Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-05-19

TO stopping th0disorders which had
nightly seized upon the Empire in
the last years of Alexander; during
which time il can be said there was
no government and no administra.
ton, and that Russia kept together
by an inward, Unborn force of cohe-
sion. His primitive tendency was to
be a reformer, TO give new and re-
freshing impulse to the nation, and
to awaken its intellectual powers
These first steps were successful
The torpor of the past reign was so
great, that the slightest movement 10
new direction could not but prove
beneficial. The nation saw a new
light, new era dawning before it
Nicholas proclaimed the supremacy
of the law over his own will. All
seemed to blossom under the rays of
success. His star rose and shone
more and more brilliantly. The
campaigns of Turkey and Persia
weie glorious. Then came the Pol
ish insurrection. FROM this crisis,
Russia, after for a moment coming
near new separation from Europe,
by tn. possibility Of restoration of
POLAND through the preliminary sue
cess & the patriotic armies-Rus-
sia, after the first blow, which was so
nearly deadly for her, recovered
and Poland was dnnihilatedi
These events, thus happily accom-
/ plished IN rapid succession, surroun-
ded the brow of Nicholas with a
bright halo, The nation believed in
him. People always worship the
successful. And thus Czarism, de-
graded by Alexander, was again rails
ed into higher region. During this
time of his ascending movement,
/ Nicholas believed his mission was to
be the conductor of his people into
/ light and civilization, that he was TO
lay cornerstone for their moral and
social amelloration. He believed
/ this To be the mission of an autocrat.
The earnestness Of his purpose and
efforts at that time dazzled and at
tracted many generous mlnds, many
strong and active intelecls, aud they
throDged to serve under his banner,
to share with him in this laborious
but generous toll. 1t was something
more than dream-it was reality
of several years duration. 1t SEEM
ed that in proportion as he rose, his
mind extended and purified ITSELF
! Under Catharine and Alexander for
eigners overlooked Russia, the ma
tlonal genius was crippled, all was
imitation IN thinking, acting and in
iIern,ure. Nicholas put forward the
idea of again bathing the Russian
mind in the pure life-givIng fountain
of genuine unsuIlied nalinnality--of
making i, the focus and the compass
Of civilization. Such is the origin
of tho so-caled Russian government,
/ Panslavlsm.
At that time Nicholas was accessi-
BILE to truth, hearing circumstances
patiently, sometimes thankfully. He
allowed the criticism of abuses thro'
books and dramatic representations
He combated with all his might, and
tried to eradicate The boundless We
nality and Orruptlon-unconsci
it may be, that they lay at the very
bottom of the principle by which he
holds his power. In the first years
of his reign lie several times tried 10
relax the severity of the censorship
for home as well as for foreign pub
LEGATIONS and newspapers but he
was constantly dissuadcd by his ad-
visers. Very soon he became tired
Of many good measures that he had
attempted And he lacks real knowl.
edge Of men. Thus he was often
misled in his choice even then, wher
lattery was not yet omnipotent ove'
his mind. In his attempt at reform
he stumbled at the above mentioned
impediment. Incontestibly he had
the power Of comprehending new
reformatory idea, and even deep
broad one; of adopting and giving
it Notwithstanding it into law
But deprived OF the capacity Of EN-
bracing all the details requisite fol
putting it into practice, he mas had
in his endeavours TO depend on the
good will of his ministers-who We
ny often, when bowling ostensibly tc
his will, and feigning TO accept the
projected reform, have surrounded
its execution with countless Difficult
ties.
His mother inspired him with q
rigidity of principles, and with re-
ligious respect for his own word
Thus he has certain scrupuloui
honesty. He treats with contempt
or dislike all diplomatic tricks or dl
plomatic tortuosity. He is gooc
husband, an excellent ia'her ; bu
these qualities do not always indicate
a true generosity of soul. Few, il
any, have seen warm tear moister
his eye at great general, and not
his own personal misfortune. From
the beginning of his reign one car
say that he has been generous in his
own way, and even lavish, principal
ly for osteniaiion, when in foreign