January 28, 1905.]
THE REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA,
(Daily Press 25th January.) The future may show that we have lately been watching the making of history: not the mere schoolboy history of battles lost or won, nor the crowning or burying of kings and queens; but the history that records the evolution of a race, the refreshment or
changes whose far-reaching effects we at present can do no more than guess at.
THE TEACHING OF HISTORY.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
●mendations of the vested interests; and | whom the Americans call a mugwump." the reaction, following the great hopes He is by no means illiterate, but for voting builded on the measure, led to all sorts of purposes he might as well be. HIS EXCEL- Nihilistic excesses. Young Russians are LENCY could have talked just as interesting. like young men everywhere. They dream ly of the Renaissance, even if he didn't of the good of humanity at large, and yearn remember the interesting fact that Con for universal brotherhood. When, therefore, stantinople fell, after a fifty-three days' the meats of writers like JOHN STUART MILL siege, on the 29th May, 1458. There and others less sober are smuggled in, always reference
handy diversion of the genius of a people, such as they prove too rich for mental stomachs and cheap, when you are going to make an editorial. Tha the revolution in Great Britain in 1688, habituated to a rigorous official dietary. a speech or write which gave us a toleration Act, the purifica. The reigning TSAR has offered the half loaf, GOVERNOR's examples of the use of dates tion of judicial administration, and un-
and the result is this popular clamour for as historical scaffolding were not particular licensed printing. The Russo-Japanese the whole baking. The blood spilled during ly happy. England's claim to the Duchy the last few days will have the effect of all of Normandy, or, we would rather say. war will probably figure conspicuously in the historical primers given to future Rus. martyrdom, real or imagined. It spells HENEY V.'s claim thereto, in 1415, was not historical an honest claim. The country belonged to but it is of minor impor-revolution, more blood, and sian generations; tance compared with the recent events at
the inhabitants. The English people did St. Petersburg. When NICHOLAS the First
not want it, but a lot of them died, as in heard of the French affair of 1848, he said
duty bound, in trying to please the personal to those about him: "Gentlemen, saddle
pride and ambitions of their monarch. There were many things, since obtained, your horses; France is a Republic." He did not mean they were to gallop to Paris (Daily Press, 26th January.)
that they would have done better to have to restore LOUIS PHILIPPE to the throne: It is distressing to have to express dis- died for. The Magna Charta did not Normandy he thus signified that it would be Russia's agreement with the opinions of a Governor inaugurate the millennium. turn next. It was, however, averted for and of a Bishop simultaneously, and we was not a commercial sphere of influence, that time, although the contagion of the begin the painful task with some natural nor were the English taking the blessings Parisian example gave Prussia its con- trepidity. We have to say, however, that of civilisation and religion to France. stitution, and caused WILHELM I. to fly, we feel unable to endorse the sentiments What does MACAULAY's schoolboy's modern FREDERICK WILLIAM IV. to salute the spoken by His Excellency Sir MATTHEW descendant know of this EXCELLENCY'S OWN bodies of the fallen Berlin insurgents, NATHAN, K.C.M.G., relating to the incul- people, to whom the speaker referred all METTERNICH to escape from Vienna, and cation of historical knowledge; and that too casually! A vague idea that they the Emperor FERDINAND to abdicate. But the arguments adduced by His Lordship hoarded money, which King Joan extorted from them by tortures duly described in for the rigorous repressive measures of the the Bishop, the Rt. Rev. J. C. HOARE, D.D.
