Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-03-23
ALEXANDER H.

ALEXANDER H.
PERoR OF RUSSIA.
Alexander, sixth Gar of the House
of Romanoh- Holstein, eldest son OF
the late Emperor Nicholas !. and of
the Princess Charlotte of Prussia, was
born 1923, 1918, while his uncle,
Alexander l., was upon the throne.
He was but seven years old when the
death of this uncle, and the renuncia.
ton Of the succession by the Grand
Duke Constantine, made his father
Gar. But Nicholas did not assume
the crown unopposed. A very con.
siderable body of the Imperial Guards
rebelled, being melted by a union OF
secret societies generally known under
the name of Dekabrists, and for a
while the Czar'ssuccession, his life and
the existence of his House was in dan
ger. The Dekabrists were a species
of constitutional revolutionsts, having
in their composition strong infusion
OF what in our own time is styled Nj.
hilism. Their intention was to ex.
terminate the Imperial family, to di.
vide Russia into q vast Number of
small States, and to unite these in
some sort Of confederation that, while
giving each independence internally,
would be capable OF resisting assaults
from without. The scheme came near
achieving success, but tended by failing
utterly. A few regiments OF the
Guards remained loyal and these served
as nucleus around which to rally the
positively loyal and negatively con.
servative elements of the population,
civil and military. BY a series of bold
measures, vigorous attacks followed up
relentlessly, the insurrection was crush
ed. State trials completed the work
that soldiers began hundreds of men
were executed, thousands banished to
die in the Siberian mines for a time
Russia was subject to reign OF terror
in the name of law. Coming to the
throne through a sea Of blood, Nicholas
ruled thenceiorth race Of slaves.
THE YOUNG ozAR's EDUCATION.
This terrible experience made deep
mark 1pon Alexanders nature. The
habit OF gloom, of suspicion, then
formed, never left him all his life long,
though in brighter times it was modi-
fed Moreover, he was at this period
removed from the care OF his mother,
the gentle German Princess, and given
over to the more severe rule Of q mill
tary governor-the General Moerdor,
Under the care of this learned man,
and of the Russian poet Joukowski,
his education went on. When thirteen
years old he was commissioned Lieu.
tenant of the Guards, and in four
years, by regularpromotion, was made
a Colonel. But he had no taste what.
ever for military life and constantly
endeavored to evade its duties, greatly
to the disgust of his father and to his
own serious disadvantage. His desire
for civil rather than military life was
opposed to all the traditions of the
Russian Court, and gloomy forebod-
ings freely were expressed as to his
future The belief was current that
his succession to the throne would be
disputed by the old Muscovite party in
the interest OF his brother, the bold,
dashing Grand Duke Constantine. Out
OF this possibility grew feud between
the brothers that led to open quarrels.
Constantine, being an Admiral Of the
fleet on one occasion went so far as TO
place Alexander under arrest for some
alleged infraction of naval discipline
For this piece Of impudence the Gar
ordered the Admiral under arrest
thus serving him out in kind But the
matter was serious-so serious that
when Alexanders first son was born,
in 1S45, the Gar required Constantine
publicly to take an oath of fidelity to
the heir TO the crown.
ALExANDER's MARRIAGE.
The Czarevitch, in the meantime,
had freed himself from his military
governors and bad gone upon his
famous wife.hunting expedition into
Germany. The storyof this expedition
has been recently retold how of all
the "eligible" young princesses upon
his list none pleased him, and how by
accident he found his army at the little
grand ducal court Of HesseDarmstadt
trim, round.waisted German maiden
with whom he truly fell head over ears
in love-the pretty Princess Maria,
daughter of the Grand Duke Ludwig
II. And So instead Of state mar.
riage of convenience he made a love
matoh--a most rare privilege for an
Emperor when, April 1928, 1S4l,
his Cplebs.like pilgrimage ended in his
becoming a married man, Unluckily,
as all the world knows, the love did
not last. Like a true Muscovite, the
Gar was q most wholesale lover, and
his poor wifes patience was sorely
taxed by his fragrant infdelities. Tho
last and most notorious of these was
his connection with the Princess Olga
contaminated little while back by
a morganatic marriage before the
breath was fairly out Of his wife's
body. His legitimate children are (:
Alexander (now Czar), born February
26-March 10, lS45 Vladimir, born
April l0-1l, 1sl7 Alexis, born Janu.
ary 2-l4, 1850; Marie Duchess of
Edinburgh), born October 5-17, 1853 ;
Sergius, born April 29-May IL, 1857,
and Paul, born September 21-october
3, 1860.
THE THRONE ATTAINED.
In the darkest hour Of tho Crimean
war the Gar Nicholas died. On his
death bed he formally bequoathed
his Empire to Alexander and exacted
from Constantine o fresh promise to
uphold his brother Loyalty in order TO
secure the peace and happiness of the
nation. Thu Czarevitch on this oc.
casion, in the presence of the Ministers
and Council of State, declared his in.
tention TO accept the trust, and on his
fathers death Immediately was pro-
claimed Gar. The same afternoon
the Estates OF the Empire, with the