Mackey – Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry Vol. 1

THE OMLADINA 211Diet, was arrested at Neusalz . But the society continuedto exist, and occasionally gave signs of life, as, for instance,in 1882, when it seriously talked of deposing the Prince ofMontenegro, and electing Menotti Garibaldi perpetual presidentof the federation of the Western Balkans . At last,in January 1894, seventy-seven members of the Omladina,including journalists, printers, clerks, and artisans, mostlyvery young men, were put on their trial at Prague for beingmembers of a secret society, and guilty of high treason .When the arrests began, one Mrva, better known as Rigolettodi Toscana, was assassinated by Dolezal, who afterwards wasseized, and was one of the accused included in the prosecution. This Mrva had been a member of the Omladina, andwas said to be a police spy. He made careful notes of allthe proceedings of the society, as also of another with whichhe was connected, and which was called " SubterraneanPrague," the object of which was to undermine the housesof rich men, with a view to robbing them . His papers andpocket-books, which after his death fell into the hands ofthe police, served largely in drawing up the indictmentagainst the Omladina . The result of the trial, ended on the21st February 1894, was that all the prisoners but two wereconvicted and sentenced to terms of imprisonment rangingfrom seven months to eight years. Whether the Omladinais killed or only scotched, remains to be seen ; probably itis the latter, for the Panslavic movement it represents isalive, and will some day lead to the solution of the Easternquestion. For Panslavism-of which the Omladina was theoutcome-means Muscovite patriotism, and its war-cry,Up against the unbelieving Turkish dogs ! " finds an echoin all Russia ; and though the Berlin Congress has for a timechecked the progress of Panslavism, yet, as we said above, itis alive .