The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-03 00:00:00

IHE LATE CZAR.

We are to-day suddenly called to record the death
of a monarch who for mealy thirty years has ruled with
Owlet' away over the most extensive empire in the world
Nicholas 1., bora 6th July, 1796, did not for a long time seem
likely to inherit so much rower. Ile was the third eon of
the Emperor Paul by his second wife, Mary of Wartemberg,l
his elder brothers, Alexander and Constantine, standing
hetwceo him and the throne. The young prince was Wa-
isted, under the direction of his mother and the
Baroness Lieven, by General lAnsdore with the
usistanee of Inters for special deoartments of in-
teraction ; thee Adelung gave him instruction in Itin-
eraries, and Stork lessons in political economy.
Greet pains were taken to induct him into those s-lenses
which contribute to perfect the military art, and his
biographers praise the skill to which be attained in the
theory and practice of fortification. The boy was not live
years of age when the night Palace murder of March 23,
1801, made him an orphan. His brother Alexander was en-
throned, and took the oath at the hands of his father's
sesas•ios. For years after these events Nicholas lived
almost forgotten. In 1813 be travelled in Europe,
analog France and England. Oa his return to Russia
he made the tour of the European provinces of the Empire,
and alertly after his return to St. Petersburg (July 13,1
1317), be espoused Charlotte, eldest daughter of Frederick
111., of Prussia. His first publin act was slater written to
the Archbishop of Moscow, in which, with many proles-
ekes of humility and faith, he announced his intention to
greet a church in honour of Sr. Alexander Newaky.
On the let of December, 1825, Alexander breathed his
last at Taganrog. It is said that just before dying he de-
signated his youngest brother hi. successor to the
throne. Constantine, next in the order of natural succor
Ike, was yet living ; but, whether voluntarily or by enforce-
ment, be had signed an engagement to Alexander, by which
he renounced his eventual claims to the tbrone,and the decu-
mbent attesting this act was in the hands of Nichols',
when he received the news of the Emperor's death. Nicholas,
whether sincerely or dramatically, refused to accept the
homage offered him by those who were aware of the actual
state of thiogs, and loudly professed his allegiance to Con-
stantine, the new Emperor. Meanwhile Constantine, who
was at Warsaw, was taking the oath to Nicholas. Russia
was at this time the theatre of a great conspiracy. The
army and the aristocracy were pervaded by secret societies,
aiming at the establishment of a freer government, and the
chiefs of these determined to profit by the uncertainty
of the hour, and to strike a blow. Their tactics
were to spread the report in the garrisons of the
Empire that the abdication of Constantine was a forgery,
and to appeal to the soldiers, in the name of loyalty,
to rise and pot down what they r epreeented to be a coup
d'art against legitimacy. Oa the 26th of December the
oath to Nicholas was to be taken by the garrison of St.
Petersburg. Several regiments swore allegiance, but the
Moscow regiments, the Marines of the Guard, and the
Grenadiers, refused the oath, and marched to the streets
sad squares, shouting for Constantine. Nicholas sew all
is.. his palace windows. The insurrection was suppressed
with grape shot. Five outbids were erected on the mili-
tia& of the Fortress of St. Petenbury, thirty-six noble
pima were executed, and eighty-five seat to Siberia.
]rem that time Russia Proper has been exempt from out-
Weeks, if not from conspiracies, and the late Cur wu left
lon M sorry out his ideas of government.
The principle of the late ruler's domestic administration
have been well explained in recent popular works. It was
to employ every instrumentality of civilisation to keep his
subjects, " his children" he called them, in ignorance, an-
venation, and slavery. A French writer ha said, "In all
Reeds there is bet we man ;" bat one will moving freely
in its Katona sphere. The church and the secret polies
were his great engines of government. To the chard:, which
taught Russia to reverence him next to God, be allowed no
UMW power or freedom than to the lay eseporationa Auto-
mata he tarried even into the calendar, adveasig or de-
g./Nag a islet by ukases with as little coignes*. es lm
11141161 promote or reduce an officer of his sae The Rely
freed he governed by the medium of en eianlefted aidegle-
amp, appointed by him its president. This artful and pa-
ps.. substitution of the earthly potentate end pontiff for
re Game shiest of religion has succeeded so well that
Bea* a week ago, could probably have furnished
feein3,ooo mem, to whom the Cast was as a god. The
oust polio formed is Russia a terrible inquisition; its
ors* bland and smiling, were everywhere, "to mark the
make makes of the good, and to discover and
pawl* vies," as it was said. A father sot keg
ego demenomd his eon ; it was rewarded as heroism
tinder Nichols', deletion sad treachery so effectually
did their work, that it is exceedingly rare to find is a
Remiss city a tams who sea look you straight in the fees.
To steppe= liberal studies was always a great object with
the departed Czar. The universities of the empire, mobs-
tained with great ostentation, were kept up is aim Is
educate men in those mimeses whisk can be MOM* Is use
or in monomis administretion. Generous and ossillse
literature was systematioally discouraged. The polite et
the Czar abroad is too well impressed in pealing email*
I need illustration. Nicholas only followed the traditions of
hie homes in his wars et conquest in Penis, Turkey, mid
the Caucasus, and in his recent attempt to erect at IL
Petersburg a court to widish 12,000,090 subject, of the
Sultan might incessantly appeal against their master.
One or two personal Welts el the Cur must eemplete this
brief notice. His habits were ostentatiously abaple, drama-

