, 1881-04-30
cult chat reserve becomes as necessary as

Russia that Alexander LII, sees this
that he loathes the corruption which exas-
perated even his grand father Nicholas
into cruelty, and which is shielded by
silence, that he would, if left to himself,
let Russia speak out, and retain only the
right of ultimate decision. But how is he
to do it now, when the whole world will
say, The Nihilists killed the father, and
the son fnlfls their will" It may be-for
these ROmanofs have been made by their
terrible position into a strange race,
sometimes able to stand absolutely alone,
and defy every influence except that of a
thought surging up within themselves
that Alexander III. may rise above this
murmur. think of himself as far above the
title tattle of humanity, and decree from
the very plenitude of autocracy right of
aggregate speech to Russia but whatever
effect the murderers have had, it must be
againsG that. The Heir must punish his
fathers murderers, must resist their de-
mands, must aunt down their organisation,
and may we'll think, though the thought
will still be false. that he can do this most
completely while Russia is still silent. We
trust it will not be so, and we acknowledge
the possibility. The new Emperor is a
man of stern and self contained character,
with few and tenacious ideas he is so
young, that the curse of the Romanofs,
the hypochondria which falls on them all
in middleage, has not yet attacked him
and the convictions bred in men in his
position, so near to absolute power and
yet so powerless, are apt to be very strong.
He may thrust aside all considerations *
cept the good of Russia, and change at a
stroke her whole position in the world
but if he does, the momentous step will be
taken in spite, and not in consequence, of
&hn o,-on H6io1 hos Cn %anrih1xr irnra0 sod
it's difficulty and it's unlikelihood. The
murder of his father by assassins i~nclines
no man towards the asSassins' cause.
It is the same in foreign affairs. The
new Sovereign is believed to be, i'll foreign
affairs, inclined to pursue the Slavophil
policy,-that is, in practice, to break the
alliance of the three Emperors, TO unite
himself with the Western Powers, to re-
lease Slays and Greeks alike from Mahom-
medan rule, and to offer to Poles equality
with Russians, if only they will accept
him as Gear. That policy. though it
threatens Austria. who would see her am
bition baf1ed, and annoys Germany, who
desires Austria to become Slav, would rid
Europe of its greatest existing evil-the
Su~ltanet-would enfranchiSe the whole
Balkan peninsula, would satisfy the claims
of Greece, and would compel Germany
at least to try and settle her permanent
quarrel with France without war, and so
would produce probably far more good to
the world than the sudden retirement of
Russia into her shell, for which, we see.
most publicists hope. But is such a policy
possible, in the face of a catastrophe which,
If the new Sovereign is like most of his
kind. will make him think that all Kings
have common interests; that his German
subjects are the least formidable that
Slavophilism leads to instructions that,
a. Metternich once wrote The Sultan
has every claim on us, for he is a legitimate
monarch !" We do not say that this reac-
ton is inevitable. Alexander III. is of
the Slav and not the German temperament,
he has none of the love for the Hoben-
zollerns in which Alexander II. had been
bred by his mother, he will nave very
different advisers, and the human being
who has most weight with him is his wife,
a Danish Lady. said to be personally
devoted to the Greek cause, and at least
certain to dread the revolution which, if
Greece is again betrayed, will sweep her
brother from his throne. The new Empe.
ror may insist that as Russia gave up so
much in order that Europe, and not Rus
STA, might decide the terms of peace, the
substance of those terms, which includ-
ed the emancipation of the Greek provin-
ces, shall be vigorously carried out. But
if he does this, and SO once more makes
the great force of Russia beneficial instead
of injurious to human freedom, it will be
in spite. and not in consequence, of the