New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-08-24

I
the case that the Count had in his possession a
! quantit, of blanks WITH the signature of Alexsn-
der, and was thus enabled to decide, publish, and
execute any Law or any other disposition Shat-
ever. IL seems that the Couat an honest maG.
and a great despissr OF mankind while wieldios rms
power did not treat the faturr Sovereign with any
excessive Difference. After the death Of Alex lnde<.
Araktsclieh, who was AT his es,atts in the eoIs'
try. instantl, returned IN Nicholas AL thu olsass
If Alexander in M possession. For this th. new
Euperor rewarded him with tho Yift Of f'onte
uniform Of Alexander. To- he prssetse- as rsi'e.
very short time sfter~sI the Count received
ordeIs never to leave has estates without SPECIAL
permissi,n from the Czsr. mention ihese facts
because they give the best nsish. into the red
character OF the man.
History has already recorded the bloody
drama attending the ascension OF the lmps-
nal throne by Nicholas. IL was MT, what
the French writer's call a palace revol ltios.
tragedy IN q closet or in a bed chamber, por-
formed by few courters aud consprrstOrs IS as
ssssins. hut il took place publicly, before the peo
pie, in the streets, and as il were in the forum,
ana the best, the mos, intellectual and youthful
energies OF the nation were among the actors. IL
must be mentioned that as soon As the news oi
the death OF Alexander reached Petersburg, where
Nicholas resided, he dill not at first avail m nsek
of the resignation OF his elder brother, but took
the oath OF fidelity 70 him. sad 81 did the nation,
awaiting the drcIson of Constantine, who was
then residing in Warsaw. and who after some
hesitation kept his word
On that day so momentous for him aud the
Russian people, Nicholas gave proofs of great per-
sonal courage ana OF a cain. deliberate presence
OF mind. The insurrectonary attempt was over
powered and the first din aspirations of Russia
for kind of constitutional liberty, fashioned %
English and French paterns, were choked.
Whether these ASPIRATIONS were premature or
no., and their arrest bcne fetal or calamitous can
not be discussed in this brief outliac. Among the
reasons given By the revolutionary | aders Tor thus
attempting to nuzzle the autocracy or even to
expel the dynasty, they pointed to the desolats
state OF Russia caused by the imbec,lty displayed
by Alexander in the last years of his reign u tho
savage f,rocity OF his brother Constantine and to
the supposed entire incapacity Of Nicholas.
Nicholas. who, secTeted behind a filling screen,
was daily present at the examination of the pris-
oners. heard all this and thus received a whole
some lesson.
The accused were condemned, some to capital
punishment, Others to Siberia for life, for
longer or sh4rter length oftme. In the execution
of these sentences at the time well As during
the long exile-twenty years for some Of the con.
demned-Ncholas has shown glimpses of Il char
acter and feelings which have more than once
come to light during his reign-reyeallng cold-
blooded heart, and the disposition of tyrant A.
far as it is possible to be one in our times even in
Russia. The most prominent and deepest feature
in his character, darkeuing his actions is AN mex
orable, une X ingu,hable raneor. Thus, never,
never has he understood how to be literally, fully
mercfu. Ii is more than he can afford. What in
the language OF mOnarchies is called granting
pardon, and being magnanmous, he is never abe to
perform with that grandeur which even the most
accurs,d tyrants have sometimes exhibited. lie
distils forgiveness slowly drop after drop; never,
however, wholly filling the cup of pardon, for
getful thus Of of the most popular RUSSIAN
adaees: kaz.h tax kd:Rit, miiOSdt TAX miiOpat.
"Be unyelding in Furnishing, be grand IN pardon"
Cap tai punishment was abolished in Russia by
the Empress Elizabeth a century since, with the
exception Of the sentences OF courts martial.
" hen the capital condemnation of the perpetra-
tors of the movement of 1925 submitted to
the sanction of the Czar, he for three days 70.
fused to IN IT, not wishing 10 bee the restorer Of
su h measure His counselors urged him to the
step. lie yielded to their advice. hangman was
imported from Stockholm M there was none in
Russia. The execution Of five Of the CONDEMNED
t. ok plnce publicly in Petersburgh. The Cover
nor. General of the Capital presided on the occa-
sion Four were executed one after another. The
ffth and last IN order Rylecf, beloved and
popular poet. The rope broke and he fell to tho
ground hurt slightly and alive. The crowd echoed
a Simultaneous. thuDder-like grosn. The Cover
nor. General hestated and sent for orders to the
Emperor. The answer was to " take a stronger
rope and proceed with the execution" In the
same spirit he has never fully liberated any Of
the political exles in Siberia, after long years
Of punishment; not even when his son humbiy in
t-rceded for some Of them. The immortal poet
Puschkine, in his only verses Addressed TO Memo
las, stimulating him TO tread in the footsteps Of
Peter the Great, admonishes him to resemble Peter
in forgiveness, and be Of short memory for wrongs
done TO himself bis great ancestor.
All his qualities for good and for evil, appeared
on the surface and shaped Themselves out when
he assembled the throne. The first steps Of the
young Sovereign were made cautiously, with great
crcumspectiOn. He tried to surround himself
with honest men, rare jewel in Russia even
among those in the highest places He was d.
rected in his choice, by what il there caricaturs
Of public opinion by the voice of few saloons.
and like wise by the advice of his mother. lie
thus made some good and some bad selections.
lie devoted his activity to stopping the disorders
which had nightly seized on the Empire in the last
years of Alexander; during which time il can be
said, there was no Government and no Administra-
tion and that Russia kept together by an inward,