The Evening critic., 1883-05-29
THE CROWNED CRIMINALS.
A Brief History of the Very Re-
marknbIe ROmauoT Family

"NTkhBIe tOmBnOu Family.
The chief Of the House of Ramanoff, who
was formally crowned ozar yesterday, is
descended from line Of dlvinely-favored
people, celebrated chiefly for murder, fillcide,
insanity, infldelity and general debauchery.
Its whole career is stained with blood and
marked with crime. The founder OF the
house was Michael Feodorovitch, a fierce
barbarian, who ascended the throne In 1913.
He was succeeded by his son Alexis, a harm
eldest son Feodor, who died In 1882. After
him came his brother Ivan, In the natural
succession, but he being hopeless imbecile,
was set aside and his haltbrother,. Peter,
was placed upon the throne after d
brief term of Sophia, a sister, in the
Regency. This was ''Pierre le Grand,' the real
creator of the Russian Empire. Peter was
man of great strength Of character and Will.
He was afflicted with epilepsy and was given
to drunkenness, but he had a creative genius
such as no member of the family ever pos.
sessed. He acquired the art OF shipbuilding
In Holland, made navy for Russia, built the
city OF st. Petersburg, taught his people to
to shave and wear civilized clothing, abolished
the patriarchate and made himself the head
of the church as we'll as the Czar. In the early
part OF his career a young Genoese adven-
turer, named Lefort strolled into the Empire.
the world. He attached himself to Peter
and In time became the power. be:
a pie-boy singing in the streets and @ being
charmed with his voice he sent him to
the palace to amuse the Czar. This boy,
whose name was Menzlkor, became a page
and finally a prince and Prime Minister.
Together with Lefort he ruled the great Peter,
save at such times as he happened TO be In his
arrange sns for peor soms
times, after great military victory, tho Czar
would banquet and debauch for month or
two, and at such time he occasionally amused
himself by cutting or the heads of the Sire
titles who happened to be In his vicinity.
During one Of the early campaigns against
Charles OF Sweden he captured the town OF
Marrenburg in Livonia: A young girl who had
been married the night before to Swedish
soldier fell Into Russian hands. One OF tho
generals made her his mistress, and in course
OF time she came to occupy similar relation
to the Gear.
The Mistress-CzarIna.
This woman eventually became the Czarlna,
for Peter, moved by signal service rendered
by her In n campaign against the Turks, mar.
ried her and placed her NY his side on his
throne. Before ending his life of debauchery
to death on the silly charge of treason.
Catherine I-the mistress Czarina--did not
long survive Peter. She was succeeded by
Peter II, the son Of the murdered Alexis. He
did OF smallpox at the immature age of IL.
grand row ensued touching the succession,
but 1t finally fell upon Anne Ivanovod, daugh-
ter Of Peters imbecile brother Ivan. Her first
work was to Danish to Siberia a lot OF mobiles
who had conspired for the elevation of the
houses Of Dolgorouki and Galitzln. Her
reign was distinguished for. its fiashy
splendor, dissipation and debauchory. The
court was distinguished for corruption.
When she died she turned over the Empire to
a lusty nobody named Beren, who had been
her favorite, and he had a brief career as re.
gent. season Of intrigue, bloody plots and
much confusion followed, which ended In the
ascendency of Anne Leopoidovna, an indolent,
half.witted creature. She was shortly driven
OFF the throne by the Grand Duchess Eliza
beth, daughter OF Peter the Great. Anne and
her son were imprisoned and her principal
followers were sent to Siberia. The new ozar-
Ina, for the purpose OF keeping the crown In
the family OF Peter, adopted the son of her sis.
ter Anne and proclaimed him heir apparent
provided him wife I'm the person of the
Princess Sophia Of Anhalt- zerbzt, who after
ward became the notorious Catherine II.
The Second Immoral Czariua.
Frederick the Great of Prussia, introduced
French customs and theatricals In Russia, and
added materially to the corruption OF the coun-
try. She never married, but she had a number
Rosoum, who captivated her with his sweet
voice. She finally made him Count Ra-
zoumofsky, contrary to the strict rules of
morality and court customs. Elizabeth died
In time to save the empire from c0mplets
decentralization.
A Drunken Gear.
She was succeeded by her nephew, the
grandson OF Peter the Great who became Gear
under the title of Peter III. He was dis
graceful blackguard, and his brief reign was
q shameless one. His mistress was a coarse.
had neither wit nor beauty. He was drunk
the greater part Of his life, and his treatment
of his wife Sophia was disgraceful In the ex.
treme. In 1862 the disgraced wife appealed
to the army and went to war with her heart
less husband. Deserted by his army, he
abdicated, went into retirement near St.
Petersburg, and died soon after under clrcnm.
stances which plainly indicated that no was
murdered.
The Notorious Catherine IL.
The victorious wife took possession of the
n n m NJ I'm har md ala
became known IN time as the "Russian Semi.
ramis." She reigned thirty-four years and
added both to the territory and military glory
OF Russia. She commanded her armies her.
self and was by all odds the most Intellectual
person that ever sat on the Russian throne.
Her morals were of the very worst quality.
| She picked her favorltes from the army, as a
| rule, and her private life was questionable in
| the extreme. Her sensual career and her ad-
| ventures with men whom she picked up In
| obscurity and raised to position and power,
| only to knock them down and return them to
| obscurity, are absolutely unfit for publlca
| ton. But Catherine II was as brilliant as she
| court with intellectual and literary French
| men, and at one time had voltaire chained to
her chariot wheels. She did much to advance
influence was demorallzing.
| The Russian Hamlet.
| At GATHERINGS death her weak.brained son
| became Czar under the title of Paul /. He was
40 years old when he came to power, and was
/
have been excused upon the ground of zee
centrlcity," but as matter OF fact he was q
| madman, and history has spoken OF him as
| "the Russian Hamlet" He died In 1901 while
attempting foolish invasion OF India. His
son, Alexander I, succeeded him. 1t was dur
ing his reign that the Napoleonic wars were
carried on. He fought the French ogre with
great frmness, and contributed largely to his
| overthrow. 1t was during the latter part o
| his reign that the secret societies, having fol
| their purpose the revolutiontzing of Russia
began TO be formed. Alexander opposed bit
| terly every step toward a change In the Rus
| sian system, and died magnificent repre-
4 sentative of the stolidity, brutality and abso
| lutism OF Russia.
The Latter.Day Czars.
Alexander was followed by the Gear Nicho
las. Under his reign the war OF the Crimei
was carried on. He manumitted the serf
and introduced few reforms, but he steadily
resisted all appeals from constitutional form
| OF government. At his death Alexander III
weak intellect and uncertain morals also. II,
lived on bad terms with the Empress. HI
| mietresB the Princess Dolgorouki, was power
| ful In the direction OF public AFFAIRS and he
relations to the Gear at one time caused
| great scandal. His brother, one OF tho Crane
Dukes, was disgraced by his conduct durinI
the late Turco.Russian war. BE was publicl!
convicted OF stealing tho money intended 70
| the payment OF tho Army. The assassination
| of Alexander ii by the Nihilists in st. Peters
burg two years ago is still fresh In the minds
OF newspaper readers His successor, tn
cow yesterday, has shown no particula
strength or weakness. He has followed tn
illustrious example OF his father, and It 1
said that his relations with the Empress ar
only nominal. He maintains separate house
hold, and tho name OF the woman who share
tuffh IA I'm N hnn nf Rqtaa NJ