Sea, eoldisrlike. Tim luxuries on his taiga we not for
him. His military form was bat epos rare °sessions to he
emu embed within • wend artier. His industry
was as remarkable as hi. temptress. ; to limped fortresses
and review army-corps he would travel days and nights.
Shrewd enough always to suspect the basis of his empire, he
demanded that the outward signs of awe should 'saunter
him whatever he went, and withholding as set of morose.
has often seat the amides as imprisons...it. To impose
as opinion, to assets a prestige, was the object of his =ves-
tal*/ &safety, whether he promenaded in St. Petersburg
or visited some foreign espial. Aa automat, professing
that he would Talker sew to rigs than permit the least
abridgment of his perm, be was stmetestly in-
quiring bow be stood is pablis opinion. He
was • devourer of newspapers, sot of the few feeble
mellow, journals published in fres asustries ; those
he despised. but of suit magmas. as be well haw repro.
elated the Indspendesee mad istalligesse of the cissausities
where they were produeed. A lied the seespepers whisk
the Emperor daily missed might perfidy astraish Wane
paeans. Woad that be had bees as maxims to improve,
as to Artois them MINIM of lautrudice.
' The Hereditary (hued Hake Aleusda would, is the or•

dlnary 0:1111211 of things, mooed to the Haden throne. He I
was bora la 1818, and is married to the Primers Mary of
Here.

COMMENTS OF OUR

" How he died"--sayo the Timer, in reference to
the death of the Car—" in what agony of body or of sou,
we shall know. In that dark despotism scarcely an.
'ruler has yet resigned the rod of power without giving once-
Mon to some new tale of home. The character of the suc-
cession agrees but too well with the confessed conspiracy
against the liberties of mankind. Emperor sitar Emperor
rises by we know not what law, deriving his mission from
some nameless cabal, and disappearing,-by we know not what
death, at the moment when his course seems to be run, and
the failure of one 'movement demands rest and opportunity
for another."

I The Pod predicts favourable consequences amongst the
Courts of Europe. " With them the ilia f the
Emperor was in a great degree personal; and whatever
debt Austria may have owed to Nicholas, Francis Jeeeph
will not transfer the same feeling of obligation to Alexander
or Constantine, whil►t the King of Prairie will experience
comparatively little difficulty in freeing himself from the
connection of a young nephew, when compared with the
I ;ask of escaping (coin the fascination of his majestic brother-
in-law. We cannot, therefore, but conclude that the event
which has just occurred will contribute greatly to draw the
German Powers closer to us. The Conferences at Vienna
will, of course, be delayed for a short time, and will be re-
newed under new auspices; let us hope more favourable."
The Post adds further, as 'hewing that no time on our
side will be lost, " This very afternoon, we believe, Lord
Clarendon will have an interview with the Emperor Napo-
leon, at Boulogne, in which, no doubt, the ideas of the two
governments, with referents to this sudden and momentous
event, will be interchanged and discussed."
_ _ _

The Chronicle thinks that, afterall we have suffered from
the incarnate gassing of Random policy during the last two
years, "it would he something worse than weakness
were we to recede from oar position, in expectation of some

relaxation of its omnipresent action to follow from the per-
canal character of the Emperor's successor."

