New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-09-24
pr1SSIA AS 1T IS - Iii.
~. Cx.r N,chsIss and his innnenoe On 'no
Nation.

..s..nee was in the ascendant, the Gar tned, az
me- h.y, already seen, to kindle and to spread
among the people some sparks or glimpses oil iignt
and vitality. But ten or twelve years ago acnanse
took place. His mind faltered, and the downward
novsmt Mt began. The regions OF desoot'c power
limited neither by law nor reason are INC 'oo
ETHEREAL space where swim the celestial ooa'e'' III
themselves dark frisid and lieless. In that cheer
less sphere the Csaf lost the perception OF nsu''
lie became afraid Of his own woIk and learned 10
S,..A .;,;Ezatiop. He evoked and made CON-
,.e, 18th the spirit Of darkness. and arrayed him
.,.;nst his own nation. The better germs 10 bus
mind vithered and shrunk. while the weeds
NJ his character grew eXuberantly, POISONING
and arranging all the generous puIsatiens OF his
h..yt. The time when be allowed some OF bis
councillors to give him even the most humble ad-
vice. came to an end. Now he began to ask Tor
blind compliance, and the most debasiog addIat'on.
Once. for example, he had authorized the old fnnce
(,sI,;tzin. the Governor General Of Moscow, 10
address him frankly, and to inform him II any OF
his acts we're unpalatable to the nstIonai spirit
The Prince enjoying the highest esteem Of 'ho
public. "a well as an elevated SOCIAL ana oNnoia
nos;t;on. sometimes, though very seldom, MADE
n.s of this confidential PERM 'sIon. FOR penoo
his observations were graciou'ly received. But
n, one occasion, when he forewarned the Sever
.;,n about me asure " hich was not at all welcome
10 the nation, the despot told him: " Prince, you
are becoming revolutionary; once wanted ad-
x;.ers. now can rule by myself without them
And 40 he began to rule. Since the commence
bava bad sfa
da,s end hours to transact business with the
Gar. each separately for his own department
They now found out, that the safest thing was to
10 into generalitics only, and as far as possible,
not to disclose any Troublesome occurrences, or
10 let him know tbs true state OF Things. All
.fairs must be represented in the most agreea'
BILE colors. Thus, the reports prepared for the
Sover.ipp are required, TO use the common ex-
pression, 10 be made iueet as sueetmedts. The
frst to introduce this new mode was Count MS
cleft. the head Of newly created Department,
that of Public Domains, u Department embracing
n population of nearly twenty millions. Next to
him came the Prince Menschikof, Secretary Of
the Navy, and Count Alex. Strogonof. But there
still were some exceptions, and some ministers
maintained the old ground. However, the intalli
hility of the Gar became the allembracing
&bsme for natt erers for the intimate court-cir-
e,e, as well as for the debased liCerateurs, writer's
and poets, who principally live in Petersburg.
Next. they began TO offer the incense Of praise for
his Apollo like form. Not only the home court
ie,s but those abroad, the small German PrtHcipi-
sui and their pack, as well as other Couits-for
example. that Of Stockholm-bunt before the idol
the like Offering. The idol believed now sincerely
in the irresistible influence and attraction OF his
personal appearance. In this is the explanation
Of his unlooked.for visit, paid in 1874, To Queen
yictoria, az well as Of those made TO Vienna, and
TO the Pope Gregory XVI, in 1896 all Of which
proved failures.
Once be lighted up the flame of genuine
nationality. Now the nation is embodied in
his person. No other utterances OF the nation
nj spirit are allowed to have publicity. Any
scenic representation, cnticlsing abuses or Gus.
toms. is prohibited. 1t is a personal offense. Al
the same time, the military hobby more and mort
masters his intellect. Everything must be sub
rnitted to military drill Thus, for example, the
bieh schools for law and surgery in st. Peters
burg are military institutions. The Empire is
divided into University Districts under the Secre-
tsrv of Public Instruction. The heads OF these
sistrcts the directors OF the public schools, and
those Of the higher gymnasla, and of late even
the minister himself, are taken either from the
army or navy, principally from the latter, as the
most 6t to maint lin an iron rule, and to restrain
within lust limits the asional thirst for good
information. Finally, ukase was published, all
lowing only three hundred young men to receive
yearly the higher instruction OF the Universities.
these, there being six in Russia, the total year
Nv number Of their pupils is 800, and these are
taken from the class Of the nobility alone as
another ukase prohibits the burghers, those
forming the frst and the second guild, from Civ
ing their children higher education, because,
as the ukase explains, it would contribute to
arouse wishes and aspirations not to be reached
and realised by that class in Russia and thus would
spread dissatisfaction with the real position OF the
individuals and the class.
Serious instruction Of the mind in history and
phioi ophy is prescribed, as dangerous and as con
tributing to give to it loitier and purer ideas
and notions than 1t ought to have. So are CLASH
cal studies. Not even the shadow OF free, scien-
ti6c criticism is suffered. All is to be wrapped
IN the cold shroud OF pure, icy despotsm.
The genius Of Russia will through eternity be a
mourning accuser before the tribunal of God and
ofinconuptible, unreenting history, for the bloody
destruction Of her most brilliant emanations-
manifested in q Ryleeff 10 a Puschkine, ons of the
greatest poets of his time,-in Lermontceff aud
in Bsrtuscheil. Marnski. Puschkine fell in duel,
q holocaust to the licentious vanity OF the En-.
peror. The Gar, by fostering an infamous scan
dial which he might have stransl,d in the embryo
sought for revenge on this Independent, and un.
bending poet, who had resisted every seduction.
For an ofi.nse against piece of court gossip, and
at the same time for an action proper to high
bred and high-spirltsd man, LermontceH was ex.
led to the Caucasus, and found there premature
death. Mulinski was also sent there to atone