BAKUNIN THE APOSTLE OF NIHILISM. 21$ 
The country is admirably administered ; education reaches all 
classes, and well-being is real and widely diffused. Sweden 
^d Norway have seemed to me to be the happiest countries 
in Europe, and the most worthy of being so. No' doubt 
Socialistic ideas have penetrated there as everywhere else, and 
from time to time strikes break out, especially among the 
miners ; but the International has been unable to take deep 
root Axel Krook, a rival of Schulze-Delitzsch, has brought 
about the establishment of co-operative societies both of pro 
duction and of distribution. 
In Norway the famous association has had still less suc 
cess. In September, 1873, Jansen, a working saddler from 
Copenhagen, went to Christiania to preach Socialism. Nobody 
would let him a room, not even the innkeepers. At last, in 
the environs of Tyreholmen, he was able to hold an open-air 
meeting, at which thirty persons were present. Hagen, a Nor 
wegian carpenter, joined him in spreading Socialistic ideas, 
while basing them on Christianity. Some students followed 
them, and a society was founded. Nevertheless, these pro 
pagandist efforts met with no support. A German Socialist 
newspaper at Hamburg thus gloomily sums up the results of 
this campaign : “ It becomes more and more evident that 
Norway is a very ungrateful field for any efforts for the im 
provement of the lot of humanity.” 
The examples of Switzerland and Belgium prove that 
nothing is more efficacious for attenuating the dangers of 
Socialism than liberty. It was in these two countries that the 
International used to hold its congresses ; its propaganda was 
in no way interfered with ; it enjoyed the most absolute liberty 
of assembly, of the press, of association, and of speech, and 
yet order was never seriously disturbed. In France, where there 
was no right of assembly or of association, and where the 
International was twice prosecuted and finally interdicted, 
matters ended in the Commune. In Italy, prosecutions, trials’ 
convictions, exceptional measures, have not, been wanting, and 
there have been disturbances, insurrections, and frightful assassi 
nations. In Spain, where there has been still more rigorous 
suppression, the majority of the large towns fell into the hands