The Nevada Democrat., 1859-12-14
IN. emperor Nicholas a suicide.


The Obaricr dss Eldrs Uais publishes a remarka-
BE article with the signature Alexander Du-
mas which we give for what II is worth:
-How did the Emperor Nicholas diet Oh
what did be diet These are questions which
one asks when rejecting upon the premature
and wholly unexpected cad Of that remarkable
man. There are two very different replies TO
these questions The following Is what is as
serted publicly:
"Afler.the annihilation of Poland aud the
crushing Of Hungary, the Emperor Nicholas
was convinced that nothing In Europe could
resist him. He was impatiently awaiting news
from the Crimea, firmly convinced that he
should hear Of the destruction OF the English
and French armies. A courier is announced.
The Emperor, with confident smile on his lips,
bids him enter The courier, exhausted by a
Journey Of three thousand werts, offers the dis
patch 10 bis majesty. well, says the Emperor,
I'VE have beaten them, suppose will your
Majesty please TO readY says the COURIER
Was the day doubtfulP Read, sire.' An
swer me, sir; will read afterwards Sire, we
have been beaten 'Wherer AT the Alma
The Emperor became livid and started up
'Yeu liep said be. Read, sire' Nicholas
opened the dispatch and read it. 1t was the
bulletin Of the battle Menschikoff revealed
all. The French and the English had been
victorious The Emperor fell back in bis easy
chair as though both his legs had been broken.
"a month afterwards arrives the news Of the
battle of Iakerman. The man whom nothing
had been able to resist, now experienced not
only q double resistance, but double reverse.
From thai moment his health became deranged
and he sunk under this annihilation Of his great
ness He died on the 18th Of February, 1856.
"Such is the generally received account.
The following is what is asserted privately.
The effect OF these two pieces Of intelligence
had not been less terrible than as above de-
scribed, but the athletic constitution of the
Emperor would have borne up against IL. New
ertheless he took an exalted and terribly heroic
ESQ says Dumas) part He resolved to die.
Should be rctrace his footsteps and abandon
his policy he would have to give the lie to a
reign of thirty years. Should he persist in
carrying on the war he would ruin Russia.
But what he could not ask for without loss of
honor, viz: peace, his successor might. He,
therefore, by pressing solicitations, obtained
from his physician, who had previously resisted
for two months, dose of poison strong enough
to kill him, but yet weak enough to allow him
TO live a few hours after having taken it.
Dumas should have said after he had been
weak enough TO take t.) The physician Qike
a wise NAM left st. Petersburg on the 18th of
February. having obtained from the Emperor
declaration in writing which made him safe
at all points. On the morning of the 18th the
Emperor swallowed the poison, after which he
sent for the Grand Duke Alexander (now EN-
peror), and told him all. The latter would
have called out for help, but the Emperor pre-
vented him by an order so positive that as a
son and subject he could not dsobey his father
aud sovereign. Then the Emperor explained
to him in detail the motives which had induced
him TO take this heroic step. The young prince,
broken hearted, the tears streaming from his
eyes, his utterance choked by his sobs, listened
to the dreadful narrative on his knees, and clasp
ed his hands, exclaiming: MY father my faith
erP The Emperor would not allow him to
quit bis side until he had obtained from him
solem promise to let death take its course with
out attempting to stop IL. But the instant the
young prince was out of the room his filial love
triumphed over his fidelity to bis word, and he
summoned the whole Of the royal family and
three physicians. The latter arrived too late.
The Emperor, after not very violent agony,
expired at twenty minutes past IL, at noon,
on the 18th of February, 1855. At the same
instant Russia changed not only her master, but
her policy.
"If this last version be the correct one why
not proclaim II aloudY II might be less Chris
tian, but more glorious than his whole life."
ALEXANDER DUMAS.