romances of the "Ivanhoe" type, and pro- TSAR of that period, a political cataclysm who did endorse them, are opposed to would have overwhelmed Europe. Auto- our conception of the matter. When His bable general misconception based on cracy triumphed in a short time, for the EXCELLENCY suggested that the apparent SHAKESPEARE's unfortunately selected type. vastness of its strength then was not lack of interest in such an all-important From history so taught, they learn nothing known, but guessed at, and guessing tends study as that of history was due to the of the wonderful vitality of this much per- to exaggeration. It was fear that made the dulness of its ground work, we thought with secuted race, of its genius and character TSAR pit bis forces against the successful satisfaction that he was going to denounce and intellect, fostered by a perennial faith KOSSUTH in Hungary, fear of the in- the dry bones of history with which students and hope, and developing not only in spite fluence of example. The sword of have hitherto been troubled, and to recom- of, but even because of, the obstacles placed authority again conquered, and Russian mend the intelligent teaching of history in its path. And so on, and so on. His absolutism was preserved. Fear of might, which has been innovated, for example, at Lordship the BISHOP's affection for "the HIS EXCELLENCY older teachers" could perhaps be explained ignorance of light, the careful and cunning the Home universities. dissemination of that superstition which did confess to a sometime wish that "some by the tendency of the newer to lead the hails monarchs as the vicegerents of a still more attractive method" could be intro-student to consideration of causes, more dreaded God, saved Russia from reduced, but ad led "I have been forced to frequent iconoclastic results. To say that volution during those trying times. The the conclusion that names and dates are the scholar must "learn date after date, and first NICHOLAS always tried to keep Russia more easily and more permanently learnt in thus get the skeleton together," and then apart from Europe, to prohibit the ingress our schooldays than afterwards, and are the put in reading studies in after life, and thus fill in the flesh and blood," seems to of Western ideals as we fight against the only satisfactory scaffolding from which a importation of plague-bringing rats and sound structure of historical knowledge can us extremely illogical. Why not devote the * rags. But while the effect of such examples afterwards be erected." It is to be feared best studying years to absorption of the flesh as that of the French revolution was by that the labour of obtaining such a scaffold- and blood, and get the dates from Whitaker, as most people have to do anyway? Surely him recognised, he took no account of the ing exhausts the builder, so that no useful fact that thought cannot be barred out, structure follows. There are young people His Lordship does not carry such a view to that the instinct of reform, like the idea who know the "kings and queens of Sunday School, and ask his young people religious, is apt to be sporadic, to spring up England," from EGBERT to EDWARD VII., to memorise the names and dates of the like a fungus in unexpected places. Again, with the years of their reigns (the sort of Bible, reserving the "flesh and blood" of all the censorships and secret police that thing entered as History" in the curricula that Book for "reading studies in after autocrats can devise cannot prevent rumour of the Board Schools at Home), who would life"? However much we may share from flying, like thistledown; and rumour be surprised to read or hear that the bloody EMERSON's views of consistency, this seems can breed discontent as well as the most revolution of Paris in 1792, with all its to us a case in which His Lordship should authentic news. Thus, though ALEXANDER | horrid excesses, was a direct outcome of be consistent. II. mounted the throne of what was called lofty ideals. The average student educated a united Russia, the seeds of liberalism were on this system approved by the BISHOP, germinating all the time, and the unsuccess-bearing the name of RICHARD I. mentioned, ful Crimean war of 1854-56 afforded outlet may probably exclaim: " Oh, yes. I know. Called Cur-dee-lion. for similar symptoms to those that are now Reigned 1189-99. apparent. ALEXANDER II. did what Pulled out a living lion's heart, and went NICHOLAS II. has been doing, dreaming of about Palestine playing a guitar "; but reforms. The cer sorship of the Press was should he hear the names of MARAT and nominally relaxed, but its immediate out- ROBESPIERRE, he would be dumb with burst of unsparing criticism of bureaucracy regard to the French declaration of frater and its ways led to underbanded per- nity with all nations desiring freedom. If he secutions, to which the head of the has any ideas on the subject at all, they will administration was not privy. On the be to the effect that some horrid murderers Crown estates during his time
the guillotined some nice ladies and gentlemen. peasants actually enjoyed a of The necessity of adopting some compromise communism. On private estates, feu between Utopian ideals and the politics of dalism, with its labour dues, heavy inposts, everyday existence will come to him hap- and seignorial punishments, persisted. The hazard, after he has kicked against the great emancipation scheme of ALEXANDER pricks of Socialisin or Anarchism, and II. was put into operation, a uniqu historical | perhaps developed into either a pessimist, feature, but it was sorely crippled by the or worse still, that uninterested individual
form
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CHINESE MERCANTILE
REFORMERS.
(Daily Press, 27th January.)
with
The native business men of Canton derive profit in various ways as a result of their nearness to Hongkong. Apart from material benefits, they have the object lesson afforded by a comparison of the methods of the two places. That is why, no doubt, indications of a desire for practical reforms appear sooner and persist longer in the southern city than they do at Peking. of a Chamber of Commerce, and a special committee on trade, is reported, the objecte of which are to develop trade generally, to keep it in Chinese hands as far as possible, and to organise the collection of information from all parts of the province where business is done. "The Cantonese merchants evidently
The creation
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