Litchfield enquirer., 1879-02-13

NICHOLAS THE IRON CARA relation of | mine, who was then student at the St. Pe- tersburg University, had, with few friends, formed a literary society. in which the works of contemporary political economists, publi- cists, and philosophers were read and debated. One of the innumerable spies of the secret pO- lice denounced the society as "secret revolu- tionary organization, and my relative, as president thereof. The latter was of course arrested, locked up in one of the underground cells of the St. Petersburg fortress, and sum- marily condemned, by a special military court to transportation to Siberia for life. All the influence which our family possessed in high quarters was brought to bear on the CZar, but all in vain. At last the mother of the prisoner, meeting the Czar one day during one of his solitary walks in the Summer Garden, threw herself at his feet, averring her sons inno- cence, and imploring his pardon. The Czar seemed to be profoundly touched. He raised the old lady with the most Chivalrous and pitying deference, and to have personal in- terview with him. Nicholas was true to his word The very next day the young culprit was brought out of his cell, and, a few mo- ments later he stood alone before the Emper- or. The latter took him by the hand led him before an image of the Savior suspended in a corner of the room, and forcing him down on his knees, exclaimed: "Can you swear before the Almighty Gsd that neither you nor your associates had any criminal design against my life /? Can you swear that YOU believe in holiness and eternity of the Russian autocracyT' As soon as the prisoner had recovered from his unbounded surprise, he answered '1 can swear to your Majesty that neither nor any of my friends had the remotest design against your safety. As to the autocratic form of gov ernment, 1 cannot conscientiously swear that believe in it's eternity. The history of other countries teaches us that the time must come, even in Russia, when the people itself will | take part in it's government" The CZar an- | swered not a syllable, embraced the young man with almost paternal tenderness, and drawing ring from his own finger, gave it to him, saying ''This is token of respect from Eas'ss fzeE -YaIl haye haen ipcere and truth as lie." He then approached his writing ta- ble, on which the sentence of the court con- corning my relative was lying, and with one stroke of the pen-signed the paper!
 II pity you from the dottom of my heart," he said ''you are anhonest man, and an hon. est man, true to his convictions, is more dan gerous to autocracy than an unprincipled ras- cal. Therefore must punish you, though never was this duty more painful to me than now. God bless you, my son, and judge me mercifully if should appear to be in the wrong"
 And, once more embracing his victim, he led him to the door.
 This story, every particular of which have heard from my relative himself, who, at the beginning of the present relgn, was pardoned and returned to St. Petersburg, depicts vivid ly the peculiarities of Nicholas great but en- tirely deranged mind. The holiness of his po- stion, as defender of autocracy, became ma nia, an ide fsee, for which he would have sacrificed his life, as he did those of others, if the occasion for doing so had presented itself. Nicholas may have been called the "Brutus of autocracY." Like all the Princes of the Ro- manoff family, he had received out misera- ble education. Accustomed from childhood to deal either with fawning courtiers or with severely disciplined soldiers he considered soldier the ideal of true citizen, implicit obe. dience the only civic virtue, and barrack the model of political organization. In his mind spirit of military discipline was to pervade the whole country. The free will of each cit izen was limited by the scope of his private life. In all public matters the ''holy power" of the Czar reigned paramount, and not only criticism, but plain discussion, even thor ough knowledge of such matters on the part of private citizen was considered criminal North American ReUteao