Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-05-04
Icontin,.ad from Ist pqqe.l

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Nicholas made his triumphal entry into
Moscow on the 18th of August. Ten
days after was the festival Of the pat
ron saint of Russia. The great crowd
was thronging- before the palace gates,
which suddenly opened and Nicholas
appeared with his brothers, the Grand
Duke Michael and Constantine, on eth
er hand. The coronation had been at
first appointed for that day, and Con-
stantine had hurried from Warsaw, hop
ing to take his Imperial brother by sur
prise, and that their first meeting since
their generous contest should be on his
coronation day. No sooner were they
perceived by the crowd than the air was
rent with shouts of 'Hurrah, the EN-
perorr sHurrah Constantinep Eight
months before, Nicholas had heard,
with far other feelings, this last shout
90 up from the insurgent troops in the
great square at st. Petersburg. Then
It was a token of peril for himself and
his crown; now it was the pledge for
the security of both. Constantine was
at first surprised, and knitted his long
white brows over his keen blue eyes in
momentarY anger; but in moment per-
ceiving the purport of the shout, he
smiled with satisfaction, and threw him
self into the arms of his brother and
sovereign-upon whom he had him.
self conferred the Imperial dignity.
On the Sd of September the corona
tion was celebrated in the church of the
Assumption, in view of the sacred pic
ture, the palladium of Russia, the por-
trait of the Virgin painted-so says
tradition-by none other than the Evan
gelist Luke: that picture which, in popu-
lar belief, had, just five centuries be-
fore, stayed the march of Timour, and
turned him away from Moscow. At
the conclusion Of the long and impos-
ing ceremonies, the sacred unction was
laid upon the brow of the Gear, which
gave him the privilege of entering the
holy of holes of the temple, and par
taking of the sacrament in both kinds
after the manner of the priests The
aged Metropolitan who had so shortly
before, vainly raised his feeble voice to
quell the insurrection at the capital, ut
tered the benediction; and the ViUdt pro-
nounced by priest, was re-echoed by
innumerable voices Thus it ran: %
Lord, grant happy and peaceful life,
health of body and salvation of soul,
thy good help in all things, success and
victory over the wicked, to our ortho-
dox, most glorious, and most Christian
monarch, our great lord, crowned,
raised to the supreme rank, and an
nointed with holy. oil, Nicholas Paulo-
vich, the Emperor and autocrat of all
Russia The Emperor walked forth in
solemn procession, his brothers on either
hand. As they came out of the sacred
inclosure, Constantine looked up to the
serene sky which smiled overhead
Brother said he to the Gar, What a
beautiful day-not a cloud to be seen.'
what had l to fear replied the EN-
peror, had l not my conductor by my
side?' Thus in the first moments of
his supreme elevation, recognizing that
he owed his elevation to the unwaver-
ing constancy of Constantine.
So ended the drama of the Accession
OF Nicholas. His nature, and the cir
cumstances by which he was surround
ed, doubly pledged him to the mainten-
ance of absolute power. How unhinch-
ingly, on all occasions, and at every haz-
zard that pledge has been redeemed, the
history of his reign of thirty years
bears witness on every page: and the
end thereof is not yet.