The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-03-31 00:00:00

THE CORONATION OF THE CZAR.

Almost twenty-seven years ago, on September 7
(August 26 of the Gregorian calendar), 1856, took
place the last coronation of a Russian Czar, that of the
unfortunate Emperor Alexander ll.' who came to
such an untimely and undeserved end by the hand of
the assassin on March 13, 1881. After repeated post-
ponements his son and successor, Alexander lIL, is
on the point of passing through a similar ceremony,
a rite instinct with meaning and full of sacred
solemnity to the unsophisticated Russian.
Some notion of significance of the ceremony will be
conveyed to the English mind by the thought that
it is in the eyes of the great majority of the
Russian people the sacrament and visible consecration
of the absolute power of one man over nearly
90,000,000 of his fellow-beings. Something of the
awe inspired by such an idea is modified by the
fact, generally believed, that the Prince who is to be
invested shortly with such enormous power is, if
firmer and more austere in his character than his
late father, humane in disposition, the very soul of
uprightness and honour, and sincerely desirous, like
his predecessor, that his reign should conduce to the
happiness and wellbeing of his people. The unusual
interest attaching to the ceremony is intensified by
the knowledge that Russia has just passed through
one of the most gloomy periods of her checkered his-
tory, the clouds of which have not even now entirely
disappeared. From this very circumstance the coming
event has a deep meaning also for the rest of Europe.

A St. Petereburgh Correspondent says :—A striking
feature of Russian Coronations has always been the
feast provided for the poor of Moscow in honour of the
joyful occasion ; but whereas its dimensions in olden
times were decidedly scanty, at the forthcoming cere-
mony, if the Press is correctly informed, it will be
given on a scale of truly Imperial munificence. When
the Empress Anne was crowned, two oxen were
roasted whole, and a couple of fountains of white and
red wine comprised the bill of fare. At the Corona-
tion of Alexander 111. there will be provided no less
than thirty thousand vedros of beer, and sixteen
thousand of mead, to wash down eight hundred thou-
sand pies, weighing three quarters of a pound each.

It is said that the coronation of the Czar is looked
forward to in Paris with the greatest interest, owing
to the very friendly relations which now exiaL between
France and Russia. It is remarked in diplomatic
circles that the French Government is veryidesirous
that France shall be worthily represented at the cere-
mony. Some of the Radical organs however, are not
pleased with the Embassy Extraordinary which is to
be sent out on the occasion. They consider that a
Republic should not pay such extensive honour to an
imperial institution; but the vast majority of people
approve of the embassy, which they think will tend
to cement the alliance of the two nations.

It is now settled that Prince Albert of Prussia, the
Empei or's nephew, who commands the 10th Corps at
Hanover, is to represent His Majesty at the corona•
tion of the Czar, with a becoming suite.