The Portland daily press., 1882-02-24
Potemkin as An "Artful Dodger."
L.

Temple Bari
The skill with which he frustrated the
schemes of his enemies to injure him in Cathe-
rine's estimation was mastery. Vast sums OF
money had been given him at his own urgent
solicitations to enable him to develope the
wealth of Southern Russia and the Crimea.
The colonizers from Switzerland, Germany,
Austria and Prussia, whom he had invited to
settle in these lands as manufacturers and agri-
culturists, bitterly but fruitlessy complained at
St. Petersburg of the cruel deception that had
been practiced on them. Potemkins enemies
infan.ed the imagination of the Empress with
the desire to visit the new and fiourishing set
Elements which the Prince professed to have
planted, and of which he wrote in glowing
terms, expecting that wild revulsion OF feel
ing against her deceiver would be provoked in
her Majesty's mind by the Exposure lof the
fraud. The announcement OF the proJect
struck Potemkin with dismay; but his daring
soon rallied from its temporary Generalization.
He backed up with great apparent earnestness
the advices of his foes, incidentally remarklng
In one of his letters that private necessity had
led him to take the loan of the last 3,o00,OOo
rubles, which he had drawn from the treasury
Tor purposes of State; and, as these purposes
were now more urgent than when he borrowed
the money, he requested that second 100000
might be voted him. Catherine consented
with murmar and a grudge. The Prince
fastened to st. Petersburg and demanded the
dismissal of her favorite Yermoloff. whom he
denounced as the tool of his enemies, and in
sisted on her making royal progress through
his government that she might witness with
her own eyes how he had been illuminated
and wronged. He assembled all the troops OF
the Empire along the route her Majesty was to
travel. He ordered great public works to be
commenced at which the workers toiled day
and night; he repaired the dilapidated man
sons of the nobility at the places where her
Majesty was to sleep, garnish1ng them at his
own expense with the richest furniture, and
even presenting their owners with plate and
linen that Catherine might be impressed with
the wealth and prosperity of the dominions un-
der his care. Crowds of people were deported
from outlying provinces and brought to line the
route and hurrah as Catherine drove past;
thereafter they were hurried forward to greet
her with similar welcome at a later stage of
the journey. 81 thought" said she, that
was coming to desert, but here l find the true
springs of my empire in all their vigor and &C
tivity." By fetes, pyrotechnic displays each
one of which cost 40, 900 rubles, splendid hospi-
talities such as only the Imagination of Potem-
kin could conjure, he turned the royal progress
which was to work his discontinue into se-
ries of triumphs. At KIof her Majesty embark
ed to sail down the Dneiper as far as Kaydak,
where the thirteen cataracts begin, rendering
navigation impossible for aspace of sixty versts
The distance her Majesty had to sail was 45O
versts; and the bed of this part of the river
Potemkin had levelled at an enormous outlay
of money. A magnificent fleet of fifty galleys,
the rooms of which were hung with silk, each
ship having on board an orchestra of twelve
aarriod Catharina and her cuita
down the river. The banks of the Dneiper
were dotted with cities. towns villages and
hamlets, which had grown up as Jonah's gourd
to disappear as quickly. In many cases the
distant buildings were simply sham fronts fac
ing the river. The wharves of the towns were
Uttered with huge bales labelled 'silk," ETC.,
etc., but which, when pierced, were found to
contain straw; shop keepers in bona fide town
ships were ordered to pack their stock in trade
and build it round their doors. At Kaydak,
where she disembarked, Potemkin conducted
the Czarina to large mansion which had just
been built; behind it lay an English garden,
into which, says Segur, "the magic of Prince
Potemkin had caused trees of extraordinary
size to be planted; cheering prospect varied
BY wood, waters and flowers Here her Males
ty reviewed the troops-forty-five squadrons Of
cavalry and a numerous body of infantry, all
newly armed and equipped. From this town
also the deluded lady wrote to her Ministers at
st. Petersburg expressing her satisfaction with
government, adding, 81 beg you will tell this
to the unbelievers, and make use of my letter
to put an end to the cavils of the ill-disposed
1t is high time that entire justice should be
done to those who devote themselves to my
service and that of the State, with so much
zeal and success" After visiting the Crimea
where the theatrical genius of Potemkin devils
ed new surprises at every balting place, her
Majesty began her homeward journey. The
curtain fell at Pultawa, where mimic repeti-
af t1,oo or hotf la fhara iy,1 ht7
Charles XII and Peter the Great was produc-
ed for Gather ne's delectation. The coup de
theatre was over; Potemkin returned to his
government loaded with presents; the Czarina,
Welcomed feted, hymmed, made her way, via
Moscow, to the capital, after the most wonder
fulroyal progress the world has ever seen. She
left ST. Petersburg OIL the 18th of January,
1887; she entered it again on the 22d of July.
Recalling the marvelS and romance of the
Journey, the French Ambassador speaks of
Effects suddenly created; squadrons of Cossacks
and Tartars coming from the remote parts of
Asia; illuminated roads; mountains on fire;
enchanted palaces; gardens raised in night;
temples OF Diana; delightful harems; wander
ing tribes; dromedaries and camels; dethroned
princes of the Caucasus and Georgia paying
their homage and addressing their prayers to
ths Light of the North as her fiatterers called
her. Remembering that one mind planned it
all and attended to every detail of the comedy,
we are forced to confess that whatever we may
dier to be, he was at least born to be courtier
or a Snowman.
No purse in the world but that of Potemkin
or Fortunatus could have betrayed the cost of
this imperial trip. His revenues we've larger
than those of many European kingdoms; and
there were few of them who did not out of
their poverty contribute to his wealth by gifts
and brides; the thrifty Court of Prussia prov
ing, as always, the stingiest among them. His
shelves it is said, were full of diamonds and
ootd and hank uOtaS. there Haara 0f
diamonds of which the Prince de Lgne speaks
with admiration, worth hundred thousand
rubles. Liberal to her favorites, GATHERINGS
bounty to him was prodigal. During the two
years he was in Office as her companion" she
presented him with nine million rubles. At
his death his fortune reached the enormous to-
tai of fifty millions of money and forty-five
thousand serfs, besides palaces and estates scat
tered all over the kingdom. 81 am, indeed"
said he, speaking of his wondrous success in
life, "I am, indeed, the spoiled child of heav-
en-"