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

whole court were assembled in The
chapel. offering up thanksgiving for the
recovery of the Gar, that had been an,
nounced by the last dispatches from
Taganrog, which had been longer on
their way. The incense was still float
ing through the lofty aisles, and the
hymns of gratulation were pealing from
the choir, when the courier entered,
and placed his dispatches in the hands
of Nicholas. He read them in silence,
then slowly advancing to the priest in
formed him that the Gar was no more,
and requested him to cause the exulting
charts to cease, and to break the mourn
full tidings to the widowed Empress
Mother, whose lips were still quivering
with thanksgiyings for the welfare Of
her bestowed son. The priest took
the crucifx in his hands, and shrouding
it in Grape, advanced to where the En-
press knelt. "Man must bend to the
DEGREES of God," he solemnly ejacu-
lated. She understood the meaning
conveyed under the words, and fell
senseless into the arms of her attend
ants. -.f...-.-
The empire had been for week with
out sovereign. No time was to be
lost in unavailing grief for the departed.
The mother and son consulted together
for few moments. What passed be-
tween them no man knows. Whether
she urged or opposed the decision to
which Nicholas came, must be forever
unrevealed. The Grand Duke, if he
had been made acquainted with his
brothers remuneration in his favor, acted
as though he was in perfect ignorance
of it. He proceeded to the Senate
House to take the oath of subsection to
Constantine, and to cause him to be at
once proclaimed Emperor The sealed
packet left by Alexander was produced,
with its superscribed injunction that
upon his death it should be opened, be-
fore any other business should be trans
acted. 1t was opened, and the renun-
citation of Constantine, and recognizing
Nicholas as his successor, were read by
the astonished Council. .'And as to
ourselves" concluded this manifesto,
eve beg of all our faithful subjects that
they will address fervent prayers to our
Saviour Jesus Christ, that he may deign
in his divine mercy to receive our soul
into his everlasting kingdom" 4 .......
In accordance with these instructions
the Council at once prepared to pro-
claim Nicholas as Gar and Autocrat of
all the Russias He peremptorily for
bade the procedure. He was not, he
said, the Emperor; the resignation of
his brother had never been publicly an
nounced, no action had ever been taken
upon it, it was consequently invalid, and
he was the rightful sovereign. He
therefore directed the council to pro-
claim Constantine. They hesitated and
demurred. 1t was in truth a delicate
position; and they might ruin them
selves by over-haste. Should Constan-
tine decide to treat his remuneration as
void, they would subject themselves to
his disfayor by proclaiming Nicholas
Should Nicholas mount to the throne,
would he forgive them for their undue
zeal in obeying his commands to pro-
claim Constantine? The astute politi-
clans could not believe that Nicholas
was sincere in his wish to decline the
Imperial dignity. He, however, per-
sisted in his orders; and they contrived
means of solving the difficulty in
which they were placed, by acknowledg
ing one brother, while they proclaimed
the other. "You are our Emperor"
said they. awe owe to you absolute
obedience. Since you command us to
recognize the Grand Duke Constantine
as our legitimate sovereign, we have no
alternative but to obey" The troops
of the Guard were then drawn up bel
fore the palace, the death of Alexander,
which had not hitherto been made
known to the public, was announced,
and the oath to Constantine was admin
istered. ,..e. =. z--.47-.- ~ -l-.-
Hardly had this been done, and dis
patches sent to Constantine, informing
him of his having been proclaimed at
the capital, than the Grand Duke Mich |
ael arrived from Warsaw with the letters
from Constantine confirming his renun
citation, and profering his own oath of
fealty to Nicholas. Still Nicholas re-
fused to accept the Imperial dignity, |
and after a few hours delay for neces-
sary rest, Michael was again sent back |
with an answer to that effect. Midway
between st. Petersburg and Warsaw,
the young Grand Duke met a courier
hurrying back from Constantine, with !
reply to the dispatches announcing that
he had been proclaimed at the capital.
He bore letter to Nicholas, addressed
to ''His Majesty the Emperor" repeat
ing in the most decided terms his renun-
citation. Still again Nicholas urged his
brother to accept the dignity; and still
again Constantine refused. : This frater-
nal contest, without parallel in the his
tory of thrones, continued three weeks.
At the close of that time, Nicholas, con-
vinced that his brother was immovable
in his resolution, suffered, the manifesto
for his own accession to be signed on the
evening of the Gath of December, pre-
paratory to its official publication the
next day. .
But meanwhile volcano was on the
point of bursting forth which threatened