The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-12-17
RrssIrS COMIf1NDER IN: CHEZ.

The Grand Duke Nicholas, who has been
appointed by the Gear to the command of
the army of the Danube, who yesterday
left st. Petersburgh for his headquarters at
Kitchener, Bessarabia, is one OF the three
living brothers of Alexander II. He is the
third son of Car Nicholas l., and used To
be that famous monarchs great favorite, on
account OF his being the only son who re.
sembled him bOthiD face and stature. The
Likeness between the two is moral as we'll
as PITY steal. The sonls, as the father was,
a staunch disclplnarlan, endowed with
AN oostinate. despotic will, a hater of every
form of liberalism and progress, and a drill
sergeant to the back bone. The sons intel
lect, however, seems to be far inferior to
that of the father. He was always reputed
throughout Russia to be the most stupid of
all the princes of the imperial house. His
brothers, the Grand Dukes Constantine and
Michael, always made fan of him at court
aud spread the most uncOmplimentary sto-
ries about him. Even Alexander himself, be-
fore he became Emperor, could not resist
the impulse to play jokes on his brother
But the worst of ali tue jokes is said to have
been that which his father played on him
when on his death bed he ordered his con
to marry his second cousin the Princess of
Odenburg, daughter of Prince Peter OF
OldenSurg. The Princess Alexandra Will
helmin,I Jhe least beautiful young lady
that could have been found at any EuTop-
y
the Grand Duke cried like child when he
had 10 go 10 his wedding but the match
was not TO be broken off.
He was then handsome six-footer of
twenty five years of age, and the presence
OF q little red haired, red faced, plain look-
ing woman by his side did certainly not
contribute to increase his prestige. For a
few years the Grand Duke tried, however,
to make the beet of this match. He had
two sons born to him, purchased large
farms in the vicinity of the capital, and
gave all his spare time to cattle and poultry,
the breeding of which was always afavorite
pursuit of his wife and of ali the mem bers
of the Oldenburg family. These domestic
occupations rendered him still moro ridic-
ulous in the eyes of the idle and fast Rus
sian aTistocracy. Meanwhile his official
position was constantly growing in impor-
tance. From a mere honorary chief of the
Engineer Corps he rose to the position of
Inspector General of Cavalry, that of the
C0mmander-in-C Chief of the Imperial
Guards and of the military district of St.
Petersburg To nearly all of these posi-
tions he arrived by right of seniority, after
his eldest brother had become Emperor, and
had consequently to give them up. His
brother Constantine would have had prio-
uty over INN if he had not been brought
up an % sailor and n statesman, and placed
at the head of the Marine and of the Coun-
Gil of State.
Ills appointment TO tue post OF Com man
der IN Chief of the army now being con-
Centrated on the Danube must be RtJribu-
ted to the same cause which brought him
to all the other posts be oCcupies. He gets
this command merely "a the senior mill
tary Prince of the Empire. A good
discipfinarian, and now probably an expe-
rIenced military administrator, he has
never had a chance to show any ability as a
General for, although already q man of
fOFty-five years of age, be has never been
under Ere