Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-08-03
The Emperor Nicholas.


The Emperor nicholas
The Emperor Nicholas, born July 9th, 1886. is
now ffty-seven years of age. Tall in stature i'm
posing in meip, and endowed with uncommon
beauty OF face, he was what is called LA Ply
sique de son rle"-the figure for his part He is
truly the mon,rch in his appearance. His gait,
which is heavy and rather stiff, certainly is want
ing i'll grace, but denotes strength and power.
his smile is winning. his voice sonorous and plea
SAINT. lis features are regular and combine to
form face model of beauty of the German type.
His eyes alone, which large and prominent.
have something sinister in their expression, and
when me looks full and steadily into them. al
the charm of his beauty disappears Sober in his
tastes, moderate in hls passions, and deslrous of
enforcing military discipline by the power Of his
own example, ne sleeps uPol a camp bed, eats mo-
defatey, with no regarl to clo!ce Of food. drinks
but little wine, and tna mixe1 with water, rises
early AMI la5ors hard tn ugh unfo tunat .y with
little dIscernmcut. Ihe minute details OF militia
ry costume, parades and reviews abs rb much
more of his time than tie weighty affairs and ma
terial necessities of the Empire. Upon the for
mer, he bestows hours; moments only he deyotes
t. the calls of real duty and to topics which might
bring him real glory. The longer Ole dwells
upon his character the more evident it is how
strangely mistaken course misicad the finest
qualities He gave most appalling proof of his
rare energy of character in circumstance which
occurred at st. Petersburg during the Polish war
Of 1881.
While the cholera was raging there at that time,
the lower classes in some way took it into their
heads that the epidemic was generated by poison
thrown into the wells by Poles The rumor at
tanned witn cTeleucc- and the peasants, to the
number of some $4,000, ana wild with rage. pa
raded the streets, assaSsinatng every foreigner
they met. They assembled finally IN the Place
Siennaia. ami with frightful cries of fury and
drunkenness, meaaced the Capital with rebellion.
This was much the more to be dreaded, at
the moment there = ere TO tro DDS at hand While
the rot was ON its highest p1Tch anu Tire excite
ment most dangerous, the Emperor was seen ap-
preaching, accom- panied by a single Aid-de- Camp,
and followed hardly b. hundred Cossacks. He
moved slow Y and very steadily through
toe incensed mob, TO the very centre of the insur
rection snd there looking steadfastly around
der: ID 1wn upon your knnas Upon your
knees ask para n from your G9d-you must ex-
pect lone from We"
Tae inTne ise prestige which surrounded Nicho-
las at that time, combined with such exhibition
of daring AMI courage, together with the effect of
the mighty and SOnorous voice struck the insur-
gents with such awe that tLey with one accord
knelt down, and offered resistance, while few
Of the CDssacks seizd and bound many of their
number. Loaded them like so many animals into
boats, by which they were tr nSpCrted no one
IN where. The rest dispersed in terror. an /
Did the Sovereign in this moment Of success
draw any instructive lesson from that scene Did
ne learn that masses may be governed by moral
power as well as by brute force Not at all. On
the contrary. he drew the conclusion that they
must always be ruled by terror; ana the idea re
manned as strange TO his mind as before, that If
his people still in its infancy, and the chat-
sement OF the rod therefore sometimes necessary.
1t was his imperative duty, as a father, TO make
that childhood as happy as possible. lie has
spent his mighty energy OF character in theatrical
shows, ne-er employed it against monstTous abu-
IS, r in giving n moral and economical tendency
t. his administration. He has rather PLAYED with
his power than iabored with it for tie accomplish
melt of grand bepefcient ends Thus history
shall speak Of him as great actor or comedian,
who might have been great man but for the
want Of true understan ing of the idea Of good.
Yet his conduct ON the occasion referred to the
finest act of his life, when from his own
point of view, aroused the enthusiasm Of all who
uehed it, even my own. who feel rather reluc-
tant to confess enthusiasm upon such subject.
must admit that | was struck with admiration, a
confession | make tine more willingly, as ii may
seem to attest my inrartiality when l act the
part Of the Slave In the train of the triumphant
Cesar, crying: Caesar thou art bat man !"
The desire OF accuracy In my sketches forces me
to follow the above aneclote with one of an oppo-
site character-''le revere de la medaille."
On one occasion the Emperor's frowns and the
contracted muscles of his face announced an APP
preaching outbreak. No cloud of selition had RI
above the political horizon, no sign of public
tumult appeared, and Prince Delgorowsky, des-
cended from the princely house which founded
the city of Moscow, who was with him, anxiously
awaited the thunderboit of Imperial ire. ''Wha
is that 2' cried the Gar to the Prince In the aw-
full tones of the Place SIENNA, and pointed to
spot upon the table cloth The Prince remain
ing silent, and respectfully retiring, the Empero
as little touched By the respectful submission o
the courier, as formerly by that of the peasants
kicked the Grand Ecuyer of the Court, the mos
important parsonage Of his suite, and one of tn
first dignitaries of the Empire.
His private life is as full of ofcontradictions hi
pubc-the natural consequence of an utter wan
of any solid basis founded upon sound moral prin
ciple. He is af1ectionate father, yet tyranniz
over his children, who fear and shun him. he |
good husband, yet keeps mistresses and exhibit
them 10 his Court, as if defyng any one to attemp
! to oppose his fancies. At time he is kind an
! humane, at another harsh, cruel and inflexble a
| the tit takes him. He never excuses the slighte'
difference of opinion, Yet full of forbearance f
those guilty of vice and crime, and foT every KIN
of corrupt baseness. He will forgive the highei
degree of moral turpitude in his favortes, yet pu
nish the smallest contradiction of his preconceiV