The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22
IVAN THE TERRIBLE.

Erec1sely st what time the faithful
ana aftectionate subjects of his Majesty
1Han ", Gear Of all the Russias, con-
1eEred upon him his pet name, ssThe
EeErlble. history neglects to inform us,
but We are left in no uncertainty as to
&he entire appropriateness of the title.
which is now inseparably linked with
MS baptismal name. He inherited the
throne at the age of years, and his
early education was carefully attended
60 by his faithful guardians, Who snub-
bed and scared him, IN the hope that
they might 50 far weaken his intellect as
% secure permanent control over him.
and through him govern Russia as they
pleased. They made footstool of him
sometimes, and football at others.
and, under their system of training. the
Developments of those qualities of mind
and heart for which he is celebrated was
remarkably rapid. He was always Ivan
the terrified, and he became Ivan the ter
r1ble before he was old enough to have
played reasonably good game of mar.
Oles, or to have become tolersbly expert
IN the art of mumbling the peg. Indeed,
q would seem that the young grand
Prince was wholly insensible to the ioys
9f these and the other excellent sports
I'm which ordinary youth delight, and,
being OF an ingenious turn of mind. he
tastes and character. One of these
pastimes, perhaps the first and sin-
plest one devised by the youthful genius.
consisted liz the dropping of cats. dogs.
and other domestic animals. from the
bop of the palace TO the pavement below.
and sentimental historians have con-
Structed these interesting experiments
upon the law of grayitation into cruelty.
another OF the young Cars amuse-
ments was TO turn half-famished pet
bears loose upon passing pedestrians,
that his purpose In this was to study
the psychological and physiognomical
phenomena of fear. A less profitable
way he had of accomplishing the same
thing was by throwing, or, as youthful
Americans phrase it, - '9shying" stones
Mt passers bys concealing himself mean
while behind q screen. He cultivated
his skin IN horsemanship by riding
over elderly people, cripples, and chill
dren: In short, his boyish sports were
all of an original and highly interest
ing sort.
Up to the age of 13 Ivan was under
The tutelage OF council, of which the
Prince Shuisky was chief, and it was
this Prince who domineered over the
boy and made footstool and football
OF his body. At that age. Ivan asserted
his independence in very positive and
emphatic way, which even the Prince
Shuisky could not misapprehend. The
young Czar was out hunting, accom-
panied by Shuisky and other Princes
and boyards, among whom was Prince
Gluisky, rival of Shuisky's, who was
preiudiced against that excellent gentle
man. At his suggestion, Ivan addressed
his guardian Shuisky in language which
the lQ4toFs daovana6 irsn1nuS ShnSolyr
piled angrly, and Ivan requested his
dogs TO demonstrate with the Prince.
which they did by tearing him limb
from limb.
Having thus si1enced the dictation O
Shniaky. the young Prince became the
ward of the no less excellent Gluisky,
and was carefully taught that the only
way in which he could effectna1ly assert
authority was by punishment. It was
made clear TO bis budding intellect, too,
that the shortest, simplest, and al
together the best way to get rid of dis
agreeable people, was to put them to
death, and throughout his life Ivan
never forgot this lesson fer single mo-
ment. Power, he was told, was worth
less unless it was used, and the only
way in which it could be really used was
by oppression. For three years no pains
were spared TO teach him this system of
ethics and politics, and the young
Prince, in his anxiety to perfect himself
In the art of governing, diligently prac-
Geed all these precepts.
Whenhe was IL years of age he was
formally crowned Czar. The citizens,
ignorant Of the truths of political econ
omy and the principles of governmental
system, became alarmed and fred the
city one night When Ivan awoke he
was terrified. being of an abnormally
nervous temperament, and the appari-
Eion of warning monk, together with
the influence Of Anastatia, the young
Czaxina, led the Czar to abandon the
simple and straightforward methods Of
government IN which he had been bred, |
and for thirteen years, under the dicta- |
tion of Alexis Adaschef and the monk |
Sylvester, Ivan devoted himself to the |
commonplace employments OF develop
ing Russia politically and socially. He |
dismissed his Ministers and put others
in their places. He reorganized the |
army revised the code in the interest |
of abstract justice; equaGzed assess |
mente: subdued the Tartars establish |
ed forts for the protection Of the from |
tiers !: laid the foundation for the future |
greatness Of his empire: began the |
work which was completed so grandly |
under Peter the dfea6 introduced
printing into Russia added greatly to
her possessions ;checkea the abuses of |
her clergy brought artists from West
ern. Europe, and in Q. hundred ways |
made himself famous by doing those |
things which historians love to chron-
icIe..
Meanwhile, his genius for governing |
upon the Gluiskian system lay dormant. |
IE was net dead, but slept, and after its |
nap of thirteen years il awoke one day, |
refreshed. Anastatia, the beautiful |
Queen, whose influence had been suA |
preme for so long time, died, and
Ivan was free again. He recalled an |
Old Bishop who had been banished for |
6ls crimes, and consulted him as TO his
future course.
II you wish to be truIya sovereign,
sald this eminent prelate, s. never seek
. counselor wiser tban yourself never /
receive advice from any man. Com
aAnds NO but never obey and you win be
= 3 terror To- the boyards. Remember
1aas ne who is permitted to begin byj
ssavlslng g ls certain to end by ruling his I
here was advice OF q sort suited to