Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1841-07-13
u y I i y ijp.
TIE REIGNlNG GAR OF RUSS


1t in Juiia position wiih that 81 Alexander. his
immediate predecessor Alexander was am.
bilious Of being beloved o., his subjects: NJ
oholas scofns their lose and BE- determined tn
he feared. Though hi. figure j. finer and
more commanding than that Of Alexander be-
~ less pleasing; his aspect Is stem and no
smile grace. lip. Alexander vas mid and
aifahlc; seventy looks oui from beneath tie
BROS % Nicholas bot though iusolcnt aud
harsh. lac has an ar of di.ttusllul timidiiy.-
The traits Of his character resemble those OF
his i,focinus hrplbot Constant ne. with this
material difference. that as ihc FURY ofihc lai-
ter ~ns vented upon individuals, that 81 Nirh-
ola Is directed against classes oi men, races
and whole nations II a. reduced 10 q system,
and therefore The more lughtiul aud pcru-
ctous. Fcrorious as was constantine lac not
unitequcn,y tcpcntcd OF the evil he had com,
mticd, and would ever make rcparailon when
II was ~ h.s power, 60 those whom he had
wfongcd. Not go Nicholas however he may
err be never rcpouts Cruel by nature, 1t is a
remarkable fact that, during his reign, no sen
tcnce Of count martial, on being presented
Tor hm signature. has ever been known 10 be
cancelled, or even miiigatcd by him, and most
frequently he aceravaics the penalties. The
religious ctccds and liberties Of the various
nations subject 10 the sccptrc of Alexander,
were respected by hun. Nicholas eyinccs III
ter disregard for them, violating alike charters
and privileges depressing alike religions and
sects. Alexander appears to have had some
affection for the Poles, or AT least seemed anN-
ious To gain theirs by nnucrinc them with the
hope of preserving their nationality. The
very names POLAND and Poles" are abhorrcnt
TO the ear of Nicholas; he cannot endure them,
and would rejoice that the whole population
Of Poland had but one neck, that with his own
hand he might cut il oil at blow. This ha-
tired IT is that urges him To cndcavor with the
concentrated force of his despoIsm, to erase
that nation from the memory of man, and to
wage, a. BE is doing al this moment, barba-
rous "af # determination against its language,
hstcrl aud religion. Alexander was fond of
science and the arts, encouraged learned men,
and bestowed upon them rank. honors and re-
wards; Nicholas affects TO do the same, but in
reality he looks upon them with aversion and
ds.Iust; Tor he suspects them, rs hc does all
enlightened and upright men. The most IN
famous characters, robbers, highoaymen fell
ons OF every description, may hope to obtain
his pardon for their crimes; but let every lib
cral man beware how he comes within his
reach, If he would avoid being doomed to per-
ish GU the Caucasus. Alexander established
colleges and schools for the announcement
OF learning and the arts he restored a Polish
University at wilma and founded another at
Warsaw. Nicholas has abolished both with
most ofthe schools existing in Poland; and in
those that remain he has introduced the most
comprehensive system Of corrupted education
There was no difficulty in getting access to
Alexander; the humblcst peasant could APP
proach hm with n petition; and he was distin-
gulshed for hIs courtesy to men and gallan,ry
TO women. Nicholas is as inaccessible as he
Is memorable to his unfortunate subjects, and
brutal both to men and women. Ills courtesy
10 the empress seems intended only FOR out.
ward show, as he Is known TO be both impcri-
Gus aud harsh in private; and if the example
of RIGHTEOUSNESS which he sets be followed
his court ruus great risk Of becoming as profit
gate as that Of Catherine II.
All the men who were held most in esteem
by Alexander, arc dslkcd 10y him, and some
among them have become the objects Of his
most cruel prosecutions /, must be acknowl-
edged 10 the credit of Alexander, that he did
much towards cIyIlzing Russia by Introducing
into IT European industry and mprog cmeuts /;
but Nicholas barbarisos by prohibiting his sub
lects from travelling thus cutituy off IN q Great