CHAPTER V
EVIDENCE LAID BEFORE THE FIRST AND SECOND DUMA ON COURTS MARTIAL, EXECUTIONS, AND THE OVERCROWDING OF PRISONS[1]
ON the historic day of the 10th of May, 1906, that of the elected representatives of the Russian nation passed through the streets towards the Tavrida Palace, from the dense throngs which lined their passage, one great cry arose—
"Amnesty! Amnesty! Amnesty first!"
And the first speech in the new-born Parliament was was for amnesty. It was made by Petrunkévitch, the oldest leaderof the Russian Liberals:—
"Our honour, our conscience," he said, "ordains that our first thought, our first free word should be dedicated to those who sacrificed their freedom to that of our beloved Fatherland" (storm of applause). "All the prisons in the country are overflowing" (cries of indignation). "Thousands of hands are stretched out to us with hope and beseeching. And conscience urges us to spare no possible effort to prevent the wasting of further lives in the victory so soon to be ours. …"
At the very next sitting of the first Duma the Liberal Deputy Rodicheff, in a speech of passionate eloquence, raised the question again:—
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- ↑ This chapter has been compiled for this statement by the kindness of a friend.