DISAFFECTION IN RUSSIA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2017, 16 June 1885, Page 2

DISAFFECTION IN RUSSIA.

The Paris correspondent of the " Times" on April 6th wrote :- "The prospect of a conflict between England and Russia has awakened many, dormant'hopes among the oppressed and heterogeneous peoples of the great Northern Empire. The echo of this disaffection has travelled even to Paris, audit seems as if the Russian Government injudiciously contributes to fan the flame. Religious persecution has, at the instigation of the Czar's confidential adviser, the Procureur of the Holy Synod, Pobedonostzeff, been revived throughout the country, so that Uniates, Stundists, Protestants and Jews are all oppressed and dissatisfied."

A Georgian, who has good opportunities of judging the feeling of his fellow-country-men, writes from Tiflis a letter, beseeching me to place before the British public some expression of the sympathies which the Georgians feol towards England. That this may be better understood, my correspondent recalls tho past history of his country. Ho showed how the Georgians, invaded alternatively by the Turks and the Persians, finally accepted the protection of Russia. But from the vassals they soon became the victims, ot the Czar. They received little or no protection, while they were compelled to endure every form of extortion. After recapitulating various historical events to show how Russian functionaries, armed withßussian laws,'ride roughshod over the country, crushing down every national instinct, my correspondent insists that the Georgians have now but one object in view—that of throwing off the yoke of foreign domination. He adds:—

"This aspiration has been developed by the conduct of the Russian Government itself. It outrages the most sacred sentiments of the nation by- abolishing the use of the Georgian language in the administration, the law courts, the schools, the religious ceremonies, and public institutions. The liberty of tho press is suppressed, and even the wearing of the national dress is looked upon' with suspicion by the Russians, . The Georgians cannot aspire to any- post of importance under the Empire, and the Georgian Church is now administered by a Russian' archpnest, who ignores both our language and the history of our Church, •' "Again, until last year the Georgians were exempt from compulsory military service; but during the present year this last remaining privilege was swept away.. Our sons are torn from their homes., and forced to serve in the regular army. If our grievances engender thoughts of revenge, and the love of freedom makes us cry for justice, we welcome the news of this projected war,between England and Russia. Joyfully we look forward to British victories as the signal of our salvation and of our freedom, and all our sympathies are with England. Those who are not Russians are our allies,

"If English forces could only land in Georgia,-all the Caucasus would rise in rebellion againat the Russians, Formerly wo had'fiireat political. aspirations, but a harsh experience has reduced our ambition to a minimum, We do, not seek for much, only a tolerable modus vkendi; but as Russia refuses to make any concession, we are ready, if encouraged, to take up ,arnis for England. We only desire autonomy such as that enjoyed in Finland, and the right to use our own language. It is difficult to understand why Eussia so systematically oppresses us, and thus nurtures on her frontier a hostile element ever ready to take up arms against her. -

" An independent Caucasus might contribute very materially to the solution of the Eastern question. It would constitute a barrier between Russia and Central Asia.. If, to invade' Asia or Turkey/ the Russian troops ''were' first obliged to fight

their way ; , through ah • autonomous ■ .'•■ Caucasian country,'the difficulties of such - aggression would be: • immeasurably increased. Reared to a hard and perilous life, inured to warfare,, and ready to • die for a newly-found, freedom, the Georgians would prove a serious stumbling-block, which Europe would do well not to neglect when she seeks-to check the invasions of the Northern ' Colossus," Not only in the Caucasus, in Poland, and on the Baltic is a Separatist ' spirit thus manifest, b# even tho Cossacks are stirred with feelings, of \. resentment against the Russian Govern:... ment for attempting to assimilate thenVto ~ the regular army. ..:■.,.■.•..•■■■-••■'•;