The Herald looks upon a " return of all things to an or•
dinar) and peaceful channel" midmost inevitable." Not
only is there now a better chance for peace and the media-
tion of Lord John Russell, but Alexander Nicolaiwitcb,
who succeeds his father, is unfavourable to the continuance
of the war. He has signalised already his prudence by
strorgly protesting against it. He had even been placed
under arrest for his manly firmness in opposing his late
father's wishes."

The rensuks made upon the event, in the Homes of Par-

litentnt last evening, were telegraphed to every put of the
United Kingdom, and are contained in most of the pro-
vincial journals received by this morning's post. The
general tone is unnement, perhaps incredulity.

DESPATCH FROM LORD RAGLAN.

(same LAST MORTS OAZIIITEL)
WAR DEPARTMENT, m sz 2.
Lord Panmure yesterday received despatch and
Alk
its enclosures, of which the following are copies, ad.
dressed to his Grace the Duke of Newt. stle, by
Field-Marshal the Lord Raglan, G.C.B.
BEFORE.SEBASTOPOL, Fss. 17, 1863.
MT LORD Dui ,—I have the satisfaction to
acquaint your Grace that the weather has improved
since I last addressed you, and the country is be-
coming drier.
Two days ago the thermometer was up at 80. It
was somewhat lower yesterday, and early this morn-
ing it was down below freezing point, and at this
moment it is snowing.
I mention these particulars in order to show your
Grace how variable this climate is.
No movement has been made upon the part of the
enemy. The garrison of Sebastopol is engaged in
deepening the ditches, and improvoi7 the defences of
the south front, and in constructing works on the
north side of the harbour.

I have received information that the Russian army,
in the neighbourhood of Baktchi Serai and Simphe-
ropol, is suffering much from the want of provisions,
and from privations of all kinds.
I am happy to be able to say that the railway is
making considerable progress, and that every hope is
entertained that in the course of a very short time it
will be available for transit as far u Kadikoi, which
will accelerate the conveyance of stores up to the

I camp_
I inclose the return of casualties up to the 16th
instant.

I have great pkunre in stating that Colonel Bell,
of the Royal Regiment, who received a slight wound
in the aids from a musket-ball, when commanding in
the trenches on the night of the 14th instant, experi-
ences very little inconvenience from it, and has felt
well enough to continue to discharge his duty with
his accustomed zeal.—l have, Bm.,

RAGLAN.

His Once the Duke of Newcastle,
&e., &c., &c.,

RlTtlUf OF CAVOALTITO recto TRU 12TO TO 16TRI FIIITTART, 1855,
ineutaws.—Rat Regiment of Foot-1 officer, wounded 19th Prot
1 rank sad woualed; 38th Fat 1 rank and file, wounded;
44th FOOL-1 rank and ts, wouaded; 47tit Foot l rant anti Me,
wounded; 77th Foot-2 rank and Ale, wouad,d; 09th root-1 sulk
and file, wow:tied; 99th F,ot-1 rank sad Al., wounded, Total-1
officer, 0 rank end A-s, wounded.
OTIOCW, NOTCOONOTTosoo OPTICITP, AIRS PILITATIM WOUNDID
rant 12ra TO 13TIT Fun aiy, 1852.—Coloasi Deorge Bell, Ist Royals,
slightly; Sergeant lamas 51e 'Dory, 2,9.12. 44th Iteginunt of Foot,
slightly; Privates Thaws Mc Miceli, 2,552, and Daniel Burden,
2,778, of the 77:h Regiont of root, both dungemo•ty ; ',name Wit.
dam 2,415, MM Regiment of Foot, severely ; Pri-ate Thu.
ms whoa, 8,014, Mak Regiment of Foot, severely; Private John
White, 2,888. 47th liegineet of Foot, sightly; Private Maurice Ben-
son, 3,4-6. 19th Begtmont of root, reveroly ; Private Jame Robes,
2,827, 80th Regiment of Foot, aeverely.