Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-14

general terms his inteution Of upholding
the glory Of tho empire as it had been 1p-
held by Peter, Catherine, Alexander and
Nicholas-and almost his second act was
to sign the treaty by which Bessarabia was
ceded and the Crimean war ingloriously
brought to an end. Peace being estab-
lished, he set himself seriously to the task
of introducing into his empire much-need-
ed internal reforms. The army was cut
down to the lowest limits compatible with
the dignity and safety of the state !; vigor-
GUS efforts were made to re-establish the
shattered finances Of the natiJn and to
promote commercial prosperity, and an
earnest purpose was manifested to raise
Russia out of its slough Of primitive bar
barism and to bring it abreast Of the civili-
zation of the nineteenth century.
The greatest of all the reforms that
Alexander effected, and that which will
through all time give honor to his name,
great ukase of March 2-February 10, 1861,
free. Nominally this emancipation proc
consent of the Russian nobility in point
of fact, very large majority Of the nobil-
ity opposed it, rightly perceiving in it a
great abatement Of their personal powers.
In issuing it the Gar reached the climax
of his reform movement. The i'll will that
it excited was SO intense and lasting that
thereafter he found his hands more or less
tied.
He vastly improved the equipment and
discipline of the imperial army; extended
the lines of Russian empire, whipped Tur-
key and regained Bessarabia. Had the
Car died then he would have died hero
Unfortunately for his own glory he has
lived two years longer than his time
just long enough to lose by diplomacy al
most all that he gained by war.
Previous attempts on the Czar's Life.
The last, and successful, attempt to as
| sassinate Alexander is tho sixth that has
| been made. Fourteen years ago. April
1928. 1866, he was fired at in St. Peters
burg, just as he was entering his carriage,
| by an ex-student, Karakosof. The pistol
was knocked in tho air by a workman
named Komissarof, native of Kostroma
for which useful attention he was
promptly ennobled. Again, at Paris, June
6-19, 1867, he was shot at by Pole, Bere-
zowski-tO whom in grateful remem-
braAce of this attempt at regicide 4 tcsti.
monial Of respect in tho the shape of a re.
vOlver was the other day presented by cer-
tain Of the rcddest of the Paris Reds. On
this occasion the Gar was driving Will,
his two sons and the Emperor Napoleon.
Berezowski, although firing into flock Of
sovereigns, missed clean. He was about
to shoot again when his pistol burst in his
hand In April, 1877, third attempt was
made, this time in St. Petersburg, by q
Nihilist named. Solojew. The shot
missed and Solojew shortly there
after was tried and executed. Then
came, in tho following December, thu
blowing up of the railroad track near Mos
COW at the moment of the passage of what
was believed to be tho imperial train;
failure because goods train had by acci
dent come up the line in advance of th'
Especial bringing the Gar. Finally
Just year aud q month ago, came the
famous, but still unsuccessful attempt tt
murder the emperor by blowing the Win
ter Palace. But this time the Nihilist
have won.
I Alexander, second son of the late EN-
, perOr, who now reigns in his father
stead, was born February 2G-March 10
1916, and was married, in 1866, to tn
Princess Eagmar, daughter of King Chris
> tian IX. of Denmark. Of his four chi
, dren, the eldest, Nicholas, born May g. Is
1868, is now Czarevitch and hcir-apparent
while two younger sons make the success
, sion secure.
In This Country.
news OI inc tragic affair creates
great excitement at the Russian delegation
in Washington. Secretary of State Blain
! cabled to our Russian minister as follows
express to Minister of Foreign Affair
the sentiments of sorrow with which til
president and the people of the Unite
States have heard of the terrible crime O
: which the emperor has been the victim
and their profound sympathy with the i'm
perial family and the Russian people il
their great aflliction.''
1t is notable that not long ago endel
Phillips said Of tho governmental problem
of Russia cat this distance 1 dom
mean to criticize methods. I look a
Russia four thousand miles away and Sc,
what incubus is resting on her people.
only hope that somebody will lift it o
their shoulders. IL nothing will do it bu
the dagger, then welcome the dagger
| Is there an American here who think