It is noticed this week as a new fact that
the Russian Government has begun to distrust the Army. Officers of the Navy have often been arrested for Nihilism—perhaps because the Navy has been so often entrusted to disaffected grand dukes —but this week thirty military officers have been arrested. The Army is so large, and includes such varied classes, that it must contain some Nihilists ; and in the past history of Russia officers have shared in every Liberal movement. In the great outbreak, for instance, which accompanied the acces- sion of Nicholas, a number of officers of the Guard were on the Liberal side, and persuaded their men to declare for the Con- stitution (" Constitoutzia ") under the belief, it is asserted, that they were hurrahing for Constantino's wife. There is, how- ever, in the history of Russia no instance of any readiness among the soldiers to fraternise with the people ; and the mutinies, of which there have been several, have always been -directed against the officers.
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