New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-07-23
several days in the charming society of the daugh
ters Of the Grand Duke.


cnnapoliey Of etfccting Alliances with
German princesses-Alexalder departs for wsrsaw-Hs
Illness roue-Popular Reception Darmsadt-Thc
Princess Mary stephanie Of Bade-
Relation of Alexander H. to Napoleon III.-Dnner kra
nchstcn-BetEota Of Alexander ard Mary-Retnru to ST.
| Petersburg-Nchoas Frankfort-Precsiaon Of Mary
10 the EmpeFnrTmpefial soorn nj Ems-Portrait Of Al
e.pder II-As Of Darmstad-DepFavity Alexander
and his CoupaaionsThc Prince Of Iaiutngen-C
Of MARY to the Greek aiAexander is offered refuses
The Citizenship Of Daftahtad
| Nicholas ardently desired to enter into negotia-
tons with the Court of Vienna to effect an alliance
between his son and an Austrian Archduchess.
| For some short time he augured a favorable re-
suit from his confidential propositions to the house
Of Hapsburg: but the magical influence Of Meter
Mich over the Emperor Francis ultimately pre-
vailed, and Nicholas received with rage the intel
/ ligence tbat his offers must be declined
i Finding all chances destroyed in this quarter, he
directed Alexander to visit the inferior courts
| Of Germany with view of seeking q wife,
By virtue Of the will Of Peter the Great, it is i'm
pcrative that Princes of Russia should marry Ger
4 man Prineesses, so that the weaker States may
always by family ties, seek the protection Of Rus
| sa, in the event of continental Struggles In the
sixth paragraph OF this imperisliablc testament, it
is expressly decreed that the wives Of the Russian
| Princes are always to be chosen among German
| "to bind the interests of Germany to our cause by
increasing our nflaence.,' On the other hand Ger
I many, the ery-ground for royal aspirants Of
wedlock, has never suffered from deficiency in
4 either sex, and Russia being the goal Of the am
bition Of all its 1nonarcha, they naturally desire
at any sacrifice, to win her favor. Knowing well
that their thronessare nero bubbles, they are ne
eessitated, for their safety, to seek III family
1 ties that protection, without which they would
4 speedily be oYerthrown.
/ On the 18th Of March, 1910, Alexander, for tile
second time, left ST. Petersburg on his travels, ac
companied byEeyeral general officers and his tutor
1 Schukowsky. During his journey to Warsaw he
was seized with an attack Of dysentery, which at
one time was feared might prove fatal. Having
4 recovered he departed for Kaiisch and Dresden,
where his pale and debilitated appearance created
| some uneasiness. He afterwards visited Weimar,
Frankfort, and arrived the 18th of April at the
| grand ducal palace Of Darmstadt escorted by NJ.
de Trotta, the adiutant Of the Grand Duke Ludwig.
/ His entrance was a complete triumphal march
from the Louisenplaz to the Barriere of the Main :
/ the whole populace had crowded to receive him.
1 The exciting effects Of the enthusiasm expressed
| by the people could NOT conceal from their eyes
the results of his late sufferings, and by strange
coincidence the object of his visit to this Court
| the Princess Mary-was also laboring under the
| effects of a severe cold caught at ball given by
4 the Grand Duchess Stephanie, at her palace in
| Mannheim. This dowager Duchess Of Baden, who
1 for many years maintained quiet and unobserved
\ position in the fashionable world, has recently
| gained great promineney by reason of her rela-
| ton as aunt to Napoleon Ill. Mary's mother,
| Wilhelmine of Baden, was also native of this
i Dukedom; daughter of the same petty Duke
/ Charles Ludwig, whose eldest daughter married
| Alexander of Russia. Though both Prncesses
| were of exceedingly easy morals, (Wilhelmine,
Mary's own mother, publicly entertained aisons
| with her Grand Equerry, DeGrancy, a French emil
| grant, etc., etc., the political jealousy between
| the Empires of France, Austria and Prussia, exer
| osed great influence in the resolving upon this
match. On the 10th of April, at private dinner
party in the summer residence of KranicIsten
| Alexander, who had become desperately enam-
CURED Of the young Princess Mary, (de Graney y
| formally asked her hand of the Grand Duke. His
offer was Immediately embraced by the weak
Ludwig, who caused the betrothal to be announced
in the official gazette. The same evening the be-
trothed presented themselves to the public at the
opera, where the young pair were received with
great acclamatons.
On tile 10Th Of June the Emperor Nicholas, with
|
| Frankfort 10 meet the BRIDE They alighted at the
| Dneal Palace, when Alexander presented to his
father his future wife. Mary impressed with awe
on approaching the monarch whom all Europe
feared, sank her knees, but Nicholas perceiying
her confusion raised the trembling girl to his arms
and embraced her cordially. After shortsoiourn
the Imperial family left for Biberich and Ems,
where the Marquis de Gustne thus describes the
i pf tInh hrH
The Hereditary Grand Duke has just arrived at
! Ems, preceded by ten twelve carriages and fol-
| lowed by numerous suite. [ found myself at the
side of the Grand Duke, among the curious crowd,
as he descended from his carriage. Before enter
| ing the house he stood for long time at the door
of the baths in conversation with Russian lady,
so that had time to examine him. He looks his
exact age, which is twenty. His person is tall but
little too stout for so young man. His features
would be fine, We're it not for pufliness that i'm
| pairs his physiognomy. His face is round but
rather German than Russian and suggests what
the Emperor Alexander must have been at the
same age, without, however in any way recalling
the kalmuck type.
e The look has many phases to pass through ere
it will assume its dofnitiye character The habuaI
humor it now denotes is mild and benevolent Be-
thecu lNtuf hiHile VI tlIG SSCs Hill lHe con-
| slant contraction Of the mouth there is however
discrepancy that bespeals very moderate frank
ness, and perhaps some internal grief. Tie cha
grin of youth the age when happiness is mans
natural DUE s secret always the better kept that
is mystery even to the sufferer. The Princes eX-
preston is one of kindness his step is light and
gracefully noble-truly that ofa prince. His whole
being wears the impress of perfect good breeding.
If he should ever reign he will make himself
obeyed, not by terror, but by the attraction of his
inherent grace: unless the necessities that cling
to Russian Emperor's duty should alter his char
acter as well as his position SIS
have again seen the Hereditary Grand Duke, and
have had long and close examination of him. He
was not dressed in uniform, which gives him stiff
and swollen look. The ordinary costume suits him
much better. His manners are agreeable, his gait
noble, and without the stiffness of the soldier and
the peculiar grace that distinguishes him recalls
the singular charm belonging to the eseIavonianrace.
There is not the yivacious passion belonging to the
warm countries, nor the impertubable eoldness of
| the Nord; but mixture Of Southern simplicity,
ore