Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-11-11

THE FAIR PRINCESS DOLGuRUkI AND HER
LONG LiAisoN WITH THE EMPEROR
or ALL THE RUSsIAs.
Paris Correspondent London STANDARD,
Much as the marriage of the Car
has been talked of abroad, says st.
Petersburg letter, not word has ap-
peared on the subject in the news
papers of that city. The regulations
of the Censorship of the Press prohibit
any reference in the public prints to
the domestic affairs of the Gar. In
other ways, too, the ceremony referred
to has been, rs far as possible, veiled
in the thickest obscurity, and up to
this moment absolutely nothing is
known officially of the event so far as
Russia is concerned. In spite, how
ever, of the secrecy observed in refer
ence to the act, some particulars have
transpired, though only quite recent
ly, and the Russian public has, per-
haps somewhat indistinctly, become
acquainted with the general nature of
the facts. In the first place, there
appears no longer any reason to doubt
that the report of the marriage is cor
rect. The ceremony, | am informed,
took place on July 10 (Old Style,
that is, on July 81 New Style), of the
present year, in the chapel of the
Palace. The various members Of the
imperial family, although they had
long been warned of the probability
of the event, expressed by their con-
duct their strong disapproval and dis
pleasure at the marriage. Hence it
was that at the time of its performance
the Czarewitch retired from the capi-
tai to Hapsal, on the Esthonian coast,
while the Grand Dukes Constantine
and Vladimir fled abroad in order to
avoid being witnesses of the act. The
marriage ceremony itself was accord
ingly gone through in the greatest
possible quietness and seclusion, the
witnesses present including onl y the
Grand Duke Nicholas, the War Min
lister Milutin, and one or two more
persons of the Court. At the present
time the newly married couple are in
Livadia along with their family, which
even at present is a numerous one, the
eldest sons being already youths in
their teens.
The union, long foreseen, and now
at length become fact, has its own
peculiar political significance, and in
the sequel can hardly fail to draw
after it consequences of the most in
cisive Importance. As soon as the
necessary negotiations between the
Car and the rest of the Imperial
family respecting the future position
of the new consort and the children
are completed the marriage will be
officially made known. The Princess
is to receive all the privileges and
honorary rights usually accorded to
one of her rank, while the children
will be recognized as Princes of the
Blood, ranking sixth in order in the
Imperial family, according to the
Gar Paul's rules for regulating rank,
so that they will have the Imperial
coat-of-arms without the bearers de-
noting a Grand Duke. The Gar, it
is also stated, will appoint the Care
witch as Co-Regent and will transfer
to his shoulders the main burden of
the Government. All his strictly I'm
perial privileges, however, the En-
peror Alexander purposes to retain.
The Princess Dolgoruki, the present
consort of the Gar, belongs to one of
the oldest and most aristocratic famil-
les of Russia. She comes of prince
ly stock, which is counted among the
Rurikovitchi, the descendants of Ru-
rik, the Varagian, or Morse, founder
of Russia. In point of high birth, in
fact, the house to which the Princess
Dolgoruki belongs surpasses even the
race of the Romanofs, who reigned
down to Elizabeth and then, through
Anna, transferred the crown to the
Holstein Gottorp line. The Princess,
it is whispered, though the assertion is
denied in many quarters, is not the
first of her family who has stood on
terms of special intimacy with the
Imperial house, and more particularly
with the Car Alexander. Her elder
sister, now the wife of General AL
bedinski, the Governor-General OF
Warsaw, many years ago, it is said
stood in the same relation to the pres
ent Gar as she subsequently occupied
herself. With the younger sister it is
probable that the Imperial connection
would have been as transient as the
Cars numerous earlier intimacies OF
a similar character, except for the
fact that the acquaintance commenced
at a period when the monarch had al.
ready passed the prime of life, while
on the Princess side it was supported
by rare mental gifts and graces of dis
position and character which, not to
speak of stature, figure and other at
tractive personal qualities, existed in