THE HERZEGOVINIAN PEASANT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 226, 8 January 1876, Page 10

THE HERZEGOVINIAN PEASANT.

Except as a disturbing cause amidst the elements of European politics, the Herzegovinian difficulty has attracted little or no attention in thecolonies. That is to say, the rights or wrongs of the Herzegovinians in their revolt against Turkish authority, have been little inquired into. And yet a very small search indeed would show that no European race suffers under crueller, or more grievous rule, than that of the Herzegovinian peasant. Several English journals, and notably the Spectator , have devoted articles to a description of the state of the peasant in Herzegovina, and as has been remarked, this has been done largely in order, if possible, to anticipate the English verdict on the insurrection. The English have a habit of never sympathising with unsuccessful insurrectionists. The Herzegovinians are almost certain to be beaten in their struggle with the Turks, and the English verdict will in all probability be “served ‘ c them right.” For this reason it is, then, that leading English journals are bringing forward masses of evidence to show that of all causes that have existed in the world deserving human sympathy, . the uprising of the Herzegovinians is one of the most prominent. The peasant in the Herzegovina is in a worse state than was the French peasant before the great revolution ; he is oppressed without regard to law by a ruling class, and the exactions from which he suffers are made in the name of a count which is a mystery to him. The State would not at first sight seem to tax him very heavily, his contribution being fixed at somewhere about 10 per cent, of what he produces. But as he is permitted no voice in estimating his capabilities for production, inasmuch, in fact, as the State tax gatherer or tax farmer himself places the limit upon the point of production, it will be seen that the peasant may be practically taxed to within any quantity of his whole resources, and, as a matter of fact, under Turkish rule he is taxed to the uttermost farthing. The peasant holdings are in fee simple, but are burdened by a contribution of one-third of their produce to the lord of the manor, and as the lord of the manor exercises the same rights as to estimating the capabilities for production as are exercised by the tax gatherer, it is evident that in him the unfortunate producer finds another claimant for so much of his produce as, when taken, will leave himself, and his family, at starvation point. Under these circumstances, it is no wonder that the Herzegovinian is neither a very highly civilised nor very elevated being. Indeed, the Spectator's description of him may be taken as quite.correct. He is nearly a 3 rough as a Staffordshire miner, quite as superstitious as a Donegal peasant, and as indifferently moral as a Neapolitan, but if he were left alone, he would live as his neighbor in Westmoreland (Bulgaria) often does live, a contented animal enough. Then his condition as a taxpayer is described—“ His King, how. “ ever, is impoverished, absolute, and “ secluded ; his lord of the manor a “ Catholic, with no mercy about money, “ with a profound and honest belief that “ the peasant, rejecting the true faith as “ he does, has no rights except to live “ and to keep his fields, and with a “bitter, gnawing hatred of him as a “ rebellious vassal.” His taxes are demanded from him twice a year, and the collector is accompanied on his rounds by armed soldiery. If he pays the demands made upon him, his assessment is promptly doubled, on the assumption that all men being cheats he would not readily pay unless he were taxed too low. If he refuses to pay the soldiers are let loose upon him, and all his possessions are seized. “ His little store “ of money, liis grain, his carts, his surplus cattle, his furniture, everything “ that is his except the land, and if the lord is not insane with fury, his agricul- “ tural implements. If the peasant re- “ sists, he is flogged, clubbed or wounded. ‘ c If bis wife screams, she is insulted. If “ the daughter is pretty, she may be out- “ raged.” A correspondent of the Times on the spot, who disbelieves the last story, made careful inquiry, and found that, although the practice, once universal, was getting better, the liability still existed, and men’s daughters had quite recently been carried off. Against all this there is absolutely no appeal, and considering all this, the Herzegovina revolt cannot fail to excite interest outside its importance as regards the peace of Europe, and should not fail to excite sympathy in the appeal it makes to the humanity of mankind.