The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-06
THE EMPEROR NICHOLAS.

~
remsrked to obtain from European Journals
. fair account Of the tue character OF emf
nens personages in the old world. The En-
y,;sh tories speak slightingly of wing states
man and the wings return the compliment
- torv leaders, while the organs Of both ex-
nress lust such opinions Of the great men
Of Europe as passion or policy dictates. It
!. from English sources that we receive
most of our information of men and things
In the old world. and hence we are not very
,;kslv to obtain dispassionate and anpre-
iudiced estimate of the leading political per-
sons and potentates Of Europe. We all re-
member the contempsuoas terms In whicn
Louis Napoleon was not long ago described
by the English press, whilst the same press
now exalts him to the skies as a heroic ana
straight forward character The Emperor
Nicholas ia now painted in colors as dark
"A Old Nick himself. He has no redeeming
quality of heart, intellect or SOUL lie Is
stupid, malignant, obstinate bloekhead; q
eapricious tyrant mailman at times and
fanatic always All this may be true, but,
unfortunately, it conflicts fatally with the &C.
counts given Of the same sovereign BY the
highest English authorities before the break
Ing out of the Eastern difficulties had trans.
formed Napoleon from fiend to an angel
and Nicholas from an angel to fiend.
These reflections were suggested by the
portrait Of the Emperor Nicholas, drawn BY
Alison, the British historian. before the East
ern question had excited against Nicholas the
hostility Of both the tories and wings OF IT,
Britain After reciting the brilliant circum-
stances under which Nicholas assembled the
throne of Russia, and paying tribute to the
invincible resolution he had displayed tne
historian proceeds to say that Nicholas rs
the greatest sorereign nat Russia has Ha0'om
since Peter the Great IN some respects ne as
greater than Peter himself. Not less ener-
getic in character and ardent in improve
n.ent than his illustrious predecessor, ne Is
mere thoroughly national, and he has brought
the nation forward more completely IN the
path which nature has pointed out tor II.
The aim of Peter. the writer goes on to say,
was to engraft on Russia the institutions OF
States much farther advanced in the career OF
civilization, and hence his reforms were pre-
mature; his reinements superficial; his en-
grated civilization did not touch the strength
and vitals of the State. "NICHoLAs, on the
other hand, is essentially Russian in all his
ideas He is heart and soul patriotic, not
merely in wish, but in spirit and in thought.
He wishes to improve and to elevate his
country, and he has done much to effect that
noble object; but he desires to do SO by de-
veloping, not changing the national spirit, by
making it become first Russia, not second
France or England. He has adopted the
maxim of MOntesquieu, that no nation ever
attained to real greatness but by institutions
in conformity with its spirit" g He neither
corresponds with French atheists nor En-
glish democrats; he despises the praises OF
the first, he braves the hostility of the last
He is content to let Russia grow up in Rus
sian earb, animated with Russian spirit,
and moulded by Russian institutions, with
out the aid of Prussian communism or Brit
ish liberalism. The improvements he has
effected in the government of his dOminions
have been vast the triumphs with which his
external policy has been attended, unbound
cd; but they have all been achieved, not in
imitation OF, but in opposition to, the ideas
of Western Europe. They bespeak, not less
than his internal government, the national
character of his policy. But if success is
the test of worldly wisdom, he has not been
far wrong in his system; for he has passed
the Balkan, heretofore impervious to his pre-
decessors; he has conquered Poland, con-
verified the Euxine into Russian lake, plant
ed the cross ON the bastions Of Erivan, and
opened through subdued Hungary path to
Constantinople.'
Alison admits that the Gar "is not per
feet character" 'His frmness has some.
times become sternness his sense of Justice
degenerated into severity" But we hear
little from Alison of the defects of Nicholas
Mature has given Nicholas all the qualities
fitted for such an elevated destiny A lofty
stature and princely air give additional influ-
ence to majestic countenance, in which the
prevailing character is resolution, yet not un
mixed with sweetness. Like Wellington,
SUooiD 6uu otItTS OI the greatest men
recorded in history, his expression has be-
come more intellectual as he advanced in
years. and become exercised in the duties of
sovereignty, instead of the stern routine of
military discipline. Exemplary in all the re-
lations of private life, faithful husband. an
affectionate father, he has exhibited in a bril-
liant Court. and when surrounded by every
temptation which life can offer, the simplicity
and affection of patriarchal life.''
This, it is true, is the production of tory
author, but up to the recent troubles, If
agreed in its main points with the general es-
fimateof Nicholas by British journals. What
then are we to think of him Z A great des.
pot, no doubt, but surely not the imbecile,
tbs fool, the mailman, we are now told to he
lieve him. There may be in his eomnos;t;o,,
q marked fanatical element, but that will, mil,
render him, IKE Cromwell and others WIZ
could be named, more formidable and a.,
gerous to his enemies. 1t viii be rememhsraa
that Louis Napoleon has also been Represent ea
ed ~ religious fanatic by the English nress
The world will shake with the collision VIZ,