The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-24

The union of the Romanoffs and the
Guelphs is an accomplished fact. The
betrothal of the two lovers, whose ro-
mantle attachment stirred the social world
of Europe during the latter part OF 1873,
eliminated yesterday in a solemn and i'm
posing marriage at the Winter Palace of St
Petersburg in the presence of brilliant
galaxy of potentates, princes, warriors, states
men and poets. The graphic and lengthy de-
scription from the pen Of Mr. Edmund Yates,
the graceful essayist and distinguished
novelist, which will be found elsewhere,
was sent to us by cable from the Russian
capital at o late hour last night, and, In point
of terseness and vigor of language, in
vivid portrayal of one of the grandest
spectacles of the century, it has seldom, If
ever, been equalled in our journalism. Tele-
graphed from city over six thousand miles
from New York, at o time when st. Peters
burg was filed with excitement, when
Russian, German, French and Austrian jour
mails were competing for the wires, it was
found impossible to send the accounts via
London. Thus the happy piece Of strategy
was adopted of despatching the report of Mr..
Yates to Paris, where the HERALD CORE
spondents took up the story and repeated it
to New York. We need not dwell here upon
the scientific achievement contained In this
remarkable triumph-upon the perfection Of
electric communication around the world-a
fact which makes it just as easy for lead
ing journal to report q marriage occurring
in the Russian capital as if it had been
solemnizad before the altar of st. Paul s, not
two minutes from our editorial rooms. It
was at noon that the august ceremonies began,
and the Winter Palace was crowded with an
illustrious assemblage, sumptuously attired,
sparkling with the radiance of precious
stones, while velvet and diamonds FREEDOM
mated in the ensemble. ''The gentlemen"
says Mr.. Yates, s'were in uniform, with
the exception of the American diplo-
matists." Whatever may have been the
cloth of Mr.. Jewell, or Of Mr.. Schuyler, the
daring Asiatic traveller, we are sure that
there were no more sincerely honored guests
in the Winter Palace than they f; for, though
separated by wide distance and hav-
ing radically different systems of govern
ment, America and Russia are still bound
in an intimate bond of mutual sympathy. The
royal procession, with the Emperor and
Empress of Russia, the Imperial Prince and
Princess, and the Prince and Princess of
Germany, Denmark and England, preceded
the bride and bridegroom Maria Aexandrovna
was magnifcently apparelled in long
crimson velvet mantle, trimmed with ermine,
and wearing coronet of diamonds Fol-
lowing them were the first representa-
tives of the Guelphs, Romanoffs,
Hohenzollerns and Hapsburgs, Schleswig-
Holstein, Sonderburg- Glucksburgs; but ali!
cruel fate no Bonapartes no Bourbons
We recognize among those gathered at the
fete the royal scions who visited our shores, the
Prince of Wales and Prince Arthur the mod
est young rifeman. The reception at the
Russian church, where the procession was
greeted by ecclesiastics bearing crosses, sacred
vessels and holy water, was very imposing;
and as the royal party took up their places in
front of the altar in the magnificent chapel,
decorated in gold and velvet and brilliantly
illuminated, the best blood of Europe looked
upon the young couple as crowns were held
children of grand destiny whom did they
behold?
The bridegroom as an English sailor-a
Prince if you please, who regularly entered
the English Navy as midshipman, serving
brief probation at Greenwich, after which
he went to sea, passed through some of the
hardships of the steerage, but oftener than his
messmates, "crawled in through the cabin win
dows" and dined with the Captain, who was
not prone to masthead the royal scion-Prince
Alfred was not a bad companion. We oil
know that, like all midshipmen of the Anglo
Saxonnavies, he accepted his black eye and
bruised countenance with the nonchalance
cutting down messmate who was
calmly slumbering in his hammock.
Pardonable independence of behavior and q
streak Of ludicrous deviltry did not prevent
his deserved promotion, while he made the
most of his ardent youth and hilarious ma
ture One day he visited the ruins of Pompeii
with the Russian royal family and The Prin-
cess Maria was of the party-the first in his
own station in life whom he had met and ad-
mired. Subsequent intercourse taught him
that she was all in all to him. The Romanoffs
who always assert desire for peace and the
most cordial relations with England, hailed the
unforeseen attachment with joy, and promoted it
by all the arts Of diplomacy. The Princess was
charmed with her conquest, and there is every
evidence that she reciprocated the tender pas
sion of her sutton. Certain it is that she will
make charming wife, and, if occasion offer.
a digni6ed and capable queen. Prince Alfred
looks his thirty years Of age, and, as the Euro
pean young man of the world goes, his early
habits are already classed by his maturer
judgment as his early follies We do not,