The Bossier banner., 1885-02-26
THE MAD CAR.

paui [. was known among his sub
..a.s and to the universe, as the Mad
Tar It was the policy of Count
pshlen, his fayorite, and afterward the
.;rgleader of his assassins, to make his
ra.ster appear as insane as possible; he
.ar,couraged him in his vagaries. There
.ssvar was q man more uncertain, timid
md capricious, possessed alternately by
sbe tends and angels; in one moment
l. % would be found consigning, without
snv obvious cause, the noblest of his
snbiects to disgrace and exile; the next
Won might see him with tears in his
ewes benignly bending over some
sounded soldier in the military hos-
uitsl. AS the years went on these lat
ter moods of tenderness became fewer;
be grew suspicious, bitter and restless,
the unhappiest man of his vast empire.
Shortly after Paul's accession to the
throne be arrogated to himself omnis-
cienee and infallibility. He could not
he deceived, and he could not be mis-
taken. By intuition he detected the sins
and thoughts of his courtiers. who, in
dead, found it lucrative to confess their
designs against the State on the plea
that darkness could not hide them from
Paul, occasionally inventing misde-
meanors VIXEN they were at a pinch for
real ones. The plea of innocence of
sny crime of which the Gar charged
YOU. headed the list of crimes. Infalli-
bility fitted Paul to be an authority in
an departments of life and thought.
Theology, war, man-millinery, phi
lology, church, ritual, etiquette, sad
dlery, architecture, education, felt in
turn the touch of his reforming hand.
By ukase he evangelical the lapsed
masses of Russia in day, filing the
churches with worshippers, and the con-
kssionals with penitents whose devo-
ton and remorse were fired by visions
Of the knout; the local authorities were
instructed to march the reputed iber-
tines of their districts to church in pro-
cession between two rows of soldiers.
The issue of an imperial decree for
bidding the wearing of round hats.
frock-coais, vests without sleeves and
psntaloon was supposed to be a means
Of gratifying grudge Paul bore toward
Englishmen. His aversion to round
hats seems to have been constitutional.
It was more expedient that the hateful
garment should be prescribed than the
tranquility of Gar should be disturbed
The sudden apparition of crowds of
bare-headed gentlemen on the streets of
St Petersburg announced the new de-
cree; wherever round hat appeared it
was snatched by ambushed policemen,
and the muscular pedestrian who
ventured to repei the assault and knock
down the thief was carried before the
court and fined. The combative Eng
lishman was, of course, the chief actor In
these street broils. BY the influence of
Sir Charles Whitworth the ukase, SO far
IS Il affected foreigners, was modified;
the Chief of the Police was instructed
not to confiseate the head-dress, but to
detain its wearer till evidence was pro-
duced that he was not q Russian either
by birth or naturalization. Paul's hatred
ofhatswas of old standing. While Grand
Duke and living at Gatschina, he saw q
workman wearing one. He caused the
man 10 be brought before him, and ad-
ministered to him q lecture ON his in
decent attire. Turning to the Grand
Duchess, Paul asked for some pins, and
raising the flap of the round hat, trans
formed it into cooked one, and ordered
the workman to wear it so, till it was
past service. The ukase caused a run
On the shops for head-dresses that were
not civil offense; and as the stock was
soon exhausted, people had to walk the
streets bare-headed, or batter their hats
into another category. An Ambassador
who ventured to laugh too loudly at
these eccentricities had his passports re-
turned. Paul paid the dress of English
men the compliment of special police
decree. The costume he enioined was
three cornered hat, long queue with
acurl at the end of it, SINGLE breasted
coat and vest, buckles instead of latches
u the knee-breeches and the shoes. On
one occasion. seeing one of the hated
Face wearing long boots, he sent some
pohcemen to cut them into the size of
shoes; but as the man refused to be
reformed, they dragged the boots of
ana LETT him to 60 home in his stock
mgs. 1t is written somewhere that q
iady at court Srovoked the Imperial dis
pleasure by wearing her hair too low at
sne meek, and that as a punishment she
Vas ordered into close confinement and
.So on bread and water. AUain an
Engsish servant was dragged from y
sledge and caned on the street for wear.
ing 700 thick neck-cloth. The inhah.
..anfs OF st. Petersburg fed in all direc-
.aons when they saw the Cars carria0e
u the distance, only to be followed Rv
mounted Cossacks, who brought them
UacK and compelled them to prostrate
themselves in the mud before His Maj.
y. A short-sighted Englishman. who
pleaded defective vision when ASKED
way ne had skulked down n back lane.
- ordered to wear spectacles. He
mas known in the Capital ever after.
ward as ''the gentleman who wore snsc.
saoles by ukase."
III ne costume of cabmen was not be-
Ssash the Cars notice; he wanted
sL, asa, among other things, to shave
sasn long boards, and as many of them
slsctso TO part with single hair. the
s.suggiing culprits had to be held hv
as ponce official while another shaved
- .l. Ane method of harnessine
sOrses was also regulated by law: the
.s ~ decree made the fortunes of the
saalers .ns OF the Capital. Ten days wers
10"e0 the nobility and gentry to pro.