The assassination of General Bobrikoff, the governor-general of Finland, is the natural outgrowth of Russian tyranny and the determination of the imperial Government to Russianize the province at any cost. Until recently Finland had a constitutional government and a representative Diet, which it inherited from the cession of the grand duchy by Sweden to Russia through the treaty of Fredrikshamn, negotiated Sept. 17, 1809. This treaty guaranteed to the Finns the Swedish Constitution of 1772 as modified in 1789. It was still further modified in 1869 and again in 1882. By a special grant the constitution was guaranteed, however, by Alexander II and the guarantee has since been renewed by all successors. Under this constitution Finland maintained a military system, and enacted its own laws through a national parliament representing the four estates—the nobles, the clergy, the burghers, and the peasants. The emperor reserved, however, the right of veto. This parliament was convoked by the emperor as grand duke for four months. Its constitution has been suspended, however, for over two years. In 1899 the imperial policy toward the Finns underwent a radical change. The constitution was, practically, suspended through the issuance of a manifesto, declaring that Finnish legislation, bearing on Russian interests, could be autocratically brought about without the consent of the Finnish Diet. In 1900 Russian was made the official language, although only about 8,000 of the inhabitants of the province spoke it. In 1901 the Finnish military system was abolished and the Russian substituted. The Finnish rifle battalions were disbanded, and the Finns have since systematically evaded conscription. In 1902 the senate of Finland was stripped of many of its prerogatives, and these were transferred to the governor-general, while Russians were installed in public posts, and all state functionaries, judges previously irremovable except by judgment by a court of law included, were made dismissable by administrative procedure. This was followed by still more arbitrary and unpopular decrees last year, one of which prohibited the use of any language save Russian in the Finnish senate and in the military service. These arbitrary measures, which aim to destroy the Finnish language and all the rights enjoyed under the old constitution, have created a bitter hatred of everything Russian among the people. General Bobrikoff was intensely unpopular because of his opposition to the convocation of the Diet and the severity with which he enforced the imperial policy of Finland’s Russification.—San Francisco Chronicle.