The Globe-republican., 1889-11-13
PETER THE GREAT.
The Half Crazy Imperial Genius Who
Created Modern Russia.

! The Half Crazy Imperial Genius Who
/: Created Modern Russia.
In 1722 he created himself Emperor,
placing the imperial crown upon his
own head, and soon after on that OF the
Livonian peasant girl whom he married,
the mistress of his favorite Prince
Menschikoff, once an itinerant vender
of meat pies: she afterward succeeded
Peter as Empress Catherine l. His
merciless cruelty was shown early, on
his return from his first journey. after
pulling down the revolt OF the Streletz.
a body of janissaries who had risen to
replace his sister Sophia on the throne.
He executed 1000 of them in cold blood.
His only son Alexis, who had opposed
his measures and was accused among
other crimes of defending the proscrib-
ed boards and chaftans of the peasants"
had gone abroad with his wife, but was
lured home by an offer of reconcllla-
ton, when he was seized and condemn
ed to death by his father and executed
in prison.
His interference was az trying In
SINAI! as in great things. One story OF
his didactic tyranny sounds like lesson
out of Stamford and Merton" 1t Is
told by Frenchman who heard it on
the spot in Finland, where he was sent
by Louis Phillipe's government to OBJ
tain blocks of red poryhyry which
the Car Nicholas had granted
for the tomb of Napoleon under the dome
of the Invalides at Paris. Peter was
travelling incognito in part of Finland
just conquered, where he was executing
some naval works. He met an over-fat
man, who told him he was going to
Petersburg. ''What for?" asked the
Car. '.To consult doctor about my
fat, which has become very oppressive"
''Do you know any doctor there?" ''No."
"Then l will give you word to my
friend, Prince Menschikoff and he will
introduce you to one of the Emperors
physicians" The traveller went to the
princes house with note, the answer
was not delayed; the next day, tied
hand and feet, the poor man was dragged
off on a cart to the mines. Two years
after Peter the Great was visiting the
mines when suddenly the miner threw.
down his pick, rushed up to him, and
fell at his feet crying: ':Grace. grace,
what is it 1 have done?" Peter looked
at him astonished, until he remembered
the story, and said: ooh, so that is you;
l hope you are pleased with me. Stand
up. How thin and slight you have be-
come! You are quite delivered from
your over-fat; it is first-rate cure. Go,
and remember that work is the best
antidote against your complaint!' Prob
ably, as over-fat is a disease, the poor
man died of his ''cure."
''The impatient activity of Peter" as
a German writer calls it, attempted i'm
possibilities; a perfectly barbarous peo-
pie could not be dragged up to the level
of civilization of other nations by mere
force of despot's will without passing
through any of the intermediate stages.
Accordingly the mass of the Russian
people continues much the same in hab-
its and education as they were when
Peter began his reforms, and sort of
vaneer among the people and military
classes covers degree of bar
barism and corruption which the
rest of Europe has long left
behind. The restless ambition which
he bequeathed to his successors has gone
on to the present day. Cut off at first
both from the Baltic and Black seas,
they conquered the intervening terri
tory in each case, and now declare that
they will never rest until they get pos
session of the Dardanelles, without
which we have not the key to our own
house," said Alexander the First.-Nine-
teenth Century.