CONFISCATION OF THE GOLDS NEWSPAPER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5540, 30 December 1878, Page 3

CONFISCATION OF THE GOLDS NEWSPAPER.

The following is an abstract of the article in the Golos which led to the confiscation of that paper by the Russian Government ; —“ It is easy enough to delude ourselves with such fancies as that we are the promoters of enlightenment and freedom, that we are the liberators and friends of all the oppressed and injured, and that we are the enemies of despotism and barbarism ; while Europe, being corrupt and full of malice and envy, prevents us from fulfilling our great and human mission. But perhaps we should look upon the opposition of Europe in a different light if we wore to consider that there is a great deal in ourselves, in our inner life, in our ideas and feelings, which is in diametrical opposition both to freedom and to justice. ... Europe, seeing what very small lamps of enlightenment wo possess in our own country, has natural doubts as to. the quality of the light with which we profess to bo able to illuminate the obscure depths of the East. To unite the Slavs is not so easy as it appears to the journalist who uses three columns of the official Press to spread a belief in the greatness and the glorious future, of Russia. It is above all things necessary to know how far such a union would bo in accordance with the wishes of the Slavs themselves. We hav liberated the Servians, but at the price of much bitter feeling both against their,Government. and their enlightened classes ; we have fought for the Bulgarians, but never have these “ brothers " of ours been so heartily abused as during that war of liberation. It is 'not the Slavs alone, but every one, who would joyfully receive us if in the moment of danger we came to help with rifles, bayonets, and guns. , . . Wo have accused both the Roumanians and Servians of inclining more to the West than to Russia,, though Europe has not stirred a finger tor their liberation, while Russia has shed rivers of blood for them. But how oan this bo helped, when in the West there is that culture and force of attraction which makes people forget the great sacrifices which have boon mado for

them ? The same happened with us in 1812, when we leaned more than ever towards Paris, although our hatred against the French seemed to be such as to last for centuries. After the Crimean war a whole phalanx of Anglomaniacs rose among us, althought it was certainly not sympathy for us which led the English to take part in the defence of Turkey. If we wish to be true friends of the Slavs, we must at least know them ; hitherto the “rotten” West has studied them much more and written more books about them than all our Slavophils put together.”