The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-18
SULTAN AND GEAR.
ALEXANDRIA,, EMPEROR OF RUSSIA.
His Career Before and After Ascending the
Throne.

His Career Before I5rnn.: nnS After Ascending the
The war cloud in the East brings new per-
sonal element into interest, and we therefore
give sketches of the men in whose hands the
question of peace or war is held, commencing
with Alexander III, Enperor, Gar, or Autocrat
of all the Russias, as he is variousy styled.
Alexander II is the son of the late Czar,
Nicholas l. and was born on the 10th of April,
1918. in the reign of his uncle, Alexander /.
The FIRST seven years of his life were barely COM
pleted, when the death of Alexander /, and the
renuncation of his rights by his brother Con-
stantne, led to the elevation of his father Mich
olas to the throne to which the young prince
became heir apparent For moment, however,
his own destiny aad that of his house trembled
in the balance. as a widely spread detection,
which was only quenched by torrents of blood,
exhibited itself in the garrisons of the capital.
The resolute spirit of Nicholas 1 overawed
the rebellious regiments and from that day,
December 26, 1885, he ruled over nation of
slaves The whole tenor of the young princes
life was altered, the gentle sway of his mother,
the daughter of Frederick III, of Prussia, hav-
ing been changed for the discipline of military
governors and tutors. The substitution OF the
stern regimen of the barrack-room for the more
genial influence of domestic life proved so irk-
some to the future Gar that he enfranchised
himself from it az the earliest possible period,
and sought in travel and the society of the
female members of his mothers family the
softening influences of intellectual culture and
taste.
This prediction for civil rather than mill
tary life was opposed to all the traditions of the
Russian court Gloomy foreboangs prevailed
respecting the prospects of the crown prince,
uho pnio nO W
be disputed by the old Muscovite party. Their
half -barbarous, half-soldiery predictions
found q more suitable object in Nicholas
second son, the Grand Duke Constantine, and
such an amount of antipathy and distrust grew
up between the two brothers, in consequence
of this preference, as to become the subject of
general remark, and even of quarrels.
Upon one occasion Constantine, who was
admiral of the feet, carried his animosity SO far
as to put his brother under arrest-an act OF
tyranny which Nicholas l reproved by subject
ing Constantine to the same punishment.
Nicholas / looked with so much apprehension
at the growing differences between his
two children, that in 1S43, upon the birth of
Alexander's first child he required Constantine
to take an oath of fidelity to the heir to the
throne. Again, in his last illness he summoned
his children to his dying couch, and on making
from both a solemn promise to remain forever
closely united, in order to secure the peace and
happiness of their common country.
The CzareWitch on this occasion, in the pre-
sence of the ministers and the estates, declared
his intention to enter on the government of the
empire and was Immediately, March g 1855
proclaimed Emperor, Alexander ii. Tn,
same afternoon the estates of the empire ant
the military stationed in St. Petersburg diC
homage, and at council held under the presi
dency of the new Emperor, it was resolved no
in any way to interrupt the course of the wa
with the allied powers in which Russia was en-
gagged.
Alexanders first act was to issue manifest
to the nation, notifying his accession, and de
claring, in general terms, his intention to uphol
the glory of the empire as it had been uphel
by Peter, Catherine, Alexander l. and Nichola
/. He at the same time summoned Genera
Rudiger from Warsaw and conferred upon hir
the command of the Imperial Guards, until the
held by himself renewed the powers of hi
plenipotentlaries at Vienna, and through theI
announced his adherence to the declaration
made by Prince Gortschakoff on behalf of h
late father.
On the return of peace, one of the first steE
taken by Alexander II in the direction of reforl
was the reduction of the army to the lowe
limits compatible with the dignity aud safety
the empire. Vigorous efforts were made
place the national finances on irmer basis, al
to promote commercial prosperity. But Il
greatest reform of all was his emancipation
2S,0O0,000 human beings from the bondage
serfdom, and an Imperial ukase pr
claimed the liberation of h
serfs, on certain conditions March
1861. A period of two years was assigned 4
the settlement OF terms with regard to Il
quantity of land ceded, and the rent, labor,
purchase money to be paid for it. In Februar
1854, the same boon was conferred upon d
Polish serfs, with a view to weaken the inf
enee of the Polish nobility who owned 4
greater part OF the land, aRd were consequent
s1-pOweIfu.. Some years viii necessarily }