Russia

Kolokol—The Conservatives—The Tchinovniks—First Specific

Proposals—Joint-Stock Companies—The Serf Question Comes to the Front.

CHAPTER XXVIII

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE SERFS

The Rural Population in Ancient Times—The Peasantry in the Eighteenth

Century—How Was This Change Effected?—The Common Explanation

Inaccurate—Serfage the Result of Permanent Economic and Political

Causes—Origin of the Adscriptio Glebae—Its Consequences—Serf

Insurrection—Turning-point in the History of Serfage—Serfage in

Russia and in Western Europe—State Peasants—Numbers and Geographical

Distribution of the Serf Population—Serf Dues—Legal and Actual Power

of the Proprietors—The Serfs' Means of Defence—Fugitives—Domestic

Serfs—Strange Advertisements in the Moscow Gazette—Moral Influence of

Serfage.

CHAPTER XXIX

CHAPTER XXIX

THE EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS

The Question Raised—Chief Committee—The Nobles of the Lithuanian

Provinces—The Tsar's Broad Hint to the Noblesse—Enthusiasm in the

Press—The Proprietors—Political Aspirations—No Opposition—The

Government—Public Opinion—Fear of the Proletariat—The Provincial

Committees—The Elaboration Commission—The Question Ripens—Provincial

Deputies—Discontent and Demonstrations—The Manifesto—Fundamental

Principles of the Law—Illusions and Disappointment of the

Serfs—Arbiters of the Peace—A Characteristic Incident—Redemption—Who

Effected the Emancipation?

CHAPTER XXX

CHAPTER XXX

THE LANDED PROPRIETORS SINCE THE EMANCIPATION

Two Opposite Opinions—Difficulties of Investigation—The Problem

Simplified—Direct and Indirect Compensation—The Direct Compensation

Inadequate—What the Proprietors Have Done with the Remainder of

Their Estates—Immediate Moral Effect of the Abolition of Serfage—The

Economic Problem—The Ideal Solution and the Difficulty of Realising

It—More Primitive Arrangements—The Northern Agricultural Zone—The

Black-earth Zone—The Labour Difficulty—The Impoverishment of

the Noblesse Not a New Phenomenon—Mortgaging of Estates—Gradual

Expropriation of the Noblesse-Rapid Increase in the Production and

Export of Grain—How Far this Has Benefited the Landed Proprietors.

CHAPTER XXXI

CHAPTER XXXI

THE EMANCIPATED PEASANTRY

The Effects of Liberty—Difficulty of Obtaining Accurate

Information—Pessimist Testimony of the Proprietors—Vague Replies of

the Peasants—My Conclusions in 1877—Necessity of Revising Them—My

Investigations Renewed in 1903—Recent Researches by Native Political

Economists—Peasant Impoverishment Universally Recognised—Various

Explanations Suggested—Demoralisation of the Common People—Peasant