The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-02-24
A RUSSIAN MARRIAGE.

"A t'hflS Correspondence ci tne NEW Ork
| Times tells the following story:
1.-The Emperor of Russia has lately per-
| formed ar act of justice to much injured
and honorable American family, which re-
fleets the highest credit on his government.
! The facts were given mo by Mr. Sala, the
principal writer for Dickens Household
Words, with whom had the pleasure to
| dine at London, and who was an actor in
| the history l am going to give you.
About eighteen months ago, Miss
Ward. from one of the Southern States, was
married at Florence, after short courtship,
to Polish Count, whose unpronounciblo
name escapes me at this moment. They
were married before the American Consul.
/ believe. After living with Miss Ward
maritally for three weeks, the Count took
French leave one fine morning. carrying off
his wife's jewelry as booty A letter left
behind Informed Miss Ward of fact of
which she had been till that moment entire
ly ignorant, to wit: that any Russian sub
ject not married according to the service
! recognized by the Greek Church and tho
Russian Government, was invalid and net
binding, and that the service which had
united them resembling in no wise the one
required, they were as free as if no service
had been performed. The CONSERVATION
of Miss Ward and her family at this delecta-
bic piece of villainy may well be imagined;
for on inquiry they found that the Counts
statement was but too"truo.
Miss Ward and her mother remained
short time in Italy, endeavoring to obtain
some kind of redress for the base imposition
which had been practiced on them, but
their efforts were frutless. They then
came to Paris and spent the winter here,
where they were generally known to tho
Americans resident in the place.
AT the period of coronation of the En-
peror of Russia, they went to st. Peters
burg. II was here that Mr. Sala made the
acquaintance of the family, by a letter of
introduction from Paris. The family were
going to demand justice of the Emperor of
Russia against his scoundrelly subject, Mr.
Sala drew up the petition to the Russian
Minister, and in this petition Miss Ward
demanded of tho Russian government ''the
rehabilitation of her honor by II lawful mar
riage with the Count The document was
handed to Mr. Seymour, the American Min
lister, and he handed it to the Russian Min
lister of State.
The moment the case was laid before the
Emperor, an order was issued to the Rus
sian Minister at Naples (where the Count
was then living) to confer with the Neapoli-
tan Government, with view to his arrest.
The Neapolitan Government, which was
just then in great favor with Russia. yielded
at once to the request. The Count was
seized by the Neapoitan police, and at Rus
sia's expense was conducted to the Russian
frontier; there he was received by the Rus
sian police and carried to Warsaw. The
Wards were already there, awaiting his ar
rival. The Count was marched into the
church by posse of policemen, and was
compelled TO stand up before the altar and
marry Miss Ward in due form. When the
ceremony was concluded, his wife, now
legally the countess of --, made him a
formal bow and badc him adieu, forever
And Sala. who was present, exclaimed,
young America forever"
The Count, who was an exile, was sent to
Siberia, his property was confscated, tho
Countess retaining by law one-third. The
family Immediately left again for Italy whore
they are Spending the winter. The Father
and mother of Miss Ward were present at
the marriage at Warsaw, with revolvers in
their pockets, determined if there was any
finching on the part of the Count, to blow
his brains out. For in view of the fact
that he was destined for Siberia under any
circumstances, it was feared that he might
not at the last moment pronounce the nec-
essary word.
And thus was high act of justice per-
formed by the Russian Government in a
bold and rapid manner, and an act which
does her the greatest honor.