Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-05-04

Icess of the House of Coburg, so famou:
for furnishing spouses to the sovereigns
of Europe But the savage manner:
and habits Of the Grand Duke were in.
supportable by princess brought up al
civilized court. In some of his bursts
of passion he would force her to rise
during the night, and lie across the
threshold of their apartment. The
young princess separated from her saw
age consort, and returned to Germany;
and Constantine abandoned himself to a
succession of amours. AS viceroy oi
Poland he became noted for his brutali-
ty and despotism. OH
To this half-insane savage it seemed
that, by the fundamental law of the en-
pire, must descend the supreme domin-
ion over sixty millions of people. At
last an event occurred which furnished
occasion for transferring the succession
to his brother Nicholas, seventeen years
his junior. In 1920 Constantine be-
came desperately enamored with Jeanne
Gudinska, a noble and beautiful Polish
/ lady, who soon acquired uncontrolled in
fiuence over him. Strange to say, in
stead of wishing to form with her one
of those illicit connections into which he
had entered, he set his heart upon max
ing her his wife. But the Greek Church,
more infexible even than the Catholic
upon the subject of divorce, seldom
grants dissolution Of the marriage tie.
Constantine, however, knew that his
brother Alexander was deeply anxious
that he should never be Emperor of
Russia; and the Gar was in effect the
head of the Russian Church. In his
overmastering passion he offered to re-
nounce his claim to the succession, on
condition of receiving a divorce from
his wife, and being allowed to contract
a new alliance with the object of his af-
fection.
Alexander granted his request. Con-
stantine married Jeanne Gudinska, and
never for an instant seems to have re-
GREETED his decision. The marriage,
however, was what is called morgdni-
tic or Iett-hand marriage, which is per-
fectly legitimate, but does not give the
children who may be born from it any
claim to the estates and dignities of the
father. In 1922, in addition to his pre-
vious verbal promise, he placed in the
hands of his brother the Gar a solemn
written remuneration of his right of sue
cession. ''Not recognizing in myself"
so ran this remarkable document,
''either the genius, the talent, or the
power requisite for my being ever ele-
waited to that sovereign dignity to which
L might lay claim by birth, 1 beseech
your Imperial Majesty to transfer that
right to the one to whom, after myself,
it belongs, and thus forever to assure
the stability of the empire. AS for my
self, 1 add by this renunciation new
guarantee and new force to the engage
ments, which I, of my own accord,
solemnly contracted at the time of my
divorce from my first consort. Deign,
Sire, graciously to grant nv supplica-
ton, to which our august widowed
mother has given accord, and sanction
it by your Imperial assurance.
Alexander formally accepted this act
of remuneration, and ordered it to be de-
posted in the archives of the empire,
together with manifesto recognizing
Nicholas as heir to the Imperial dignity.
These documents were enclosed to-
gether in a package, superscribed with
direction that, in the event of his death,
the package should be opened by the
Council before proceeding to the per-
formance of any other official act. The
change in the succession, however, was
never made public. 1t remained strict
family secret. 1t is even doubtful
whether Nicholas himself was aware of
it. For all that has ever appeared, it
was known only to Alexander, Constan-
tine, and their mother.
alexander lived but three years after
the execution of this document. The
news of his death reached Constantine
at Warsaw within less than week after
it took place. The Grand Duke shut
himself up in his apartment for two
days after receiving the mournful tt
dings. Perhaps he was giving way to
uncomfortable grief-for it is certain
that he cherished the most unbounded
love and veneration for his deceased
brother Perhaps he was meditating
whether he should not still assert his
claims upon the empire. If such were
the case, his mind was fully made up
when he appeared, after his two days
seclusion. He was saluted as Gar by
all his officers and ministers; but he
peremptorily declined to be addressed
as such. He had, he said, years ago
renounced the right of sue
cession IN favor of his brother Nicholas,
who was now by law and right Emperor.
He Immediately dispatched courier to
his mother and brother at the capital
renewing and confirming his renuncia-
tion. To Nicholas, so many years his
junior, he wrote in the same tone of
veneration which, he had been aceus1
toned to use to. Alexander. 81 re-
gard it." he said, tsas a sacred duty
most humbly to beseech your Imperial
Majesty to deign to accept from me, first
of all, my oath of subjection and fdeli-
ty." His whole happiness, he con-
tinued, would lie in manifesting towards
his brother his profound veneration and