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PRO PATRIA
205
helps them to realise that nature’s destiny for man is work,
that they improve by work and deteriorate if they do not
apply their energies, they will correct and eliminate the
defects of their nature which in the eyes of prejudiced
critics seem irreparable and final.
Again, corruption is thought to appertain to an indelible
depravation of the Russian character. However, the
corrupt practices, which during the Revolution spread to much
greater proportions than ever under the Tsarish rule, are
nothing but the unavoidable concomitant of non-existent, or
deficient, organisation. If Russia were organised to the
same extent as England and if money matters were as
satisfactorily regulated as in this country, there would be
probably no room for corruption. Therefore the causal
nexus does not lie in a special congenital defect of character,
but is traceable to the sad and unsatisfactory conditions of
life existing in Russia. If these conditions are improved
by education, respect for the law, efficient public
organisation, and a steady and enlightened form of Government,
corruption will disappear automatically, and ill-informed
critics vociferating about incorrigible defects in the Russian
character will be put to shame. To use a physician’s
language, the body politic, social, moral, and economic of
Russia is not suffering from chronic organic disease, but is
afflicted with an acute malady brought about by adverse
circumstances—a condition which demands energetic
counter-measures and wise treatment, but does give no reason for
despair although the patient may be at present as bad as he
can possibly be.
Again, the Russian people have been accused of " fitful
ferocity." Of course the acts of fiendish cruelty and ghastly
murder committed during the Revolution are perfectly
appalling, but if one realises, as one should, that prison
doors were opened by the revolutionists, setting at liberty
tens of thousands of criminals, that the inarticulate masses
were systematically perverted and incited to deeds of atrocity,
it appears that it was the Revolution which was solely
responsible for the crimes which were perpetrated. Such deprava-
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