The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-07-06
9alraiialt 6azftte.
EST MoDUs IN REBUs.
WEDNESDAY. JULY 6, 1881.
piplomatists IN Pettiooats.

Dip1omatists in Petdcoats.
If the female diplomatist has been kept
more out of sight in the current century, her
influence has been none the less felt in foreign
politics, She is still a useful Intermediary
between Minister and Minister; and her salon
is often turned to account as an ambush from
which attacks may be directed against States
and Cabinets. A proposal TO outrage an ally
CT tear up a treaty coming from her is not so
likely TO shock diplomatic propriety; and her
pen never compromises Ministry or Court,
for the dullness Of Blue and Yellow Books is
unrelieved by feminine correspondence. And
then a Minister may cal! upon lady, how
ever eminent, without the fact being tele-
graphed from one end of Europe TO the other
The Metternichs and Nesselrodes of the last
generation were well aware of the valne of
women's work and wit in international poll
Tics. When the Austrian Chancellor was
working heart and soul to turn out the pro-
Russian Ministry of N. de Martignac in Paris,
he called into the requistion the "matinees
allemandes" of the Countess Apponyi; and
the share which the Princess Lieven had in
the intrigues Of 1927, which ended in the re-
signation of the Duke of Wellington and the
short-lived administration of Mr.. Canning, is
a matter which is now pretty well authenti-
Gated.
Russian women, from one reason or another,
seem at very early period TO have taken
mems parts in politics and played them well.
They have shown Themselves as patient han
maids to statecraft as Frenchwomen to amuse-
ment or Italians to art: and, whenever plot
was matching, from bedcbamber conspiracy
TO a design against the peace of Europe,
Dashkoff or Protasoff was sure to be at the
Sovereigns elbow doing her part to hold the
threads of the intrigue. The melancholy,
sentimental character of more than one Gar
has subugaled them easily to women's lntu-
epce. Tie First Alexander was always more
or less under woman's thumb: at one time
in thraldom to a Naryschkine, at another to a
Baroness Krudener. When this remarkable
woman crossed his path the Gar was just in
that condition of mind and body to be easily
impressed with tile mystic style OF religion
she preached. The exhaustion caused by bis
terrible struggle with Napoleon; the gloom
which the burning of Moscow had stamped
upon his spirit the errors and sorrows OF his
domestic iife-al inclined him to fall back
upon religion for support The Baroness
eouuence, her mysticism, her sentimentalism,
together made a.conQuest of Alexander's vacl-
ating, imaginative disposition; and, if the
Holy Alliance came not of her prompting, the
enthusiasm with which the Gar threw him
self Into the project was in all Likelihood
kindled by this lady.
In 1910 there was quite galaxy of femi-
nine talent in Paris engaged III the lntrigues to
patch up a Franco-Russian alliance against
England Princess Lieven stood a head and
shoulders above any of them. She was not
the first lady of that name who had medded
with affairs of State. Her husbands mother
the Countess Carlovna (she was created a
Princess at Nicholass coronation in 1920 had
played distinguished part in the reigns of
Catherine, Paul and Alexander l., and had
been Nicholas goveness and instructor.
Christopher Andrewiich, the younger son, had
inherited but small portion Of the talents of
this remarkable old lady. he was a states
man malgrs hi; and if the Princess Daria
Christopharovna did not positively dictate his
dispatches, as some people said she did, we
know that he entered, under her direction, in
TO policies that were often opposed to his own
convictions for, if he could be called dipO-
matist at all, he was of the school of Nessel-
rode and Pozzo de Borgo, who thought am
bassadors existed to conciliate rival Ministers
and prevent monarchs from quarrelling. The
story of the p. incess' successes III England
are well known-successes which were per-
haps somewhat owing to her admirable aping
of English ways and manners. She was the
"rage in London during many Of the nine
teen years that her husband was ambassador
there Prince Lieven died in 1889. For
some time there was no accredited Russian
Ambassador at the Court of Louis Philippe,
and the delicate negotiations which passed be-
tween ST. Petersburg and Paris concerning the
Eastern Question aud he Russo French alli-
ance were entrusted to the hands of the Prin-
cess Daria.
The two ladies who have in these latter
days PLAYED the most important part in ANA
teur diplomacy-Mme de Novikoff and the
Princess Lisa Troubetzkoi-have done their
best to act,up to the high standard of intrigue
which the Princess Lieven laid down. The
Princesses reunions, which had been fire.
quented chiefly by Theorists during the reign
of The first President of the new Republic, be-
came deserted when her patron fell and he
began to cabal against Marshal MacMahon's
Government Her own Government had dis
owned her; and she left Paris in disgust,
having never achieved more than a success
deStime She is only remembered now-if she
is remembered at abby Frenchmen and
Frenchwomen agreeable hostess and an
accomplished woman. Nine. Novikoff, the o.
X. (Olga Kireef) of Russia aud England
has also dabbled little in journalism; and
when London correspondent of the RusS, q
Moscow newspaper, furnished her couhtrymen
with some curious notes on the ways and
manners and habits of thought, religious and
political, of her hosts. Her career in London,
her conquest amongst the most perfect and
astute statesmen of our time, and her bold and
not unsuccessful attempt to make Russian
handmade of English High Churchism are too
well known to require notice. She has been
exceedingly useful to her friends in Russia.
aud may live TO be more useful yet. There is
plenty of credulity and vanity in the English
to work upon.