The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-08-31
COr0natons.


having announced that his coronation
would take place with great pomp at
Moscow, in the middle Of August, sud.
denly postponed the ceremony to an
indefinite period. Several reasons werd
alleged for this singular decision. 1t
was said that the health of the czarina
was such as to make 1t necessary to
postpone it. 1t was declared that the
car was unwilling to mark the occa-
sion with concessions as to Russian
land, which the peasants expected and
demanded. Finally it was gravely
whispered that the czar feared to be
crowned, lest such an event would give
the Nihilists an opportunity to attempt
his life. THE latter surmise is very
likely one. 1t is known that the author
tiles of Moscow have plainly told the cZar
that if he was crowned in that city
they could not answer for the preser-
vation of order or for his personal
safety. Preparations to attempt the
czar's life have been detected in the
ancient capital of Muscovy and more
than one plot to murder him on the
day of coronation has been unearthed.
1t may be that the Gar Alexander
Ill. will never be crowned. But this
is merely the omission of a traditional,
but after all, an empty ceremony. 1t
does not add at all to monarch's au-
thority to rule to be crowned. 1t is
merely a matter Of historic pomp and
pageantry; it confers no new right or
prerogative. Many sovereigns have
reigned through long periods and have
died uncrowned.
Coronation is, indeed, very ancient
as well as very imposing rite. 1t is
known, for instance, that Solomon was
crowned with great display; and it is
probable that the Assyrian and Egyp-
tian kings were all crowned. Corona
ton, too, in almost every country and
period has been sacred as well as a
political ceremony. The head of the
sovereign has been anointed with oil,
which signifies his conservation to the
service of God as well IS of the
state.
The old Saxon kings OF England
were wont to be crowned, not at Lon
don, but in the ancient and august
cathedral of Winchester, or in that
lovely riverside town, Kingston-on-
Thames. Since the time of the Nor
man kings, however, the sovereigns of
England have always been crowned in
Westminster Abbey and since the
time of Edward the First each sov-
ereign has been crowned on the same
throne, beneath which rests the "Stone
of Destiny" brought from Scotland by
the great Edward.
1t was formerly the custom in Eng
land to date the reign of
king from the day, not of his
accession, but of his coronation.
Between these two events the sovereign
was called "Lord of England" not
king, which title he only assumed after
he had been duly crowned. This was
the case both with Richard the Lion
Hearted and his brother John.
Various reasons have served to
cause from time to time the omission
of the ceremony Of coronation. 1t is
said that Napoleon III. never dared to
be crowned, for fear Of some ca
tastrophe similar to that which the
present czar is now threatened. Ma
poleon I. had no such fear, and was
crowned with great magnifcence at
Notre Dame.
The ceremony of coronation is still
kept up with much state and grandeur in
nearly every monarchy in Christendom
but aking is just as much king with
out it as with it. 1t is the oath which
every sovereign takes at the moment
of his accession which endOws him
with the right and the responsibility of
ruling over his subjects.-Youth's
Companion.