceandisineverywaytooprecioustobelavishedandhawkedaboutasathingofnovalue。Ontheotherhand，whenoneseeshowthecitizenshipoftheUnitedStates，whichoughttobeamillionfoldmorepreciousthanthatofRussia，isconferredlooselyupontensofthousandsofmenabsolutelyunfittoexerciseit，——whoseexerciseofitseems，attimes，likelytodestroyrepublicangovernment;whenoneseesthepowerofconferringitgrantedtotheleastrespectableclassofofficialsatthebehestofwardpoliticians，withoutpropersafeguardsandattimeswithoutanyregardtothelaws;whenoneseesitprostitutedbymenofthemostunfitclass，——and，indeed，ofthepredatoryclass，——whohaveleftEuropejustlongenoughtoobtainit，andthenleftAmericainordertoescapethedutiesbothoftheirnativeandtheiradoptedcountry，andtoavailthemselvesoftheprivilegesofbothcitizenshipswithoutonethoughtofthedutiesofeither，usingthemoftenincareersofscoundrelism，——onefeelsthatRussiaisnearerthetrueidealinthisrespectthanweare。
Asamatteroffact，thereiswithusnopettyjoint—stockcompanyinwhichaninterestisnotvirtuallyheldtobesuperiortothiscitizenshipofoursforwhichsuchsacrificeshavebeenmade，andforwhichsomanyofourbestmenhavelaiddowntheirlives。Nostockholderinthepettiestmanufacturingcompanydreamsofadmittingmentoshareinitunlesstheyshowtheirrealfitnesstobethusadmitted;butadmissiontoAmericancitizenshipissurroundedbynosuchsafeguards:ithasbeencheapenedandprostituteduntilmanywhoformerlyreveredithavecometoscoffatit。Fromthisevil，atleast，Russiaisfree。
CHAPTERXXXV
"ALLSORTSANDCONDITIONSOFMEN"INRUSSIA——1892—1894
Stillanotherdepartmentwhichinterestedmewasthatknownasthe"MinistryofPublicEnlightenment，"itsheadbeingCountDelyanoff。Hewascertainlyamanofculture;butthetitleofhisdepartmentwasamisnomer，foritsdutywasclearlytopreventenlightenmentinthepublicatlarge。TheRussiantheoryis，evidently，thatacertainsmallnumbershouldbeeducateduptoacertainpointforthedischargeoftheirspecialduties;butthat，beyondthis，anythinglikethegeneraleducationofthepeopleistobediscouraged;hencetheRussianpeasantisthemostignorantandhelplessinChristendom。
TherewasevidentlyadispositionamongverymanyofthemostardentRussianstomakeameritofthisimperfectcivilization，andtocultivatehatredforanypeoplewhomtheyclearlysawpossessinganythingbetter:henceitcamethat，justassomanyFrenchmenhateGreatBritain，andsomanyinthebackward，slipshodregionsofourcountryhateNewEngland，itwasquitethefashionamonglargeclassesofRussianstohateeverythingGerman，andespeciallytodetesttheBalticprovinces。
OneeveningduringmystayayoungRussianatasocialgatheringofmilitaryandotherofficialsvoicedthisfeelingbysaying，"I
hopethetimewillsooncomewhenweshallhaveclearedoutalltheseGermansfromtheRussianservice;theyarethecurseofthecountry。"ThereuponayoungAmericanpresent，whowasespeciallynotedforhisplainspeaking，immediatelyanswered，"Howareyougoingtodoit？Inoticethat，asarule，yourarelygiveapositionwhichreallyinvolveshighresponsibilitytoaRussian;
yougenerallygiveittoaGerman。WhentheEmperorgoestothemanoeuvers，doeshedaretrusthisimmediatesurroundingstoaRussian？Never;heintruststhemtoGeneralRichter，whoisaBaltic—ProvinceGerman。AndwhenhisMajestyishereintowndoeshedaretrusthispersonalsafetytoaRussian？Notatall;hereliesonVonWahl，prefectofSt。Petersburg，anotherGerman。"
Andsothisplain—spokenAmericanyouthwentonwithafullcatalogueofleadingBaltic—ProvinceGermansinpositionsofthehighestresponsibility，finallysaying，"YouknowaswellasI
thatifthesalvationoftheEmperordependedonanyoneofyou，andyoushouldcatchsightofaprettywoman，youwouldinstantlyforgetyoursovereignandrunafterher。"
RichterandVonWahlIknew，andtheywerecertainlymenwhomonecouldrespect，——thoughtful，earnest，devotedtoduty。WheneveronesawtheEmperoratareview，Richterwascloseathand;
whenevertheirMajestieswereattheopera，orinanypublicplace，therewasVonWahlwithhiseyesfasteneduponthem。
TheyoungAmericanmightnowaddthatwhenamanwasneededtodefendPortArthuranotherGermanwaschosen——Stoessel，whoseheroismthewholeworldisnowapplauding，asitonceapplaudedTodleben，thegeneralofGermanbirthwhocarriedofftheRussianlaurelsoftheCrimeanWar。
OneRussianofficialforwhomthereseemedtobedeepandwiderespectwasCountWoronzoff—Daschkoff;andIthinkthatourirrepressibleAmericanwouldhavemadeanexceptioninhisfavor。
CallinguponhimonedayregardingthedistributionofAmericanrelieftofamine—strickenpeasants，Iwasmuchimpressedbyhisstraightforwardhonesty:hewasgenerallycreditedwithstoppingthetime—honoredpilferingandplunderingattheWinterPalace。
OneofthemostinterestingofalltheRussiansImetwasGeneralAnnenkoff。Hisbrother—in—law，Struve，RussianministeratWashington，havinggivenmealettertohim，ourrelationsbecamesomewhatclose。Hehadgreatlydistinguishedhimselfbybuildingthetrans—Caucasianrailway，buthismainfeathadbeentheannexationofBokhara。Thestory，astoldmebyamemberofhisfamily，iscurious。Whilesuperintendinghisgreatforceofmenandpushingonthelayingoftherailsthroughthedesert，hisattentionwassuddenlycalledtosomehorsemeninthedistance，ridingtowardhimwithalltheirmight。OntheirarrivaltheirleaderwasdiscoveredtobeasonoftheAmeerofBokhara。Thatpotentatehavingjustdied，theothersonsweretryingtomaketheirwaytothethronebycuttingeachother’sthroats，butthisonehadthoughtitwisetofleetotheRussiansforsafety。
Annenkoffsawthepointatonce:withalargebodyofhiscavalryhestartedimmediatelyforBokhara，hisguestbyhisside;pushedhiswaythroughallobstacles;seatedtheyoungprinceonthethrone;andsomadehimaRussiansatrap。IshallspeaklaterofthevisitofthisprincetoSt。Petersburg。ItwasevidentthatAnnenkoff，duringmystay，wasnotinfavor。Itwassaidthathehadbeenintrustedwithlargeirrigation—worksinordertogiveemploymenttopeasantsduringthefamine，a...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：