The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-06-01
RUSSIAN RULES.
The Gar Alexander and His Prim
Minister Prince Gortschakon.

reign of his uncle, Alexander l.,
and is, consequently, entering his
59th year. He was carefully edu-
Gated by his father, who protested
himself delighted with the manifes-
tations of the true Russian spirit in
his son. AT sixteen he was declar-
ed of age, invested with a number
of military titles, and subjected to
daily life of maneuYering, re-
viewing, and military parade, which
at last seriously impaired his health.
He then travelled through Germany
to recruit his energies. He next
vigorously applied himself to his
duties as Chancellor of the Uni
versity of Finland. He founded q
chair of the Finnish language on lit
erature, and promoted q number of
scientific schemes undertaken by
Finnish Swans, and succeeded in
winning the sYmpathies of the Fin
nish people and so weakening their
love Of Independence. In 1850 he
travelled through southern Russia,
and Is said to have witnessed with
regret his fathers attitude toward
Europe, and to have altogether dis
approved of the Crimean war. On
his accession to the throne, March
2, 1856, he found himself in q very
critical position. He had two par
ties to conciliate at home-the old
Muscovite, blindly Jealous for war,
strong partisans of his more war
like brother, the Grand Duke Con-
stantine, and the more peaceable
and intelligent portion of the ma
ton, who possessed his personal
sympathies. He pursued q course
calculated to encourage both spoke
of adhering to the policy of his an
cestors, and signed the treaty of
peace as soon as he could do so
with honor and dignity. Since
then he has purged the internal ad-
ministrstion of its impurities, re-
buked and punished corruption,
and given honorable recognition 20
public instruction, free from militia
ry discipline, and under his own
supervision. His moderation has
ever stimulated the hopes of the
Poles. By a ukase of the 25th of
May, 1856, he granted to all repent
ant Polish exiles permission to re-
turn home, but though DESTROYS of
preserving the nationality of Po-
land he would not assent to its sep
aration from his dominions. The
grandest achievement of Alexan-
der's reign, without doubt, was his
emancipation of 100000 serfs on
certain conditions, March 3, 1861.
Three years afterward the same
boon was conferred upon the Pol
ish serfs, with a view to weaken the
influence of the nobility, who own
ed the greater part of the land, and
were consequently, all-powerful,
which act seems to have had the de-
sired effect. In March, 1867, he sold
the whole of Russian America to
the United States for $7,O00,O00.
Two attempts have been made Oh
the Cars life, both of whic CHI prov
ed futile, and resulted in the arrest
of the would-be-assassins. The
Emperor married April 2Sth, 1871.
Mary Alexandrowna, Princess of
Hesse Darmstadt, by whom he had
large family. The oldest of the
princes, Nicholas, the late Caro-
witch, born September Goth, 1S43,
died prematurely at Nice, in 1865.
Alexander, the present Crown
Prince, born March 10, 1916, married
Nov. 8, 1866, the Princess Dagmar,
daughter of the king of Denmark.
Two of the Emperor's sons, the
Grand Dukes, Alexis and Constan-
tine, are now in New York, where
portion of the Russian feet has
been stationed for some time.
PRINCE GoRTsCHAKoFP.
Alexander Michaelowitsch Gorts-
chakoff. the emenent Russian states
man and diplomatist is now in his 10Th
year, having been born only q couple
of years before the last century. After
his education at the Lyceum of Tsars-
koe-Selo he commenced his diplomatic
life at the Congresses of Laybach and
Verona, as attache to Count Nessel-
rode, the Russian Ambassador was
Secretary of Legation in London in
1924; Charge d'Affaires at the court OF
| Tuscany in 1880, and was attache the
first time in 1882 to the Legation al
Vienna, where the death of his superior
the Russian Ambassador, gave him
great influence. In 1S41 he was sent
on a mission to Stuttgart, where he
negotiated the marriage of the Grand
Duchess Olga of Russia with the Prince
Royal of Wurtemberg. For this service
he was made a PriVy Councillor. Du-
ring the events of 1S4S-49 Prince
Gortschakoff maintained a dignified
neutrality, but it is asserted that he
was instrumental in procuring the alb
dication of the Emperor Ferdinand L
in favor of Francis Joseph, his nsphew
During the dispute over the Eastern
question, twenty years ago, the Prince
was Ambassador at Vienna, and at his
instance the Russian Government ae-
cepted the four points which formed
| their basis of the conference of Paris
In that year he was recalled to st. Pc
| tersburg to replace NeSselrOde as Min
lister of Foreign Affairs, the position
which he now holds, and whose affairs
he has always managed with consum-
mate tact and ability. His DECLARE
tons against foreign Intervention du-
ring the Sicillian and Neapolitan revO-
lutions, and the Polish Instruction Of
1868, attracted much attention at the
time from their bold language, and
1 were freely commented upon. In Oc-
tOber, 1870, while Paris was being be.
| sieged by the Germans, Prince GOrts-
chakoff, after an understanding with
Bismarck, issued a circular to the rep
resentatives OF Russia abroad, anneun-
| cling the resolution of the Emperor tC
| be no longer controlled by the treaty
| OF 1856, so tar as it limited his right o.
sovereignty in the Black Sea, This
led to the London conference of 1871
when the treaty was modified in accor-
dance with the damand of Russia. In
recognition of his brilliant services or
this occasion, Prince Gortsohakof was
accredited with the rank of Serene
Highness by his Imperial master, from
whose father he had also received sim
liar tokens of appreciation. His course
in refusing to associate himself with
Great Britain and France in their I'm.
friendly attitude toward the United
States shortly after the breaking out o
our civil war, and the ordering of {
Russian feet to New York as proc
tof his friendship and sincerity, will b
remembered with gratitude by Ameri
cans long after his distinguished ser
vices to his own country are forgotten
Though suffering from the govt, Primes
Gortschakoff continues to take an &C
live part in state affairs, but generally
spends his summers in Switzerland o.
Germany for the benefit of his health
His family is one of the oldest in Rus
STA, several members of which havt
rendered conspicuous services in tn
field and the cabinet.