bsolutism.
After the usual amount of pietistic verbiage by way of introduction the
Manifesto said:

We make it the duty of the government to execute our firm will:

(1) To grant the people the unshakable foundations of civic
freedom on the basis of real personal inviolability, freedom of
conscience, of speech, of assemblage of unions.

(2) To admit now to participation in the Imperial Duma, without
stopping the pending elections and in so far as it is feasible in
the short time remaining before the convening of the Duma, all the
classes of the population, _leaving the farther development of the
principle of universal suffrage to the new legislative order._

(3) _To establish as an unshakable rule that no law can become
binding without the consent of the Imperial Duma, and that the
representatives of the people must be guaranteed a real
participation in the control over the lawfulness of the
authorities appointed by us_.

We call upon all faithful sons of Russia to remember their duty to
their fatherland, to aid in putting an end to the unprecedented
disturbances, and to exert with us all their power to restore
quiet and peace in our native land.

VIII

The Czar's Manifesto rang through the civilized world. In all lands it was
hailed as the end of despotism and the triumph of democracy and freedom.
The joy of the Russian people was unbounded. At last, after fourscore years
of heroic struggle and sacrifice by countless heroes, named and nameless,
the goal of freedom was attained. Men, women, and children sang in the
streets to express their joy. Red flags were displayed everywhere and
solemnly saluted by the officers and men of the Czar's army. But the
rejoicing was premature, as the events of a few hours clearly proved. With
that fatal vacillation which characterized his whole life, Nicholas II had
no sooner issued his Manifesto than he surrendered once more to the evil
forces by which he was surrounded and harked back to the old ways. The day
following the issuance of the Manifesto, while the people were still
rejoicing, there began a series of terrible pogroms. The cry went forth,
"Kill the Intellectuals and the Jews!"

There had been organized in support of the government, and by its agents,
bodies of so-called "patriots." These were, in the main, recruited from the
underworld, a very large number of them being criminals who were releas