SECRET ORGANIZATION OF THE RUSSIAN NIHILISTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 265, 15 November 1878, Page 4

SECRET ORGANIZATION OF THE RUSSIAN NIHILISTS.

Some curious particulars of the Nihilist organization are given in a letter from Odessa published by the News Weiner Tagblatl. " The Nihilisis," says the correspondent, "may be regarded as thefront rank of the malcontents in Russia; the innumrable forceß of the opposition who are behimi them do not. actively support lliem, but tolerate them as the champion of a cause which is also to some extent their own. In a meeting of the so called constitutional party i»t Kiefif, it waa expressly stated that although ihe ideals which the Nihilists have in view cannot be accepted, their efforts to overthrow the existing order of things must be regarded with sympathy. This is the universal feeling of all people in Rusßi'a who think, 11 Ihe citadel of Russian despotism, which Blone had not been undermined by the waves of the revolution, is the third division of the state chancery, or secret police, and the Nihilißts determined to attack it. * * * * » War waa declased against , the blue uniform, and the first victims have been, besides General MesentzoS and the police agent at Sostcff, the chief of the gendarmes at Kharkoff, the chief of the secret police at Taganrog, and a colonel of gendarmes at Poltava. * * The organization of the party is a very powerful one. Each Government baa a principal Committee and sub-Com-mittees which are called "Kxuschiki ," theße-Committees exist even in the Caucasus, The leaders of the Committees are not know even to their membere, and tbe sub-Committee at St Peters* burg, which^culls itself the "National Government," ia shrouded in impenetrable secrecy. The Central Committees obtain printed ordere, arms, and plans of operations direct from St Petersbug. At Odessa alone there are several thousand members of the society." " The penic in Government circles is indescribable ; the organization i ia suid to have penetrated the schools, universities, and even military academies; and the police do not venture to lay hands on the Nihiliets, fearing the secret sentences of the revolutionary tribuoals.'*