The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-03
RUSSII'S COMMINDER-IN-C
The Graud Duke Nicholas and his Chicf Of
HtaH.

The Grand Duke Nicholas, who has been
appointed by the car to the command Of the
army If the Dar ute, aud who yesterd " left St.
Petefshurgh Tor his headquarters at kischener,
Bessarabia IL one Of the three living broth ~ Of
Alexander III. He Ia the third sou OF Gar Nicho-
las l., ana used TO be that famous monarch's
great favorite, on account OF his being the only
son who resemnled him both In ( ce and
stature. The likeness between the two Ia moral
a. well "a physic L. he son Ia. "a the father was,
staunch disciplinarian, endowed with an OBJ
stnate, despotic will. hater of every form of
liberalism aud proer -, and a drill sergeant to
the backbone. The sons intellect, ho~ever,
seems u be far inferior to that Of the father.
lie was always reputed throughout Russia to be
the most stupid ana dun II all the princes OF
the impen ! house. His Others, the Grand
Dukes Constantine aud Michael alwa,s made
fun Of him at court, and spread the most I'M
complimentary stories soout BIN. Even Alex
ander himself, before he bee me Emperor.
could not resist the imouse to piay Jokes on his
brother But the worst OF all the ,kes Is S "a
90 have been that which his father played on
hun when on his de tn bed he ordered his son
to marry his second cousin, the Princess Of
Oldenourg. daughter Of Prince Peter II oiden-
burg. The Princess Alexandra wilhelmina was
the lea be utiful young lady that could have
ago. Il is said that the r,nd Duke creo like a
child when he had to so to his wedding t. 4 the
match was not to be broken of.
He was then a handsome six footer Of twenty
five wears Of axe, nd the presence Of little
red-haired. red-faced plain-lnokinl woman by
his siue did certaiuly not contribute to increase
his prestise. Fnr few year the OR nd Duke
tried, however. to make toe best OF this match.
He hat two sons born to MIN, purch tsed re
fyrm- in the yicinity Of tn, capital, and We all
his spare Il ne to cattle ana p1 Iltry. the breed
ing of which was a ways a vorits pursuit Il his
wife ana 81 all the members ~ the Oldenburg
family. These domestic occupations rendered
him still more riicIious IN tne eyes Of the iule
! and fast Russian aristpcracy Meanwhile his
| ofiicial position was constantly growing In im-
/ y rtince. From a mere honorary chi OF ne
/ Engineer Corps he rose to the position Of the
/ ln~uector-General of Cavalry, to that of the
/ Comm ,nder-in-Chlef OF the InpenI Guards
! and u the military district u ; Petersburg.
/ 10 ne,rly all of these positions he arrived by
! right ~ seniority, after his eldest brother had
! become Enperor, ami h ID con equentiy 10 give
them az. HIS brother Constantine W ,uld have
/ Eai priority over MIN II he had not en-
/ brought M Us u sailor and statesman, aud
placed al the head OF the Marine and OF the
/ Council OF state.
ton, which took him away frnm his farms and
tied him more closely to the c ,ur. ana tue capl-
tai, the personal habits OF the Grand Duke see n
also to have changed. Poultry'ani cattle gave
/ place u ballet and ballet guls, Tor wnlcn tue
, Rom n II dynasty his a. dl unas mad a OR
ticua weakness. Things went 50 lar that one
Of his fly rite dancers had - house built for
her directly opposite the alace OF tho Grand
Duke.
His appoin tment to the po4t 81 Commander
! inc hief u the army now being concentrated
on the ID tnube must he attiinu ed To the same
cause when Drought him u ali the other pos IA
he occupies. lie gets this corn nand merely "a
tie senior military Prince II tne Empire. A
g'od discipnaIian, and now trooably an expe-
rlenced military administrator, he va new r had
chance to show any ability as Ganeril for
although already a man Of forty I'VE years Of
| age, no has never been un Ter lra
lne Grand Duke viii, however, he we'll sup
ported hy his chief of san. Gen. Nepuknytzis
Ky, one Of the best superior officers the russian
army possesses. Hitherto he nas heen Le.t
/ back solely because Of his beiug Pole h, birth
| and Ma appointment to SO important a p,-t now
shows that the Car highly APPRECIATES the nbil-
| " Of the man. The General chief OF the
stan OF the Army corps comman ed by Gen
Luders during tho war Of 1854. lie went then
! through the whole campaign on the Danube
! and llus became Thoroughly familiar with tht
REGION In which he VIII have 10 op rate now. II
Ia more than probable that tho Graud Duke
Nicholas Will he mera ngurehoad during the
/ Forthcoming war, and that his chief u stan vii
be t actual COmmGn -er inChief.