Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-05
THE IRON GEAR
How Nicholas Of Russia Appreciated
Sincerity in Politics.
North American Rerlerl

North American Review.l
A relation of mine, who was then a
student at the st. Petersburg Uniyer,
slty, had, with a few friends, formed q
literary society, in which the works OF
contemporary political economists.
publieists aud philosophers were read
and debated. One of the innumer-
able spies of the secret police de-
nounced the society as a secret revo.
~lutionary organization, and my rela-
alive, as president thereof. The lat
ter was, of course, arrested, locked III
in one of the underground cells 0 fthe
st. Petersburg fortress, and summarily
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 car, but all in vain.
AT last the mother of the prisoner.
meeting the czar one day during one
ofhis solitary walks in the Summer
Garden, threw herself at his feet, aver
ring her sons innocence, and implor-
ing his pardon. The ear seemed ia
be profoundly touched. He raised the
old lady with the most chivalrous and
pitying Difference, and promised her Ia
reconsider her sons case, and to have
a personal interview with him.
Nicholas was true to his word.
The very next day the young
culprit was brought out of his cell.
and, a few moments later, he stood
alone before the emperor. 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 God
that neither you nor your associates
had any criminal design against my
life? Can you swear hat you believe
in the holiness and eternity of the
Russian a~utocracy?' AS soon as the
prisoner had recovered from his I'M
bounded surprise, he answered: Il
can swear to your majesty that neither
| nor any of my friends had the re-
hottest design against your safety. AS
to the autocratic form of government.
| cannot cOnscientiously swear that |
believe in its eternity. The histories
o. other countries teach us that the
time must come, even in Russia, when
the people will take part in its govern
ment. The czar answered not a
syllable, embraced the young man with
almost paternal tenderness, and draw
ing a ring from his own finger, gave it
to him, saying: 'This is a token of re-
spect from your car. You have been
sincere and truthful to me and there
is nothing | hate so much as a lie
He then approached his writing table.
on which the sentence of the court
concerning my relative was lying. and
with one stroke of the pen-signed the
paper!
Il pity you from the bottom of my
heart, he said, "you are an honest
man, and an honest man true to his
convictions, is more dangerous to u
tocracy than an unprincipled rascal.
Therefore | must punish you. though
never was this duty more painful to
me than now. God bless you, my son,
aud judge me mercifully if | should
appear to be in the wrong
And once more embracing his vic
tim, 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 reign, was pardOned and re-
turned to st. Petersburg. depicts
wildly the pe~culiarities of Nicholas
great but entirely deranged mind.
The holiness Of his position, as a
defender Of s%autocracy, became a
mania, an idee 6xe, for which he
would have sacrificed his life as he did
those Of others. if the occasion for
doing so had presented itself. Mich
olas may have been called the Brutus
of %autoeracy.