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Title: The Swiss Police Author: Mikhail Bakunin Date: February 19, 1870 Language: en Topics: Switzerland, police, Libertarian Labyrinth Source: Retrieved on 25th April 2021 from https://www.libertarian-labyrinth.org/bakunin-library/the-swiss-police-1870/ Notes: Le Progrès, February 19, 1870, Le Locle. Working translation by Shawn P. Wilbur.
It appears that all the police of Europe have now put themselves in the
service of the Russian government. Some very active searches continue,
it is said, in Germany, in Switzerland, in France and even in England.
Who are they seeking? Is it some political conspirators? No, doubtless,
that would be too awkward, for excepting the governments of England,
which have never ceased to conspicuously render service as gendarmes to
the Czar of Russia, all the other governments of Europe are very careful
not to compromise themselves on this point before their public. And the
Russian government, assured of their good will, but understanding on the
other hand the difficulties of their position, has suggested to them a
very simple means of honorably rendering the service that it demands of
them.
It is not a question of the pursuit and extradition of Poles or Russians
guilty of political crimes. Absolutely not! It is only a question of
simple murderers and forgers. But who are these murderers, these
forgers? Naturally all those who, more than others, have had the
misfortune of displeasing the Russian government, and who have had, at
the same time, the good fortune of escaping its paternal investigations.
They are neither murderers, nor forgers, and the Russian government
knows it better than anyone, and the governments of the other countries
know it as well as it. But appearances are preserved and the service is
rendered.
This is how, roughly six or seven months ago, the Wurtemberg government
delivered to the Russian authorities a young man studying at the
University of Tubingen, on the simple demand of the cabinet of Saint
Petersburg. That is how another young Russian student, studying at the
university of Vienna, was just arrested in that city, and if he has not
already been delivered to the muscovite authorities, he will not fail to
be so soon.
And notice that it is a liberal, patriotic and ultra-Germanminister who
renders that service to the Russian government. The government of
Prussia, as we know, has always been the supplier forits neighbor and
friend, the Bear ofSaint Petersburg. It has never refused it victim, as
soon as the ferociousquadruped had shown some taste for the flesh of the
free Germans, it would probably have delivered a few dozen with great
pleasure.
It should not be surprising. Germany has always been the true homeland
of the cult of authority anyway, the classic land of the bureaucracy, of
the police and governmental betrayals, that of the halfvoluntary
servitude, embellished withsongs, speeches and dreams. The ideal of all
German Governments is enthroned at St. Petersburg.
What must surprise us more is that the Swiss republic itselftoday lends
itself to the demands of the Russian police. We saw a few months ago the
scandalous affairof Princess Obolenska. It was enough for the
governmentof Saint Petersburgto express its desire for federal
authorities to hasten to order it, and for the cantonalauthorities to
execute the cruelest and most revolting violation of the sacred right of
a mother and thatwithout any judgment and without even bothering to
observe any of those legal forms that, in free countries, are considered
the necessary guarantees of justice and the freedom of the citizens,
with an abundance of brutality that could be envied by the Russian
police itself.
At this time, continuing the same service of deferenceto the government
of Saint Petersburg, the liberal and democratic authorities of
Switzerland hounds, it is sai, with the same zeal that made them bully
PrincessObolenska and expelthe illustrious Mazzini, and the Polish and
Russian bandits who they are identified as such by their powerful
friendfrom Saint Petersburg.The police of Geneva recently made a
domiciliary visit to the home of Louis Bulewski, an émigré, one of the
leaders of the Polish democracy, a friend of Mazzini, and incontestibly
one of the most honorableand most honored men of the emigration, under
the pretext of searching his home for forgedRussian bills. Butwhat they
sought above all, with a persistent tenacity and always to please
thegreat master of Saint Petersburg, is acertain Nechayev, who is
apparentlythe chief of all these brigands in Poland and Russia.
This Mr. Nechayev – real being or not – appears to us as a kind of
monstrous myth. A month ago almost all the newspapers of Europe were
full of him. To believe the papers of Saint Petersburg and Moscow, he
was the leader of the great conspiracy that was recently discovered in
Russia and that, it appears, does not cease to interest and concern the
government of the Czar. It was said he was dead, – not the Czar, but
this Mr. Nechayev – now behold he is resurrected. He must be since they
seek him, unless the Russian government pursues another person under the
fantastic name of Nechayev. But let us suppose Nechayev living in the
flesh and bone, he is a conspirator, so he is not a robber or a thief;
his crime, if he is a criminal, is that of a politica man. Why then seek
him as a murderer and thief? But he has murdered, they say. Who says it?
The Russian government. But wouldn’t one have to be truly naive to
believe what the Russian government said, or else perverse to give the
air of belief?
But, in this way, the Russian government would only have to indicated to
the liberal governments of Europe some Polish or Russian émigré as a
murderer, a forger ora thief, in order to have them delivered! It would
really be too convenient and too dangerous especially, because itwould
be the best means of applyingto all of liberal and civilized Europe the
barbaric system of muscovite governmentthat has never stopped before
slander or lies.