The Republican journal., 1872-12-26
A Story from Russian History.

Story from Russian History.
For dozen Years Northern Europe had
been rayaged by the war which the combin-
ed powers OF Denmark, Poland. and Russia
declared against the youthful Charles XII, b,
in order to abate the dominant influence
of Sweden and 10 wrest from her certain
valuable territorial possessions.
Sweden had by the Thirty Years War
aud the peace of Westphalia been raised
80 the rank of q lirst-class power much to
the displeasure Of the envious King of
Denmark, as well rs Of Gar Peter | of
Russia. who, being ambitious to increase
his naval strength, coveted a portion of
the Baltic coast that belonged to his
Swedish neighbor. And could q better
opportunity have occurred to obtain the
object Of his desires than apparently pre-
sented itself in the year 1897? Charles
NJ was dead and his son, hardly fifteen
years old. had ascended the throne To
wrost the coveted provinces from a boy
seemed an easy task; nevertheless, in
1898. to insure success, Russia formed a
powerful league with Denmark and Poland
against the youthful sovereign, and from
every side the allied armies invaded the
provinces they hoped to make their booty.
But the royal boy with whom they
thonght to have light work was 4 genuine
Northern lion, who lost no time in count
ing his enemies, but employed it in max
ing ready to defend his territory and
maintain his dignity With wonderful
celebrity he defeated. one after the other
the Danes and Russians, and the Saxons
Of The King of Poland; he forced Den
mark to conclude peace; marched on
Warsaw, dethroned King August of Po-
land, and followed him to his native
country. Sayony, where he compelled him
10 acccde to the most humiliating condi-
tions, and thus this boy quickly became
the terror Of Northern Europe. Now he
marched again against the Russians, but
having become over-ronfident and daring,
he lost the decisive battle OF Pnltowa
1903, and was forced to fly to Turkey,
while his enemies redoubled their ex-
ertionS against him in the north. All
negotiations and propositions for peace
were fruitless. Charles rejected them all,
swearing that he would punish and de-
stroy his enemies. His generals We're
compelled to continue the contest with all
the resources ut their command, and there
was no end to the suffering in the PROV
powers were contcnding This was
especially true when the Swedish king
succeeded in persuadin@ the Sultan to
espouse his cause ana declare war against
the Gar, and when he himself, with his
unyielding obstinacv and wild courage,
reappeared in the threatened provinces,
which Lieutenant General Reenbeck de
tended with the skill and bravery of u
bnr ~
Thus. then, for dozen long years, this
mnrderous war devastated the German
provinces OF Sweden, and still there was
no prospect of an early peace. Another
year had passed, yet the new year 17l3
brought with it nothing to inspire hope,
but only the old woes, and when the
spring came the horrors of the contest
were even increased by the personal
enmity and the thirst for revenge of the
respective princes. In those DAYS the nm
fortunate people too frequently served rs
q complaocnt football for the passions and
caprices Of rulers, who often redressed, as
they thought, their individual grievances
by pIundering and numbering the subjects
OF their rivals.
The Swcdes took the Danish city of AL
tona. and being cXasperatea by the faith
lessness Of the Danes in keeping their
treaties they sacked and burned it.
While this useless cruelty and barbar-
ouS mode of carrying on war was umivcr-
sally condemned throughout all Europe,
if aroused in Peter the Great, the ruler of
the semi-cviIized Russians, a determina-
ton to ayengc his Danish ally by perpe-
tratino still greater horrors on the sub
ccts Of Charles XII
Peter followed his determination by an
immediate order to destroy 3y fire and
sword the four Swedish cities in Pomerana.
Carr, Wolgast, Grefswald and Anklam,
in retaliation for Altoona The four cities
were 10 be first sacked by the Russian
soldiGry, the inhabitants to be driven des-
titutc beyond the walls, there to witness
the destruction OF their homes, and then
to be allowed to wander where they
would.
The citizens of the old commercial
town Of Anklam bad known for several
days the fate that had been decreed them,
and awaited it in sorrow and despair
Judlca Sunday had never been spent in
such Wailmg and praying. The follow
ing morning ushered in the terrible day
on which the Russian soldiers expected
one Colonel Staff, who had been commits
stoned with the execution of the imperial
order
The soldiery, in their wild Joy at the
prospect of gathering rich booty from the
doomed city, spent the night in carousing,
rending with their barbarous merry-mak-
ing the hearts of the inhabitants, who on
this night looked with envy on their sleep
ing babes all unconscious Of the approach
ing calamity.
On the morrow the sun rose red and
bloody from ont thick fog that hung
heavy over the distant landscape AT
early dawn, sad, trembling figures, that
fear and despair hurried forward, might
have been seen vending their way toward
the market-place where the unfortunates
gathered around their venerable pastor,
IIeydemann, who had, although the same
fate awaited him and his only daughter,
word of consolation for all
This was the day Staff was expected,
and the order was to he carried into ex-
ecution Immediately on his arrival. The
good people OF Anklam had, therefore,
lost almost the last ray of hope that their
city and their earthly effects would be
spared. They had sent deputation to
Prince Menzikow, the all-powerful favorite
OF the Gar, to implore for mercy, but the
result Of the mission could not be known
under at least a week, when there would
be nothing remaining of Anklam but
heap Of smoking ashes.
Closer and closer in their despair the
people crowded around the venerable
pastor, while parties of intoxicated Rus
sian soldiers staggered through the
streets, hallooing and singing, and in
their barbarous JOY reminding the people
that they only awaited the orders of their
colonel to begin their hellish work Of re-
ducng their homes to ashes and Of driv-
ing them out into the wide world to beg
or to starve.
The mists of morning still hung over
Griefswald when q party of cavalrymen
entered the town and haulted before an