The broad result of the week is that the reactionaries
are beginning to prevail against Count Witte. He has obviously been overborne at Court, he has been deserted by the moderates—who are rather like officers with no soldiers behind them—and, according to the Telegraph, which can hardly be misinformed about him„ he is physically almost crushed by perpetual overwork. He has no Staff that can effectively help him, Liberals of organising ability being naturally scarce in Russia, and he may either be removed or forced, in despair of order, into a policy of repression. If he disappears, or shoots down a crowd, there is no one to replace him, and the Romanoffs are left face to face with the Revolu- tionary party, whose inner desire is for a Federal Republic, though they would be content with much less if personal freedom could be guaranteed. The worst feature of modern despotisms is that they crush out all men of first-rate ability. Count Witte does not belong to that class, but he is the best man Russia has who would not prefer iron repression to any other policy.
