s
almost like the progress of a conquering general. She had been one of
the original Nihilists in the seventies and since then had spent most
of her life in Siberia. All Petrograd turned out to welcome the
popular heroine, now a feeble old woman, and she was officially
received at the railroad station by Kerensky and other members of the
Government in the old Imperial waiting rooms, where formerly only
members of the Imperial family had been permitted to enter. Outside in
the streets surged crowds of fur-capped people as far as the eye could
reach, waving red banners and revolutionary emblems. Now and again a
roar of voices chanting the Marseillaise would sweep back and forth
over the throngs. Within the station the walls were banked with
flowers and festooned with red bunting and inscriptions addressed to
the returning heroine. However, this incident occurred later, already
a great deal had been accomplished.

The emancipation of the Jews had been one of first acts of the new
cabinet. All restrictions were removed and the Jews were recognized as
Russian citizens, and as such to be distinguished from all other
citizens in no way. Then the constitution of Finland was restored and
its full autonomy recognized. The same recognition was granted all the
other minor nationalities. Next the death penalty was abolished, and
finally the Provisional Government declared itself in favor of the
equal suffrage of women with men, a principle which is innate in the
revolutionary movement of Russia, to which as many women as men have
sacrificed themselves. The vast possessions of the ex-czar and most of
his munificent income were confiscated. At the same time the grand
dukes and other members of the Imperial family voluntarily gave up
their landed possessions and at the same time expressed their loyalty
to the new order.

CHAPTER LXXXIV

SOCIALISM SUPREME

Within the church the same overturning of old authorities took place.
The new procurator caused to be thrown out the gilded emblems of the
autocracy, and priests known to be in sympathy with the revolution
were elevated to the offices vacated by the reactionaries. Most of the
vast landed estates of the church were confiscated, and the church was
relegated to a position in which it could no longer interfere in
matters of state. Probably a majority of the radicals would have liked
to abolish the church altogether, but even they must have realized
that the great body of Rus