New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-19
the welfare and prosperity of the country, they
will find some other man to represent them.


RUSSLi
Tho Czor's manifesto of last week does not
seem. when coolly reviewed, to give sufficient
crornd for the dis1nay which it has caused
IN Rnssio. A Russian Imperial Ukase, it
sbonld be remembered, is not, like Prcsi-
dents Message or a Queens Speech at the
opening of Parliament, an official utterance'
Of which each word has been cautiously
weighed and in which is embodied the settled
future policy of the whole Administration. 1t
Is the expression of the whims or intentions
ot that time of a single man, liable to change
both in IN honr; n man, too, belonging to
family which have been for generations capri
cious and moody to madness The hopes
based by the Liberals upon the alleged SYM
pathy of Alexander with them, and the IN
ducnce which NJ. Pobedonostof was expected
&c have over his policy, were too eXtrava-
CANT to merit credit, yet they were credited
throughout Russia 1t was boldly asserted
that tbe Car would make a clean sweep
of all corruption in the official circles
of Russia: that he, the centre OF power,
would be foremost to abolish ccntrall-
zaiion of power; that he would sacrifice his
own and every other interest to that OF the
peasants: such of them rs were landlcSs were
IN bc given land. such of them as had 1t al
rcodv were 70 bc removed to better; the cap
;totion fax was tc he abolished, rural banks
established: little by little the mines of Sibc-
rim would Weld up their prisoners, and peace,
nlcntv and prosperity convert Russia into
modern Arcadia. All this man whose clothes
lint few short days ago had been Splashod
with his murdered fathers blood was to do
o.. Cit y ltt-f1 a
ulrasc. TO satisfy the murdcrrS; man, too,
still qnahinc with terror of assassination Ill
fortress which was like prison. Cars are
hut human. after all, and whatever va may
wish for the cufrauchi>cnent of RUSSIA, It Is
hardly to bc expected that before Alexander
WAS cold in lis coffin his son Shout! lead the
WAY 10 that cufranchi.cmcnt with rejoicing
t,,mu,t. and waving banners. Under The cir
cum,lanccs, the temptation Is S.ronS 10 show
10 his rchclIous subject, how real Is the anto-
crocy which ne has Inherited, although he
NAV intend gradually to lit it, weight from
them.
The Berlin National Zc1'ng two months ago
called attention to an invarahc habit among
the Romaroil.. on their accession {" tie throne,
of asserting ,olcmuly their purpo'c Of uphold
ing the policy of the late Car. They did 1t
when they did not mean to uphold any such
policy. but the very opposite. Nicholas declared
that he had no higher ambition than TO follow
in the very footsteps Of Alexander l., and the
next day BEGAN To overthrow every plan and
method of Alexander. Alexander II. protested
that his reign should Lc but a continuation of
that of Nicholas, and at once made 1t as
separate from il A. the positive from the mega
tive pole. This Last manifesto of the new Car
therefore. is quite in keeping with this custom
of his house The demand of the pcasantry
is nothing between the Car and his people,
and in spite of the au;ocrahc Endorsement OF
his fathers policy in this manifesto, there
are Indications in it that Alexander desires
to strike through the crust of Nihllism
and aristocracy which are nearest to HIM
TO reach the mass of the people. Some
such. purpose, too, is shown in his sudden APP
pearance in public and the apparent confidence
thus placed in the lower Orders who crowded
around him. The dismissal of MclikOil does
not at all argue the entire dismissal of the
projects Of local provincial councils. Another
month will probably indicate clearly the Cars
purpose for there can bc no doubt that hc
came out of his retreat at Gratschna with
one.
In the meantime the condition Of the peas
ant classes in Southern Russia becomes more
threatening. The drouih has already lasted
for months throughout tie great corn growing
districts The famine, which almost unnoiicrd
has existed there during the winter, will be- in
creased 10y smaller crops than those OF l"t
year. Alexander would require H. supcrnalu-
raj virtues as the Liberals prophcoird hr pos
scs>cd. with the addition of more wisdom than
ever belonged to one of his family. to halllc
successfully with tie rebellion. famine, llood-
shed and pcstlcncc which are now let loo,c
throughout ,hc country.