The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-07-13
RUSSIA.

suit, was proclaimed, amid great exulta-
ton of his people, and ON the Gath of
March, 1891, assembled the throne of all the
Russias. It was. however, ominously re.
marked by q lady OF rank, ut the corona
tiVn, that the young emperor walked
preceded by the assassins of his grand.
father. followed by those of his father, and
surrounded by his own
The policy of Russia'changed forthwith.
Alliance with England WAS immediately
made. and hostilities with France, as a
matter of course soon followed. In the
account of the latter nation, the wars,
treaties, and political relations of France
and Russia, during the remainder of the
career of Napoleon, will be found briefly
narrated. In the splendid and over
whelming victory of Austerlitz, decisive
of the fate of Austria, the two northern
sovereigns lay completely ut the mercy of
their imperial victor from the south
and Alexander was happy to retire. with
the remainder OF his forces, to his own
dominions.
when that nation. in an incredibly short
space of time, was defeated and conquered
by Napoleon, further and most sanguinary
hostilities, highly disastrous to the Car,
occurred between France and Russia.
Alexander, seeing his forces again and
again defeated, and desirous of leisure to
pursue his ambitious design on Turkey
now changed his policy entirely. He Ell.
tered into strict alliance and apparently
personal friendship with the MAN of Des-
tiny" before whom every throne on the
continent, except his own, had tottered to
the ground. BY the treaty of Tilsit, in
1907, all the ambitious schemes of Napo-
leon were recognized by the Car, and ex-
tensive plans for conquest and partition
were agtated by the imperial allies. The
entire policy of France was adopted, and
with such a support seemed secure of con-
trolling, with hardly an effort, that of all
continental Europe.
Mutual jealousy, ere long, broke up
these promising projects Napoleon per
ceived that he had lent too hasty en-
couragement TO the designs of his ally up
on Turkey and that the Russian empire,
once in possession of foothold on the
Mediterranean, might become too prepon
derant for the safety of his own posses
sons. His refusal TO permit the spoia-
tion of the sultan, com bined with the un-
popularity in Russia of the new alliance
and the acts restricting commercial inter-
course, estrangel the Russ sian sovereign,
and preci plated hostilities. Negotiation
was for IL long time carried on between
the two powers, each for a time stunning
the responsibility of again committing
Europe to II general war.
All attempts AT pacific arrangement,
however proved fruitless and in the
summer of 1912, the French Emperor,
with nearly half n million Of men. sci oui ;iiii
upon his meniora6le expedition to CON
aucr the wilds of the Northern empire.
The sanguinary battle of Borodno. ON the
9th of September, opened his way to the
ancient capital Of Russia and on the 18th
with the army under his immediate com
mand reduced by fighting and hardship
to about an hundred thousand men, he Ell.
tered Moscow, and took up his quarters in
the imperial palace Of the Kremlin.
The cry was deserted except by ruhtans
and inccndHres; and the memorable con
hagratlOn which, during the next four
days, laid it. in ashes, disconnected all the
,,l.,.. "a N.,,,.t eo, -, 4 ,o,,l orod ,o,,oo+ e.,
cviiabie, after month passed in vain and
fruitless attempts at negotiation with the
Car, vino knew his advantage too well 10
treat the French army, in three divisions,
commenced retrograde movement to-
ward the frontier The horrors Of this dis
astrous retreat, aggravated by winter
unusually early and severe. pehaps sur
pass anything recorded in the calamites
OF warfare. Day after day, the unfortu-
nate old ers of the Grand Army" accus
toned to the milder climates of Italy and
France, sank in great numbers by the
road side, or perished in brsvely but vain
ly resisting the attack OF the Russian
forces. At the passage OF the Beresina
effected before greatly superior force OF
the enemy, such numbers persisted, that,
according to the Russian official account
thirty six Thousand bodies were counted
on the thawing of the river, in the follow
ing sprlng.
The downfall of the European suprem.
ocy OF France, for which these calamitous
events were the signal, almost immediate
~ succeeded and after series OF cam
pagus, Gicadfully destructive OF human
lie. the allied soyereigns. among them
the Gar Alexander, entered the French
capitol i'm triumph, and imposed upon the
nation the antiquated sway of the Bour-
bons. some magnanimity and remem.
brnnce ol former friendship induced the
Russian monarch 70 effect q somewhat
cons derate arrangement in behalf of the
abdicated emperor and the sovereignty
OF Elba, which was thus assigned to
him, afforded not long after, tue means of
that memorable enterprise, which for a
brief period placed him once more on the
imperial throne, and resulted in an over.
throw more utterly complete and final
The Emperor Alexander, In 1925, (quite