River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-08-24
SKOB ELEFF.
A pen Picture of the Russian General

SKOB ELEFF.
A Pen Picture of the Russian General
Paris Co rrespondenee London Pail Mall Gazette.
1t is hard to realize that Gen. Skobe-
leffs's charmed life has ended in q no.
tel. He was-a thing hitherto unknown
in RUSSIA popular idol. The ideas
he formed of Slav emancipation did
not fit into the political conception of
Peter the Great and Catherine IL. In
Russia he was a through Muscovite,
and could and did give strong reasons
for being so. But he thodght that all
the Slavs who did not innabit the Step
pes and fiat forests, and whose collect
i've life has not received the impress of
Czarism, should not now be forced into
the mold. Their historical evolution
was different from that of the Musco
vite Slavs. What Skobelef dreamed
of was federation, informal, elastic,
and yet strong, resting upon brotherly
love and affinities of race. This was
counted heretical in the imperial pa
lace While the Car, to prevent fatty
degeneration and to keep his mind
from being stultefed with terror, was
devoting himself to the trapeze and
music, Skobeleff was becoming the
hope Of the Slav race. His reverence
for the imperial character was absolute.
Any penalty the Gar chose to infltct
on him he would have accepted with
out complaint; but he would not have
borne the oppression of Count Tolstoy.
In kicking against it he might have
reckoned on the sympathy of all Rus
STA.
AS Gen. Skobeleff is no more, and
has left no child behind him, may
speak of the delicate position in which
he found himself at the court of his
new sovereign. He thought well of
the Gar, or rather some of his moral
qualities, and when drawn into speak
ing of him and Analysing his character
said he was honest and we'll intentioned.
The General did his best not to think
about the intellect, or rather want of
intellect, OF his sovereign. He strug-
gled hard to forget his ingrained Ger
manism, which did not come out when
he was young. but is asserting itself
now. Skobeleff was very transparent.
One could see the conflict in his mind
between fixed purpose to venerate and
impression that did not stimulate the
organ of veneration. Toe occasion on
which he spoke to me most freely
about the Car and Czarina was when
he was last here. Then he drifted into
talking about them in a curious way.
A confidential letter which he had writ
ten to me on divers subjects on which
| had desired information had not been
received. The General, when he next
saw me, after writing it, made illusions
which | did not understand to its con-
tents. He then, perceiving there was
laaLentendu, asked me if | had had
the letter. When | told him that / had
not he got excited, said that he was
watched by spies, and half the letters
he should himself have received mis-
carried. By whom, he wondered,
could the spies be engaged, since his
friends were in power in Russia, and
by what mechanism could they frus-
trate the postofiice here? | asked him
whether he had himself posted or seen
posted the letter thai | should have
had. No; he gave it to the concierge
with strict Instructions to take 1t the
district postoffice Immediately, and saw
the man leave the house with it. 1t
did not occur to him that a lynx-eyed
individual had taken up a position in
the lodge. This man came out when
ever visitor asked for the General, to
scrutinize him. But by whom could he
be engaged, Skobeleff asked himself
The Russian police, which was a hell
ish institution, had branch in Paris.
However, as the Palavists were upper
most at st. Petersburg, it was improb-
able that orders had been thence trans
mitted for the General to be logged.
"Are you sure" | asked, "that your
allies are not afraid You may one day
become their enemy, and are acting
accordingly" Skobelef thought over
the suggestion and discarded it. He
concluded that the letters were inter
cepted by some agent of Bismarck,
whom he called ''that scoundrel."
Bismarck has" be said, "been trying
through his creatures to poison the
| Cars mind against me. He repre-
sents me as devoured by guilty and
reasonable ambition, and has aroused
| feeling against me. The Gar is an
excellent man, but obrtai with fear.
He has neither will nor judgment left.
! II it were not for music he would have
been long ago terrorized into madness.
The Gar is a good, charming creature,
but brought up il a small way, and
created on minute design"
Gen. Skobeleff was fond of Paris
and its small, light pleasures. He spoke
French admirably, liked French litera-
ture. French sensibility, and that open
ness of chara cter which prevents French
liars being successful deceivers. In
outlan9ish places where he was quar-
tered he could not help, being no game
ster. saving money. He came when
he had leave of absence to Paris to
spend his earnings. He was here to
amuse himself when the Carlist war
broke out. Love of military adventure
impelled him to go to Spain. Under
false name he joined the Carlists in
besieging a town. Had it not been for
this escapade, he told me, Plevna might
moi have been taken. All the expert
ence he gained with Don Carlos was
utilized before the Turkish stronghold.
Gen. Skobeleff's temper was hasty, but
his disposition was of singular benign
ity. He was anything but impeccahle.
His faults were more than redeemed by
the immensely of his repentance. The
n1sa catIpa was acted upon with great
fervor. His best actions came from
heart impulses. The mind was capa-
cious, but had no influence on his con-
duct. unless in wa-. Though not lux
urious, he was nice and delicate as
refined woman, and hated coarse linen
and material grossness. The tactile
sense of the long tapering fingers was
exquisitely fine. The tall figure had
so much little grace that one did not