, 1877-09-14
Our Friendship with Russia.
BY JAMES PARTON.

BY JAMES PARTON.
In March, 1901, two countries of Chris
tendon changed their rulers-Russia and
the United States. On the fourth of that
month Virginia farmer, Thomas Jefter-
son by name, mounted his horse IN front
of boarding house in the city of Wash
ingtep, and rode unattended along Penn
sylvania avenue to the Capitol, still un-
finished, and, dismounting at fence near
by, tied his horse to paling and entered
the edifce to be sworn in as President OF
the United States. Washington was then
quagmire in the wilderness, and there
were few persons present drawn thither
by mere curiosity, the journey even from
Baltimore at that.muddy season requiring
two days of laborious travel.
The event, however, was celebrated in
almost every city of the land, and the
country accepted the change with some
thing more than ordinary willingness, for
s the tie between Jefferson and Burr had
caused general anxiety, and the people
hailed the settlement of the dispute with
relief, though the result of the election
may have disappointed them. Afew days
after the Inauguration, the members Of
the new cabinet, and other officials, left
the seat of government to superintend the
removal oftheir families and effects. There
was peace in the land. tA7rl 8.
How different with Russia! The change
of rulers in that empire occurred on the
twelfth of the same March, just as Jeffer-
son, Gallatin, and their colleagues were
quietly settling down to the business of
the administration. The Emperor Paul
was an his palace at st. Petersburg, pre-
pairing public business with view to
starting the next morning upon a journey
to Moscow. He was forty-seven years of
age, aud had appeared during the day in
public in his usual health. Soon after
fen o'clock he was in bed and asleep. At
eleven, twenty men came to stand be-
fore the gate of the palace, which was
closed for the night. They we're evidently
a party of noblemen and officers of rank,
for they were in uniform, and their
breasts were covered with decorations.
They presented to the guard an order for
their admission into the palace, signed by
the emperor himself. They were ad-
anitted without question, and they pro-
soeeded to the ante chamber, opening In
ITO the emperor's bedroom. TIE sentinel
stood before the door, and said to the
leader Of the party: e
HThe emperor is asleep"
"The town is on fire." was the reply.
81 must awake him." g
The speaker advanced toward the EN-.
peror's door, and the sentinel, alarmed at
the crowd of officers who followed him,
cried: "Treasonlp and fell dead, covered
with wounds. The emperor sprang from
his bed, and attempted to escape by Sc
cret door, which he missed; then seizing
his sword, he faced the intruders, saying:
"What do you intendl What do the
men want who are with you?"
Other words were uttered which have
been variously reported. At length one
of the boldest Of the conspirators pierced
the monarch with his sword, and the
whole party rushed upon him and bore
him to the ground. He cried for mercy.
Their number and their fury prolonged
the horrible scene, and it was not until
one Of them twisted his scarf around the
emperor's neck, that the deed was done.
such was the tragic end of the En-.
peror Paul, whose intentions were no
doubt very good, but who had fallen heir
to q task beyond his powers. Incapable
OF understanding his time, extremely
limited IN capacity, and every way mis-
edncsted, he had wasted his strength in
repressing tendencies aud forces which
were too strong for him. He dreaded
revolution In Russia, and the massacres
which had signaliEed revolution in France,
and be spent all his force in keeping out
OF his empire whatever he thought likely
to kindle q revolutionary spirit among his
subjects. One Of his DEGREES, for ex.
ample, forbade the importation Of books
written In the French language, upon
which educated Russians we're then de.
pendent for their reading, whether of
literature or news. Not content with this.
ne forbade the importation Of all books.
He practically excluded foreign travellers,
and prevented Russians from visiting
other countries.
His death lifted an incubus from the
intellect Of Russia, and placed upon the
tnroue his son Alexandria prince twenty
ssur years Of age, the darling and pride OF
the nation. His education has been fai
more fortunate than that Of his father hC
hAd enjoyed the favor Of his grandmother
-