REVOLUTIONARY PROJECT IN RUSSIA.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2694, 5 October 1871, Page 3

REVOLUTIONARY PROJECT IN RUSSIA.

There is, or was recently, proceeding at St Petersburg an important state trial, which shows that autocratic Russia has not escaped the contagion now pervading Europe—the dissemination of socialistic principles. ■ Three men named Netchajeff Orloff, and Tkcttschofif, are charged w;th being concerned in a conapirafy to overthrow the Government by the assassination of officials in high places ; but they do not appear to have any welldefined plan to carry oil the Governmental machine after the present order of things had been overthrown. The Government papers describing this trial designate them as unscrupulous agitators ; but we apprehend that term would be applied to any body of men who had designs in establishing for country a system of free institutions. ihe avowed object of these men on trial, however, was to bring about a socialist revolution. , . In the Spring of 1869, there was m the St. Petersburg University a disturbance among the students, which the authorities suppressed. After this, those three men, with others, entered into an organisation to bring about a socialistic rising in various parts of the empire. Committees were formed at Moscow, Ivanovo, and other places, a secret press was established, subscriptions opened, false passports fabricated, and regular revolutionary plans devised. Metchajeff, one of the conspirators, went abroad and placed himself in communication with foreign agitators. Towards the closfe of 18(59, he returned to Russia, a secy,a? society was established jii Mps,9QW, >vftn launches • throughout &WW?. so, crety wasyvpll pfoyicUd with f iiude, had a seal and cipher of its o.vvn, apd punished any breaoh of regulations with death, a puuishment which was actually iu dieted on a young student named Ivanoff, The society worked by means of what wore called circles, composed of five members who acted together, but who were kept in ignorance of the persons belonging to the other circles, each member being referred to by a number. The circles acted under sections similarly arranged, and in fact a large secret organisation was in working order to propagate socialistic doctrines, preparatory to raising an insu' iection.