Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-10
THE STORY OF A RUSSIAN ROYAL
FAMILY.

BILE poetic address of Constantine, Rus
sian Grand Duke, to the young men Of
Russia, in which he invited them to revo-
luton and the overthrow of the Car. 1t
was remarked at the time that such ex-
preston from one of the Imperial family
is more significant than il made by one
not related to the Car. It was Tolstoi
who declared that ''the Importance of
mans deeds are magnifed in equal ratio
to the cube of his social elevation 1t
will be interesting therefore to learn just
who Constantine is and what his relations
are to the Gar, and when we have ascer-
tanned the facts we will discover that it is
not because he has such sympathetic
heart for the oppressed of Russia that he
laments their woes in verse, as that he
hates the Car for personal reasons and
that this hatred is intensified by feud
of long standing between the two branches
of the family.
The Grand Duke Constantine Constan-
tinovitch is son of Constantine Nicolae-
witch, who was the brother of Alexander
ii. and son of the Car Nicholas. Alex
ander was the eldest son. His father be-
came heir to the throne by the abdieation
of rights as heir apparent on the part of
Constantine Pavlovitch, brother of Alex
ander l., in favor Of Nicholas who became
Gar. After this abdication Constantine
Nicolaevitch was born. 1t will be seen,
therefore, that the father of the revolu-
tionary poet of to-day, though the second
son of Nicholas, was the first son born
after Nicholas became heir-apparent Be-
cause of this fact he and his friends held
that his claim to the succession was supe-
rior to that of the elder son. Gar Nicho-
las, however, would not take this view of
the case, and the elder accordingly was
recognized as Czaravitch and in due time
became Emperor. But Constantine Nico-
laevitch cherished his desire for
the throne and accordingly hated his
brother, and while his father was still up
on the throne engaged in Polish conspira-
cies against him. When Alexander II.
was crowned he forgave his brother and
sought to engage his unquestioned talents
in the interests of Russia, and as he had
broad statesmanlike qualities he made him
President Of the Council of State. But it
was discovered that he was using his place
to undermine the Gar, and the latter, at
the suggestion Of his son, the present Car,
removed him, and exiled him to his es-
tates in the Crimea, near the Imperial
seat of Livadia. When the present Gar
came to the throne the exile was made
stricter and as rigid as was possible. Con-
stantine therefore remained on his estates
and busted himself as a manufacturer of
wine.
Alexander H. is cousin to the children
of this banished pretender to the imperial
crown of Russia. These children. are FIVE
in number The eldest is Nicholas; the
second is the beautiful woman who is now
the Queen of Greece; the third is the
widowed Duchess of Wurtemburg; the
fourth is the poet SO recently made notori-
GUS for his Nihilism. who is now branded
as a traitor 10 his house. He is SO years
old, the husband of Princess Elizabeth Of
-Altenbourg, and he has two children
The fifth child of Nicholas is the Grand
Duke Dimitry. The poet son inherits his
fathers intellectual ability aud love of
politics, and treasures bitterly the wrongs"
OF his house in being excluded from the
succession. He was early famous as poet,
but lately his writings became so open in
their assault upon the Government and
the Gar that the authorities were COM
PEELED to prescribe them. Hence the
Grand Duke prints them himself, as no
publisher dares TO touch them. This ac-
ton has made the Car terribly angry, and
he was recently disposed to send his cousin
to Siberia, but as the poet has the con-
sumption this was abandoned as being too
harsh usage.
The eldest son, brother to the poet, is a
man Of brilliant talents. Some years ago
a beautiful American adventures en-
shared him and helped him spend all his
cash in short order. Being finally REL
duced to an empty purse and his charmer
threatening to leave him, the young man
stole his mothers Jewels, which she had
placed upon the altar Of the palace as
decorations on the occasion Of fete. This