New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-07-04
DAILYCRESCENT
A Poet in Russia.

Hiiic 'btiit % stuucuB at the MOSCOW University,
Among others, he had composed q humorous
poem called :. Sasbka,'' a parody of Pushkif,ss
sc Onagn." He had attacked many things in it
in pleasant verse and merry mood and the Gar
was not spared This poem circulated eener-
ally in manuscript After Nicholas had hanged
Pestel, Murayief, and other friends, be ceIe-
brated his coronation in Moscow in 1926 Other |
people select such solemnities as an opportunity
10 grant amnesties and pardons Nicholas, how
ever, had scarcely ended his apothesis, ere be
again began to cast down the enemies Of the
Fatherland, as Robespierre did after the stupid
Fete- Dieu.
TIE secret police brought him Po1ejayev's
poem.
And 10. at 8 o'clock one morning. the rector
wakes Polejayev, orders him to put on his uni
form, and 60 to the university chancellerie.
There the curator was expecting him. The lat
ter examines whether all his buttons arein ordsr,
or if there were any superfuous ones, and in
yites Polejayev, without any explanation, to
get into a carriage with him, and drove off,
He takes him to the Minister of Public In
struction (Lieven.y The Minister again carries
Polejayev off in carriage, but this time
straight to the Emperor. Prince Lieyen left
thetpoet in room, where, although it was not
6 o'clock, several courtiers and high officials
were waiting, and went himself into the inner
rooms. The courtiers imagined the young man
had distinguished himself in some way, and i'm
medately began talking with him. A senator
req quested him to give his son lessons.
Polejayev was summoned into the cabinet.
The Emperor stood, leaning against bureau,
| and spoke to Lieven, while holding manuscript
in his hand. He cast searching and sarcastic
glance on the new conner. 4% z.sgEA1-f.%
"Hasts thou written these verses5" he asked.
Yes,' Polejayes replied.
| Now, Prince. will show you" the Emperor
1 continued, . masterpiece Of university educa-
tion- i viii show you what the young people
learn there. Read these verses aloud 2 he ad-
ded turning again to Polejayey, who felt in such
a state of embarrassment that he was unable to
read. Nicholas glance was fixed immovably
lupon him. / know that glance, and | know
nothing more fearful, hopeless, than this neu-
trail tinted, cold, leaden eye. y
/ al cannot" said Polejayev
"Read J" the omnipotent serjeant shouted.
|, This shout restored Poleiayev his courage
He opened the volume s. Never he told me
''had Iseen sSashka 50 elegantly written, ol
on such good paper"
At first he found it difficult to read. Later
however, growing more and more excited, he
read loudly and with great animation the poem
to the end. AT the most biting passages the
4 Emperor made sign to the minister with his
hand. The minister covered his eyes in holy
horror.
6ts What do you say to it !" Nicholas asked
when the reading was terminated, at will ss
bounds to this. moral corruption, these are thi
i results, the remnants-I will extirpate them
Il What is his condnct ~ l /
/ The minister did not really know how he be
haved, but at this moment something stirred il
} him resembling humane feeling, and he said
:" Excellent, your Majesty"
4 "This testimony saves thee; but thou mus
be punished, as q warning to others Wilt thol
! enter the military service:"
Polejayev was silent
u "I give thee a means to purify thyself by en-
tering the army. Well, then, dost thou COZ
sent!' s's
= 81 must obey Polejayev, replied.
The Emperor approached him, laid his han
: on his shoulder. and saying. sc Thy fate depent
on Myself; if forget thee, thou canst write
me- kissed him upon the forehead.
g Ten times did make Polejayev repeat to n
the story of the kiss, 80 incredible did itseem
s me- Polejayey swore it was the truth
Polejayey was led from the Emperor to Dit
bitch, who also resided in the palace. Diebitc
was asleep; some one woke him. Yawning, h
!. appeared, read the paper handed him, and aske
/ the wing adutant, s' Is this the man ~ IS 1t i
Y your excellency''s swell, then, all rights yo
d can serve for all care have always been
= soldier; you see have served my way up; pei
haps you may also, become a field -marshal.''
This uncalled- for coarse Jest was the salutatio
y
!. !. | to the camp as a private. Thus three yea
il passed. Polejayev remembered the Emperor
!, words, and wrote him letter; there was no al
ls swer A few months later he 'wrote him 8
cond; no reply to that either. Convinced tn
r his letters had not reached the Gar, he desert
from the regiment to hand petition personal
10 the Emperor; He was arrestad in Tvs
; brought back to his regiment as o deserter,
I, foot and in chains.
The court-martial condemned him to run t
gauntlet; the sentence was sent to the Gar
~ confirmation. Polejayey determined to comm
III suicide before the sentence was'exeouted. Aft
b, searching in vain through his cell for Sol
~ sharp instrument, he confded in an old soldi
f0r who loved him. The soldier understood him a.
Y, honored his design. As soon as the yeter
y, learned that the answer had arrived, he hroug
ils bayoneG and said, as he handed it to him wi
u. tears, .' sharpened it myself, ,.ss s6g
ss The Emperor ordered that Polejsyey Shot
tei not be beaten. He was sent to the Caucas'
,vs where he was promoted to the rank of a non-co
IN; missioned officer, after Distinguishing himss
vi Years passed one after another; his melanch,
condition, and the hopeleasness of ever bel
sn IT. broke his heart Become poi
led 1reed IRON 5..--,as of Nicholas, he co
lod poet, and chant the y1r...-5 u s~ae HIM
IL IL not, and this was his only course to 49,
Inst from the knapsack.
YET there was no other, and this he PREFER
bat he yielded to intoxication to forget his wo
led There is q fearful poem of his extaIt address
= to Brandy He begged TO be transferred
rs carabinier regiment which was quartered
.hs .s Moscow. His prayer was heard, and thus
stss fatewas perceptibly ameliorated Bat eonsum
ss ',l' ton was already gnawing at his breast
m At that time, in 1882, / formed his aeouai
fs fy ance For four long years he thus pined avn
no then he died in a soldiers infirmary WI
one Of his friends came to beg permission to bt
sn ana him, no one knew where his body could
nj found The corpses are perquisites in a soldie
as as infrmary they are sold to the university a
rus tes the medical academy; they are converted il
cas- skeletons, and 50 on. At last poor Polejaye
II ,ia body was found in CELLAR it had been thro
"; among other corpses, and the rats had alrea
G.s os gnawed at leg.
eg After his death his poems were published, q
q it was proposed to give his portrait in soldis
= cloak The censorate considered this improf
u and the poor martyr is depicted in ofiics
epaulettes; he WAS promoted in the infrma
MIR. Herzen, in Bentley's Miscellany.
ga, A TRAGEDY IN THE 2CRIMEA.-Lieut. Dria
\. Of the grenadier company, had occasion
~ check a soldier, who, being partly intoxicat
~' was marching very irreguIarly Scarcely