Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-24
THE LAST ROMANOFF.
The AutOcrats of Spacious
Russia.
THE STRAIN OF IMPERIALIsN
The ABSORPTION of the Tartar by the
German-The Iron Hand of
DespOtism.

which loses its force when applied to the
family Of the Russian Empire
The blood of the imperial autocrats of
spacious Russia has been trans
fused with that of the German
to the extent of nearly obliterat-
ing its Tartar Russian origin. A native
and famous poet once quantity illustrated
the gradual Germanizing OF the blood OF
the royal family of Russia since Peter
the Great. who was of pure Russian
race, at least until he was scratched.
The poet added to a glass OF
vine, representing the Russian strain
OF blood, a glass of water for the German
wife of Alexis, son of Peter the Great,
the Princess Charlotte Sophie of Bruins
wick -Wolfenbuettel; then second glass
of water for Charles Frederick, Duke oi
Holstein-G Gottorp, who married Anne,
the daughter of Alexis then third glass
Of water for Catherine, princess of An.
halt-Ierbst, and wife of Peter III; then
a fourth for the Princess Marie of Wuer
temberg, wife OF Paul l, the son of Peter
and Catherine.
After the poets time Alexander 1, the
eldest son Of Paul and Marir, married
Louisa Maria Augusta, Princess of Baden
Nicholas |, son of Paul and successor o
Alexander l, married Charlotte, the eld
est daughter Of Frederick William O
Prussia. Alexander ii, son of Nicho
las and Charlotte, married Marie
daughter Of the Grand Duke OF Hesst
Darmstadt. The present Gear, Alexan
der III, the son of Alexander and Marie
departed from the rule of German ALI
ances and married the Princess Dagmal
Of Denmark. Thus is added to the poet'l
admixture four glasses of water more
making in all eight glasses of water tt
one of wine, which leaves but sligh
coloring Of the latter. 1t is therefore
claimed that the present reigning family
of Russia is Holstein. Gottcrp rather
than Romanoff; but in reality the pres
ent reigning Czar OF Russia is not {
Romanof nor a Holstein- -Gottorp, ant
historical research will fairly substantiatt
the assertion that there is not droI
either of Holstein-Gottorp or Romanof
blood in his veins.
When Feodor Romanof, the Metro
politan of Rostof, and historically knowr
as Philaret, the patriotic monk, returned
to Russia after nine years Imprisonment
in Poland for refusing to consent to thu
accession of Ladislas, the Polish prince
to the Russian throne, he found that his
son Michael Feodorovitch had beer
elected Gar by the boyars (noblemen
during the first year OF his imprisonment
or in the year 1913.
The first of the Romanoff's was al
able man and good son. He governed
with prudence and moderation and sue
ceeded in bringing the disorganized ma
chine OF government again into play
He made his father co-regent upon tn,
latter's elevation to the patriarchal chai
in 1919, which had remained vacan
from the death OF Hermogenes in 1913
From this period dates the splendor Q
the patriarctrate which at later epoch
exciting the jealousy Of Peter the Grea
was suppressed by him at the close o
his reign, or in the year 1721.
Michael Feodorvitch, upon his death
was succeeded by his son, Alexi
Michaelovitch, who followed closely il
the footsteps of his father. The bio
graphers of Alexis writeS that he was G
mild and easy temper and neve
allowed himself to go beyon,
kicks and cuffs. In this respec
he was quite unlike his son, Peter tn,
Great, who had his first wife repeated,
whipped with the knout. Alexis mar
ried twice. His children by the frs
wife were Feodor and Ivan and severa
princesses. Sophia, the eldest daughter
at one period of her life directed thu
cratic course of the Romanof family
His children by the second wife wer,
Peter and Nathalie.
Upon the death of Alexis his eldes
son Feodor ascended to the throne. Fec
dor was of feeble temperament, and afte
brief reign his brothers, Ivan and Peter
and his sister, Sophia, reigned togethe
in sort OF co-partnership. The success
sion in the reigning family had now be
come very irregular and remained 81
until the accession to the throne OF Pau
L. Peter was the mightier of the tripl
rulers and in brief time constituted
himself Czar, and in his long reigI
gained the name Of Peter the Great.
| Under the rule of Peter the Great tn
progress OF Russia engaged the attention
OF the whole OF Europe and the greatness
OF the Romanof family reached its zen
ith. As Geddie says: "He seized tn,
tagging Russian nation fiercely ant
roughly by the throat and dragged i
HUH lto uOpihs bSCiuoioi Ill tuo fOlSi
forests into the full light of modern civil
ization."
Peter the Great murdered his son, tn,
Czarovitch Alexis, and upon the death o
the great Czar his wife Catherine as
cended the throne.
Catherine l is hardly worth mention
ing historically. The romance of hel
life, however, is at once repulsive ant
interesting. She was Livonian, and
when but girl was found by Russian
General weeping over her soldier hus
band who had been killed in battle. She
had been married but day when wild
owed, and the general took her under
his protection. From the tent o.
the soldier she went to the home
OF Prince Menschikoff, who be-
came enamored of her. From there she
passed to the palace of the Czar and re-
mained, first as the mistress of Peter the
Great and then as his wife. In marry
ing her Peter followed the same impulee
which moved his father to marry his
Peters, mother. She was Naryshkin
Of middle rank and the Czar
Alexis chose her as his second wife from
the sight of her shoe, which encased a
small and shapely foot. Catherine was
immoral and victim of Tokay wine.
Her reign was brief one, and she was
succeeded by Peter II, the son of the
murdered Alexis, and the grandson OF
Peter the Great.
Peter II died at the end of the third
year of his reign, and with his death the
male line OF the Romanofs became ex-
tinct. But, besides Elizabeth, the
daughter of Peter the Great, there were
alive three daughters of Ivan, the step
brother OF Peter the Great, and former