4 THROUGH RUSSIA ON A MUSTANG. 



regard to it have been rudely shocked by revelations 

 of a more or less revolting nature as to its methods of 

 dealing with the people in its power. Our interest in 

 it became painfully intensified as the Siberian revela- 

 tions of Mr. Kennan were unfolded in the Century 

 Magazine. 



So revolting was this picture of barbarity and admin- 

 istrative corruption that many of our people, whose 

 kindly remembrance of Russian courtesies influenced 

 their prejudices and biased their better feelings in its 

 favor, could not but receive them with a spirit of won- 

 dering skepticism. 



The Russians were keenly sensitive to the criticisms 

 of the people of America concerning them, more so 

 than to the opinions of any other nation. A rebuke 

 from us seemed to them like a rebuke from a friend. 

 They are thicker-skinned in regard to England. Abuse 

 and bias from the press and people of England, many 

 Russians have come to regard as a foregone conclu- 

 sion. They think the great dailies of England will 

 publish eagerly anything and everything of a disrepu- 

 table and abusive nature about Russia, and refuse, 

 like the Jews in regard to Nazareth, to believe that 

 anything good can come out of it. This is the inev- 

 itable consequence of the political tension between 

 the two empires. But they expected from us, at least, 

 an impartial judgment equally as to their good quali- 

 ties and their imperfections. It was because they re- 

 garded America as a country with which they have 

 ever been on the friendliest terms, that made the Rus- 

 sians feel apprehensive lest the Kennan articles should 

 cause them to be wholly misunderstood, and blind us 



