overnment wished to give the impression as
if it merely "tolerated" the departure of the Jews from Russia--although
in reality it was the ultimate aim of its policies--in the beginning of
the nineties it suddenly cast off its mask and gave its public sanction
to a Jewish exodus from the Russian Empire. As if to strengthen the
effect of this sanction, the Jews were to taste even more fully the whip
of persecution and expulsion than they had done during the preceding
decade.

CHAPTER XXVIII

JUDAEOPHOBIA TRIUMPHANT

1. INTENSIFIED REACTION

The poisonous Judaeophobia bacilli seemed to thrive more than ever in
the highest Government circles of St. Petersburg. However, not only the
hatred against the Jews but also the fury of general political reaction
became more rabid than ever after the "miraculous escape" of the
imperial family in the railroad accident near Borki on October 17, 1888.
[1] Amidst the ecclesiastic and mystic haze with which Pobyedonostzev
and his associates managed to veil this episode the conviction became
deeply ingrained in the mind of the Tzar that it was the finger of God
which pointed to him the way in which Russia might be saved from
"Western" reforms and brought back into the fold of traditional Russian
orthodoxy. This conviction of Alexander III. led to the counter-reforms
which marked the concluding years of his reign, having for their purpose
the strengthening of the police and Church regime in Russia, such as the
curtailment of rural and urban self-government, the increase of the
power of the nobility and clergy, the institution of Zemstvo chiefs, [2]
and the multiplication of Greek-Orthodox parochial schools at the
expense of secular schools. The same influences also stimulated the
luxurious growth of Judaeophobia which from now on assumed in the
highest Government circles a most malignant character. A manifestation
of this frame of mind may be found in the words of the Tzar which he
penned on the margin of a report submitted to him in 1890 by a high
official, describing the sufferings of the Jews and pleading for the
necessity of stopping the policy of oppression: "_But we must not forget
that it was the Jews who crucified our Lord and spilled his priceless
blood_." Representatives of the court clergy publicly preached that a
Christian ought not to cultivate friendly relations with a Jew, since it
was the command of the gospel "to hate the murderers of the Savior." The
Ministry o