Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-04-16
MISCELLA NE Gus.
ALL FOR LOVE.

,S:aHEN Alexander he Er,t-uncic Of Il Q
Sgyc present emperor of Ru.sIa-uiei sud
denly, leaving no son 10 reign, his brother
Constantine, next in birth, was assumed to
be his SUCCESSOR. Nicholas ack now lodged
him. and the army st. Pcter-huryh, winch
he commanded, took oath of allegiance.
The story OF Cuu>tantine's future is briefly
told by DR.. Hepworth Dixon, in his ''Freo
Russia"
but while the messengers were tearing
through winter SHOWS, $ me members of the
Senate came to Nicholas with startling news
Alexander, they said, had left with them n
sealed paper, cunteuts unknown. which they
were not TO open until they heard he was
dead On opening this packet they found
IN il two papers; one letter from the Grand
Duke Constantine. written in 1922, reuOuuc-
irg his rights IN the crown second, n mani
festo by the dead Emperor. accepting tha,
rcuunc atm. and adopting his brother Nich>
oIas as his lawful heir. Nicholas scanned
these documents saw good reason to put
them by; and urged the whole body of the
Senate tn swear allegiance to Constantine the
FIRST In every ofice of the State. the i'm
perial functionarirs took this oath. ALI
Russia, in fact all Europe, saw that COnstan-
tine had opened his reign in peace.
Ten days rolled by. On Christmas eve.
the Grand Duke Nicholas made mp his mind
to take the crown He spent the night in
drawing up a manifesto. setting forth the
facts which led him to occupy his brnthcrs
seat; and on Christmas day he read this pa
per to the Senate, by which body lie was at
once proclaimed Autncrst and car. A hum
dred generals rode to the various barracks.
to resd the new proclamation, and to ee.
those troops who had sworn. hut n week be-
fore, to uphold his Majesty Constantine the
Fir-t, to ca.t that oath tn the winds, aud
swear a second oath, ,n uphold His Majesty
Nicholas the First. But. if most OF the reg
imeuts were quick to unswear themselres. by
word Of command, part OF the guards, and
chiefly the marines and grenadier-, refused
and marching from their quarters into 81.
I-aac's Square, took up nenacing position,
while cry rose wildly from the crowd
"Loug live Constantine the First"
A shot was heard.
Count MiIOrad'r'ch. Governor General of
ST. Petersburgh. fell dead: brave general.
who had passed through fifty battles. killed
as he was trying to hsrangue his troops.
4 line of FIRE then opened on the Square.
Colonel Sturler fell at the head of his regi-
ment OF guards. When nigh, came down.
the ground was covered with dead and dying
swept the streets clear"
The Grand Duke Constantine accepted the
situation, went to Warsaw as vcerOy. and
led an almost private life, with his Polish
wife. for whose sake he had fr.t renounced
royalty. Then came Polish rebellion and
depu,a,ion of Poles waited on Constantine
asking for Living Poland" The Grand
Duke listened. and consented that several
Polish regiments under his orders should join
the insurpent bands. "The Emperor" says
E1epwor,h Dixon. when he heard the news.
went almost mad with rsge." and he relates
the sequel in paragraph. as fullows:
'Cnnstsntine died suddenly at MiDsk !;
the disease was cholera. the corpse was car
ried TO ST. Petersburgh: and the prince who
had lost a crown for love, was laid with honor
among the ashes nf his race in the gloomy
fortress of ST. Peter and st. Paul"