The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1855-03-29
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Biographical Notice of the Late Emperor
Nicholas

| @sAoSkaPAuCaA NouC0 OF the Late Emperor
Nicholas.
Nicholas Paulovitch, Emperor of Russia
now reported to be dead, was the ninth
child cf the Emperor Paul, by his second
marriage with Maria Feodorowna, of Wur-
tcmburg, and was born on the 25th of June,
l79G, at Gatshina. near St. Petersburg.
Imperial historians call him the fifteenth
sovereign of the House of Romanoff who
has ruled in Russia. Others call him the
eighth sovereign Of the Holstein Gotorp
Itdypasty, which is Of German descans At
1tae time Of his birth, and for ysataI after
gsfds there was little sign oftthss4iigh des-
! tiny y hssaI aFhiseI him. Two elder broth
sfs the arsnd Duke Alexander and the
Etifdhd Daks oonstantiue, were Immediately
4oessyecnaim and the throne, and prospec-
lively "erc- tir-is' issue, which might cut
t'hm off from it forever. lie was four years
old when his father Paul ascendcd the
throne. IIe.. with his younger brother,
Michael, received his education under the
immediate superintendent of his mother.
The first event of his youth which stamped
itself with terror on his memory, was the
murder of his father Paul.
On the fearful night when that tragedy
occurred, his mother caught up the two
young princes i'll her arms, and amid the
clash of weapons and the confused voices
OF alarm III the palace, she ran through the
Icorridors leading to the apartments of the
Emperor, where she was stopped and forced
back 10y one of the conspirators. In the
meantime, the Emperor was stranglel with
n sca,f by the hand of assasSins, and Alex
ander T. was proclaimed Emr"ror the cnsu-
ing day. The frs years of the reign of
Alexander were so full Of stirring events,
that the private history of his younger
brothers, .'e Nicholas and Michael, remains in
a measure unrecorded. Their education
was eventually intrnsted.t to tutors, both ma.
tive and. foreign, who INSTRUCTED them in the
Ssid III tie F French and German
Iangaaee Ins lie acquisition sof modern
Languages, Nicholas exhibited omssadroit-
ness whilst he was pasaiohssely fond of
4 ynus'c, aa even comps !. is. said, sev-
crai paradesnasches:,' ~
Thedemeanor Of Nicholas is said to have
been cold and reserved in his youth to those
around him, even to his mother. when lie
had first passed the bounds of childhood,
and began to understand his real position
%'mperal palace. lie early mani
tested !. love oe martial studies, particularly
the ordinary routincs Of ficld-muster disci-
pline. The youth OF Nicholas was what
may bc said to be moral. In the gallant
Court of his brother, the Emperor Alexan-
der, he appears to have kept himself mar
vclIously free from intrigues, and to have
concentrated all his pleasures on military
exercises and amusements. In 1914, Mich
olas left the Court of lis brother for tour
abroad. He visited France, Germany, Eng
land, and various other countries, and re-
turned home early in 1917.
On the 18th Of July, 1917, being then
hardly twenty-one years of age, he married
Maria Charlotte, eldest daughter of the late
king Of Prussia. The bride was about two
years younger than the bridegroom. The
marriage was solcmnized at St. Petersburg,
and the bride, in accordance with Russian
law, although she came IF Protestant
family, adopted the Greek religion, and
with it the Christian names Of Alexander
Feodorowna. The marriage is said to have
been one of love on both sides; although
there was, doubtless, political expediency
mingled with it. There was great simi-
larty between them, not only in the ma
jesty of figure, but also of mind. and char
acters att! the time Of his marriage, Mich
eIas &sld the military rank of Head -Inspec-
to1zof Engineers in tho service of his
II t6er,. the Emperor, but he was not ad-
niitted to- the Councii-table when. political
and dinlowatic questions were discussed,
aud his sphere Of operation was confined to
mere garrison ss15te. NichotSsslelt, his
subordinate position, and lived yith bis
wife, retired ,faau9 the <oaurhsa 1omestic
man, deriving his l.aIlaii - Ionning
the part Of 5as hpssa ad and fath ,e idii,sa
ttsnsnnes thassa be s1siiasPla 4of m ~ = fsand
wife, has besa issd asia model Sc III hest;c
bliss. His eldest SOM ~ isolsi
witcksas born one ys iua FSaee.
In ] skas fsile~eSl ss S'il se III q jssascepa
tessad ~ ! s..is il 1899.
ID = ~. - , &,
isxsslds lied list a sas.
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4 T. : =. g ;xtSre sssssublsd
tlts II was
: 80 + ~ naws, he