The Colfax chronicle. (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1876-1877, 1877-06-30
HISTORY OF RUSSIA.
Rules for the Past One Thousand
Years---An Interesting Review.

Years---An Interesting Review.
Francis A. Shaw has written q
brief history of Russia, which has
been published with two excellent
maps by j: r. Osgood 4 Co. The
history gives succinct account
OF the successive rulers from the
time when Rurik, the noted Var
angian chief, was called to Novgo-
rod to suppress internal dissension
and proteetsthe place from for
eiep Invasion. He acted his part
well, and Novgorod found that,
like the horse in the fable, who
asked the help of a man, it had
taken a master upon its back when
it asked for an ally. Rurik laid
the foundation of the empire, and
after fifteen years of fighting and
ruling with strong hand, left his
infant son, Igor, to succeed him
in S79, with Oleg for regent, and
the regent seems to have been
faithful to his young master. This
Igor married a beautiful peasant
girl without disclosing his rank,
afterwards made her his queen,
and at his death she became re-
gent. She renowned paganism,
and was baptized at Constantine
pie, the Greek emperor and en-
press acting as her sponsors, and
the imposing solemnity was fol-
lowed by grand entertainment,
the table at which Olga and her
sponsors sat being of solid gold.
But she made very little Roadway
in introducing Christianity into
Russia.
Fourteen sovereigns followed,
and at varying intervals till the
throne became vacant in 1912,
when Michael Romanoff, a youth
of sixteen was chosen Gar. His
family had long been famous for
its public services and patriotism,
and he was said to have been a
descendant of Rurik on the female
side. He was the founder o. the
present reigning family. and du-
ring his fortunate reign of thirty,
two years the country began to
emerge into a condition of COM
parative order and civilization.
His son Alexis reigned thirty-one
years, and did more than any of
his predecessors to make Russia a |
European instead of an Asiatic |
nation. His son, Fedore, died af-
ter brief reign of six years, and
was succeeded by Peter, who
the title of "the Great"
And in many respects he was one
of the most remarkable rulers of
bis age, and under his energetic
administration Russia made long
stride toward internal unity and
civilization. His reign covered the
period between 1859 and 1926,
and was followed by his queen,
Catherine, who kept the throne
two years, dying suddenly from
the effects of dissipation in her
39th year. Her career was remar-
kable. In one of Peters cam
paigns against Charles XII, a Lii
Vonian peasant girl, seventeen
years old, came to one of his
Generals with tears in her eyes
Tor the loss of her husband il a
melee, to who's she was married
only the day before. She was
graceful in person, pleasing in
manner, with remarkable sense,
sweetness of temper, and priso-
her. Peter made her his mistress
and then married her, and ever af-
,er acknowledged her as his wife.
She joined the Greek church, and
'hanged her name from Marpha
o Catherine. Her devotion to
linn was boundless, and she alone
'ould soothe the mad frenzies to
which he was subject. She went
With him everywhere, advised him,
protected him, encouraged him,
nd after the terrible defeat in the
'attle of Pruth, when he was in
despair, she saved him and his
rmy and his empire by her gent
IS and heroism. But after his
leath she was treated with con-
crypt by the nobility, and desert
d by friends. She lost the vir-
ues that had ennobled her, and
ank into dissipation. She was
PRESENTLY followed by Peter II,
nth whom the male line of the
lomanoff family became extinct.
Inna, daughter of a half brother
( Peter the Great, reigned from
100 and l74O with conspicuous
bility. She was followed by Eliz-
l. e |