Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-10-27
A Glimpse at Russian History.

the present heir OF the Russian throne
gives this historical synopsis 0f|
"The events of Russian history prior
TO the 10th century, may be summed up
in very few words. All was disorder
when the hardy Mortimer came to rule
over the plains of Russia, and utter dis
order and discord, intensified by Tartar
incursions and atrocities, continued 0
prevail until John III subdued his rival
kinsmen, annexed their territories, and
founded the present empire out of the
Grand Duehy of Moscow. Heirs to the
! throne in those days were nominated by
the reigning sovereign at pleasure. The
eldest son was generally preferred, but
the patriarchal polity permitted every
divergence from the principle of primo
geniture. When John III was asked by
his mobiles TO bequeath the crown to his
/ grand d.son, John, whom he dispossessed
in favor of son by bis second wife, his
arrogant reply was, i will give Russia
to whomsoever | please And this was
the principle on which Russian Czaro-
vites inherited the crown until the empe-
ror Paul decreed law Of hereditary sue
eession in the male line and afterwards
in the female, instead of leaving it to the
caprice of the reigning sovereign, or to
the Vaccinations of political factions.
The first Gar of Russia, the renowned
John the Terrible, killed bis son and heir
in fit Of rage, with walking stick OF
iron-a crime for which he endeayored
to atone by giving large grants to church
es and monasiic establishments, and he
died fall of grief and remorse, after TAX
ing the tonsure.
Dimitri, the son Of his successor, Theo-
dore 7, was foully murdered by his own
uncle, the userper, Boris Godunof, and
in him the Ruric dynasty became ex-
tinct, Theodore III, third sovereign of
the house of Romanof, "the joy and de-
light of bis people," died after reigning
SIX years. John, his brother should have
succeeded TO the crown, as no other dis
position had been made by the deceased
Gar, but the Strelsi Guards decided
that Johns hali-brother, Peter, after,
wards the Great, sholld share the throne |
with him. But Peter the Great, altho'
only seventeen years Of age, preferred an
undivided authority, and John soon after
resigned in his favor. The tragedy of |
the death of Peter the Greats eldest son,
Alexis is well known. Opposed to bis
fathers reforms, and having fled the
country and bee captured Alexis
died in dungeon of the fortress of St.
Petersburg, almost after visit from his
strongwilled parent The application of
torture has been proved by documentary
evidence. The poisoning Of the son by
the father is matter of strong suspicion.
Then the male line Of Romanoffs became
extinct in Peter III, grandson Of the
Great Peter, who died at fifteen of small
pox. Anne, Duchess of Courland, daught-
er Of John, Peter the Greats half-broth- {
er, succeeded by viii of the mobiles, who
imposed constitution upon her.
John vi, grand nephew of the empress
Anne, who had left the crown to him,
was first imprisoned in n monastery, and I
then put to death at the Castle of SchIus- !
selburg, in order to make room for Ellis
lbeth, daughter of Peter the Great.
Catherine III became empress of all Ct
he Russias by the murder of Peter the I
III, her husband, at Rospha near st. t
Petersburgh. Her son Paul met with
similar fate at the hands (by conni- '
1auce) of his son, Alexander |, the first O
sovereign who came under law of sue. s
.ession to the crown. The righ!ful heir s.
# Alexander, his brother, Constantine, g
bdicated in favor of Nicholas, whose a
uccession was unsuccessfuly resisted by =,
he conspiritors of 1925. The Emperor q,
Alexander is thus the only sovereign :,
ince Theodore III, CA. d. 1882 who s
as come to the throne peaceably, hon a,
raby, by indisputable right, and in the $,
atural order of events. But even this in
reception may be cavilled at, for Nicho- in
as / died prematurely and suddenly, il W
be midst uf war in which he had risked IN
is empire. And now it is but few bl
hort months since the name Of the Car a
witch of Nicholas has been added to the th
ing list of young sovereigns and heirs t
of Russia who have died L
efore their time. May the sins Of the fo
lthers be visited no further, and may sp
le Prince this day so mournfully called or
swear fealty, break the spell under ar
hicb so many of his ancestors have sue is
Imbed. al
Why are hot rolls like caterpillar
.ecause it is the grub that makes the ."