The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1854-09-22
From the Correspondence of the N. o. Penydae.
THE GEAR NICHOLAS.
PARIS, Saturday July, %, 1854.


Ammo Domini 1854, the Emperor Of Rus.
sia was fidy>eight years Of age; il mus
have been anything but a joyous birth
day celebration 10 him, il one half the
accounts we have from ST.. Petersburg be
true. But shor, year ago Nicholas was
described as man in the full vigor oi
life; now il is represented on all sides
that his appearance indicates decrepilude.
and that he bears about him the marks
Of at least seventy winters. II is said oi
him that he is broken in health and in
heart; that he sioops as il burdene6 with
years; tina. he iTembles with weakness
because he cannot take sufficient food
that the eagle glance Of his once bright
eye has become wolf.h; and that the
proud calm Of his oEce fine face has
given way 10 nn expressioH Of anxiety
aud deep trouble. In short, he looks as
though he nigh, have been tho original
Of the lines commencing,
"Pity the sorrows Of poor old mani"
A mournful picture this, but there are
too many evidences Of its fidelity 10 doubt
ils, being strictly true.
From long and interesting article in
The London Daily News, j, seems sha,
Nicholas was only four and half years
old when his wretchsd father came 10 an
untinely end; and he is, therefore, at
least, exempt from the horrible impuia>
,ion which rested on his elder brothers,
that they knew what was doing on the
night Of the Emperor Paul's murder, and
consented 10 his assassination as the only
means o! saving ,hoir own Liberty, and
even life. The Emperor Alexander was
then young man Of twenty.fouT, prom>
issing and affable; he did much good in
his time TO the lower order Of his SUBJ
jects; formed plans for emancipa'iug al
together his serfs, after an interval Of O..
meliorated condition; and finally died Of
broken heart, according TO the ses,imo-
ny Of some Of his own cOunirymen, on
account. Of the ingratilude with which bis
services or his efforts for his peoples vel
fare were rapid; in other words, because
his mobiles would no, assist him in his en-
deavois TO do away with serfdom.
After the pence Of which followed the
battle Of Waterloo, and when he was
twenty years old, Nicholas visited Eng.
land. He was thena tall. stern youth,
ill-tempercd and extremely unpopular.
On his return 10 Russia he explored bis
own country, lived for some time in each
Of it's principal cities, and it was during
this period that he appears TO have him
self imbibed his brolher's benevolent no>
tions in relation to amelioraiing the con-
dision of the lower orders, and conceived
the idea of,heig ultimate emancipation.
In 1917 he married the Prussan psin-
cess, who is now nursing him in his pre-
mature old ago with exemplary care and
kindness. In 1925 Alexaeder died sud-
denly at Tananrog; some said from q
broken heart as above, some from fever,
and some from poison; there we're even
those who iniimated ,ha, Nicholas had
some hand in his death, and that he had
already gone over TO the Boyards or self.
owners, who were hostile to Alexander's
liberal policy. Be this as it may, he had
no, been many years on the throne be-
fore oil attempts TO abolish serfdom were
given up, and oil idea of regenera,ing the
policy OF the empire as veil, and since
then he has played the part OF the veSiest
.yrant. l, is said in this excuse that eve>
ry hope held out by Alexander to better
the condition Of the serfs had only led 10
vio'ence--tha, when once assured that
they were regarded and pi.ied, they be-
gan to cut their masters to pieces, or TO
fay them slive-and oil this is probably
to an extent true; over such subjects 90
ne had 10 deal with, he could play no
other part than that Of a tyran,.
Bus despotic as were his measures, bis
manners seem 10 have improved; he no
longer betrayed the irascibili.y Of tenn
per which had caused men TO shun him
while prince, and on rising 10 supreme
power, he became totally altered man.
IoS y0uiS dtu yodtS uS OtluaSu hIu pdFS~
ions, and made many friends by suagity
he knew we'll how to assume. 1. is said
that the strength Of his will has never
shown itself more marvelously than in
The restraint which he has kept upon his
temper up to the breaking ou, Of the pres.
ent war; but Of late, and more especially
since his reverses before Silisiria, aud
the loss or defeat Of ell his bes, &c ne rails,
his self.Con.rol has given way, and his
passions and manners are like those Of
his youth.
There is no doubt that Nicholas has
tried TO do much for his subjects while
welding the iron rod Of despo,ism, but
when he now looks about him, wha, does
he 6nds To use the language Of the
English editor, he sees that he cannot
reckon on the honesty Of any one func-
tionary in his whole empire. He has in.
vised aud pensioued men Of letters and
science, and instituted schools. and toll.
ed hsrder than his own slaves, and he
perceivss that society grows worse in-
o. l.