New-York tribune., 1881-12-02
1N0rHrR NLHLLLSr ANSlSSLN.

The new Nihilist ASSASSIN is the clumsicst OF
his class. lie not only misses the mau lac fires
at but hc shoots mt the wrong man. IL appears
that Nicolai SankOwsky intended to murder
General Ignaticf. but not finding him in the
liccs of the Interior Department, fred at the
most conspicuous official present, who hap
pcned to bc General Tchcreyinc. The marks
manshp was 80 bad that ncitlcr general would
seem to have special grounds for gratitude over
his deliyerancc, and l,natien can console him
self with the reflection that his predecessor
was murdcrously attacked almost hand TO hand
in the streets. yet lived to tender his rcsigna-
ton in due form. IL has been rumorcd that ho
was about To retire from the Interior Depart
ment IF he was the real target which the con-
spirators had set up for their blundcring prac-
tcc, he viii not be apt to desert his post at pres
cnt Dcscrtion might imply cowardic,, and
gnatieil is a soldier as well as dpomatist.
Ignaticn's strongest characteristics as a
public man are amiability and audacty. The
llcenness of his wit and the aSgrcssiycncsS of
lis demands are concealed by the grace of his
manner His ilst great success was the HcgO-
tiation Of treaty with China in settlement of
the Mantchuria question, on which occasion his
amiablc assurance that his adgcrsarics con
strued them genuine concessions To them
selves. The same qualities were eynccd at San
StefanO, where lac treated the Pachas with deli
cate consideration and at the same time in
duced them to grant everything he asked. If
he could open negotiations with the Nihlists
above ground and in broad daylight lac might
succeed in restoring peace and security to Il dis
tracted Empire; for he has marvellous adroit-
ness in imposing his own conditions upon his
foes without exciting resentment or suspicion.
But hc cannot deal with league Of assassins
openly. His charms Of manner, his Oriental
snbtletics Of policy and his master strokes of
nonchalart audacity are of little avail when ne
cOntcmplates a lasting truce with creatures Of
darkness and dynamite MclikO1 was even
more of a Greek in his dealings with the Mill
lists than Ignatieil can possibly be, but his con-
cessiOns and projected reforms did not avert
the catastrophe of the Cars assassination.
The internal disorders which paralyze the IN
dustrial and political energies of the Russian
Empire are not to be cured by the lnessc and
amiabilty of the physician in attendance. If
Ignatiefi can succeed in pacifying his country
and alaying the passionate discomfort of the
tuuNdiCu NiaoobHi IL VIII IoA bt DtNdlHt nc IN Il
sllilfu diplomat and good naturod man. but
because be is a sagacious and energetic admin
istrator.
The strength of Ignatiefl's position lies in the
fact that he is the natural leader of the great
National party which carried Alexander II. into
the war with Turkey against his secret inclina-
tons. As Ambassador mt Constantinople he
was so successful at one time in his intrigues
with Palace and PachGs that he had fairly sup
planted IN influence tho British Embassy; and
when war was declared and the peace Of San
Stefano dictated, he was recognized as the
representative diplomarist of tho Slavonic
race. SO long as he remains in Office he will
have the support of what is still the most com
pact and influential party in Russia. This fact
makes the coincidence all the more striking
that this assassin who has been plotting with
such poor success against Ignatieff's life should
have been ono of the earliest volunteers in
Herzegovina He was q Russian soldier Of for
tune whose heart was touched by the sufferings
of fellow-Siavs on the Balkan peninsula, and
however Indifferent may have been the service
whicn he rendered. he was enlisted in that great