The Hickman courier., 1877-06-08

St Helena, said "the Emperor of
Russia is infinitely superior; he
nossesses abilities, grace and information;
he is fascinating - IF die here, rs
will be my successor in Europe" He
was one of the first, if not the first
monarch of his time. Never had a ruler
been more beloved, and never was one
more lameRted. at the death of William
of Orange. "the little children cried in
the streets" At bis death Nicholas, MS
brother, succeeded to the throne, his
elder brother, having tharried a Polish
countess from love, who was a Roman
Catholic, and also knowing that he was
unfit to rule, abdicating in his favor
Nicholas was not liked, and all the
suppressed discomfort broke out in re-
beilion. He put il down with terrible
cruelty. There hs; not been an execu-
ton N Russia fo7eighty years when he
seut many of the brsyest and best men
in the empire to the scaffold. Nicholas
never forgot an injury nor forgave an
enemy. lie was terrible autocrat, but
a man of narrow views. Everything
for the p.oIlc andnething by the people
wa, his NOTE Not mouse can stir
IN 1lussia without permission from the
czar," wrote a traveller in that country.
His activity was feyerish, his industry
unceasing. But he r1i9calculated his
strength when he undertook TO carry out
the splendid dream of Alexander l.,
who. pointing to Constantinople and the
Bosphorus, said to Napoleon, " / must |
have the key that unlocks the door OF
my house" The terrible modification /
of the Crimean defeat was too much for /
and Disappointed, almost .
heart broken, he lay down to die. /
The handsomest man in Europe, he was
in his prime and it was said that " the /
royal family of Russia Is the handsomest /
that ever lived" by one who saw the |
four sons and three daughters in their .
season. He was succeeded /
by the present czar, Alexander H., in /
1855. He had been brought up under +
rule of iron, and his health had been I'M .
paired by military service. a secret .
preyed on his heart. His
father sent him to visit the different .
courts of Europe, with permission to
choose wife for himself All the /
princesses set their caps for him. At (
Hesse-D -Darmstadt the Grand Duke Louis
had several handsome daughters, who
Iecked themselves in gorgeous array TO
win his heart. The younger, however,
lad no such ambition, and modestly
minded her studies snd her mother.
Alexander saw and sought her, and sur
prised the family by asking for herhand.
She went to Russia, studied the Ian
yuage, was baptized into the Greek
church, and they were married in 1871;
md their domestic life has been unusu
lily happy. The loss of their eldest son
n 1865 cast a deep sorrow over the royal
household, as he was a young man of
,reat promise and was betrothed to the
Princess Dagmar, of Denmark, who has
ince married his oldest brother, Alex
Under The present ear has FIVE sons
md one daughter, the wife of the duke
# Edinburgh, Victoria's second son.
The events of his reign are too well
Known to need mention. He emanci-
,ated some 25,OOO,OOO serfs by imperial
lkase in 1861, has carried out a number
If important reforms, and probably has
lone more than any previous ruler to
ievelop the resources of the empire. He
las extended its boundaries in the east
i'll it is more of an Asiatic than Euro
'ean nation, and has given it place
mong the first nations of Europe.