BAKUNIN  THE  APOSTLE  OF  NIHILISM.  205
interest,  one  single  thought,  one  single  passion—the  Revolution.
..He  has  only  one  aim,  one  science—destruction.  For  that,
and  for  nothing  else,  he  studies  mechanics,  physics,  chemistry,
and  sometimes  medicine.  With  the  same  object,  he  observes
men,  characters,  the  situations  and  all  the  conditions  of  the  social
order.  He  despises  and  detests  existing  morality.  For  him,
everything  is  moral  that  helps  on  the  triumph  of  the  Revolution, ­
  everything  is  immoral  and  criminal  that  hinders  it
Between  him  and  society  there  is  war—war  to  the  death,  incessant, ­
  irreconcilable.  He  ought  to  be  ready  to  die,  to  endure
torture,  and  with  his  own  hands  to  kill  all  who  place  obstacles
in  the  way  of  the  Revolution.  So  much  the  worse  for  him  if  he
has  in  this  world  any  ties  of  relationship,  of  friendship,  of  love  !
He  is  no  true  revolutionist  if  these  attachments  stay  his  arm.
Nevertheless,  he  must  live  in  the  midst  of  society,  feigning  to
be  what  he  is  not.  He  must  penetrate  everywhere,  among  the
upper  classes  as  well  as  among  the  middle—into  the  merchant’s
shop,  into  the  church,  into  the  Government  offices,  into  the
army,  into  the  literary  world,  into  the  detective  force,  and  even
into  the  imperial  palace.  ...  He  must  prepare  a  list  of  those  who
are  condemned  to  death,  and  despatch  them  in  the  order  of
their  relative  misdoings.  A  new  member  can  only  be  admitted
into  the  Association  by  a  unanimous  vote,  and  after  his  qualities
have  been  proved,  not  by  words  merely,  but  by  deeds.  Each
‘  companion  ’  should  have  under  his  control  several  revolutionists ­
  of  the  second  or  third  degree,  not  wholly  initiated.  He
should  consider  them  as  part  of  the  revolutionary  capital  placed
at  his  disposal,  and  he  should  expend  them  economically  and  so
as  to  abstract  the  greatest  possible  profit  out  of  them.  .  .  .  The
most  valuable  element  are  women  who  are  completely  initiated,
and  who  accept  our  whole  programme.  Without  their  aid  we
can  effect  nothing.”
Bakunin’s  instructions  have  been  followed  out  to  the  letter
in  this  respect,  in  Russia.  As  a  matter  of*fact,  in  all  the  conspiracies ­
  there  we  find  rich  and  cultured  women,  even  daughters
of  State  functionaries,  of  military  officers,  and  of  nobles.  The
secret  is  so  well  kept  that  when  the  police  lay  hands  on  the
Nihilists  they  never  succeed  in  tracking  out  the  main  body  of