Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-12-02

Are you an auoocrat n your factory, or an
autocrat in your store. or an autocrat in
your style of busineSs7 1t all depends on
what use you make of your power. whether
to bless ca to Cypress, and from the time OF
Peter the Great-that Russian who was the
wonder of all time, the emperor who became
incognite a ship carpenter that he might
help ship carpenters, and q mechanic that
he might help mechanics, and put on poor
mems garb that he might sympathlz3 with
poor men, and who in his last words said:
INV Lord, am dying. Oh help my unbe-
Russia has for the most part. been occupied
by rulers as benefcent and kind AMI sym
pathetic as they were powerful
To go no further back than Nicholas, the
grandfather of the present emperor.
Nicholas had for the dominant idea of his
administration the emancipation OF the
serfs. When 1t was found thai he premedl-
tated the freedom of the serfs he received
the following letter Of threat from a deputa-
ton of noblemen: ''Your Imperial Majesty
I'VE learn that the council and senate of
the empire have before them for delibera-
ton, with your sanction, the plan TO abolish
serfdom throughout the Russian empire.
We are perfectly willing to abide by your
majesty's decision in this matter and to
loyalty support your will, but there are in
Russia a large number of small owners Of
serfs who are dependent for actual subsist-
ence on the labor Of those serfs, and who
consequently will be LEFT wholly penniless
and without any resource by the operation
of emancipation. They will then undoubtedly
resort to desperate measures, and in the ex-
tremity of their despair will put the life OF
your majesty in jeopardy"
The emperor replied in words that will
last as long as history. 'Gentlemen, if L
should die because Of my devotion TO such a
cause, | am willing to meet my fate" When,
under an attack of pneumonia from ex-
posture to severe weather in tn e service or
his people, that emperor put down his head
on the pillow of dust, Russia lost as good
monarch was ever crowned. Then came
Alexander the Second, father Of the present
emperor. Amid the mightiest opposition
and innumerable protests, he, with one
stroke of his pen, emaucipated twenty mil
lion serfs, practically saying, 'No free. Be
your own masters aud this is for you and
your children forever"
On the day he was basely assassinated
land L will parenthetically say that l saw
his carriage in splinters, as it looked when
he stepped from it, not to save himself, but
to look after some poor people Of the street
who had been hurt, and | saw the bed
which he died, the mattress yet crimson with
his life's bloodl-on the day he was assassin
ated he had on his table, found afterwar1, a
free constitution that proposed to give the
right Of suffrage to the people Of Russia. If
it had not been for the assassination he
would bave soon signed that constitution,
UQaC violence put Things Ddch,
as violence always does.
What marvellous character of kindness
was Alexander the Second, the father Of the
present emperor, so that the present en-
peror, Alexander the Third, inherits his be-
nightly. Alexander the Second, hearing
that nobleman had formed a conspiracy
against his life had him arrested. Then the
eyes of the criminal were bandaged and he
was put in a carriage, and for some time
travelled on, only stopping for food. After
awhile the bandage was removed, and sup
posing that he must by that time have been
almost in Siberia, he found that he was at
the door of his own home. But this pun
ishnent was sufficient.
The same emperor, having heard that
poet had written a poem defamatory of his
empress, ordered the poet into his presence.
Expecting great severity, the poet entered
the palace and found the emperor and en-
press and dukes and ducheSses gathered to-
gether ''Good morning" said the emperor
to the offender. II hear you have written
a most beautiful poem, and have sent for
you that you may read it to us and we may
have the pleasure of hearing it," TIE man
cried out, "Send me- to Siberia or do any
thing with me, but do not make me read this
poem in your frssence." He was compelled
to read the detamatorv poem, and then the
empress, against whom it was aimed said:
''I do not think he will write any more
verses about us again. Let him CO." And
so he was freed
And now comes in Alexander the Third.
doing the best things possible for the nation
which he loves and which as ardently loves
him. But what an undertaking to rule one
hundred and twelve million people, made up
of one hundred tribes and races and speak
ing forty different languages! But notwith-
standing all this, things there move on mar
velously well, and do not believe that out
of five hundred thousand Russians you
would find more than one person who dis
likes the emperor and SO that calumnv of
dread of assassination drops so fat it can
fall no f1atter.
Calumny the Second-If you go to Russia
you are under severeSt espionage stopped
here and questioned there. and i'll danger of
arrest. But my opinion is that If a man
is disturbed in Russia it is because he
ought to be disturbed. Russia is the only
country i'll Europe in which my baggage
was not examined. l carried in my hand,
tied together with a chord so that their
titles could be seen. pile Of eight or ten
books, all of them from lid to lid cursing
Russia but had no trouble in taking with
me the books. There is ten times more diff
Guilty in getting your luggage through the
American custom house than through the
Russian. I speak not Of myself, for friends
intercede for me Oh American wharves, and
am not detained. l was several days in
Russia before l was asked if | had any pass
port ct all.
Depend upon it, if hereafter a man be-
Heves he is unc comfortably watched by the
police of ST. Petersburg or Moscow it is be-
cause there is something suspicious about
him, and you yourself had better, when he
is around. look after your silver spoons. I
promise you, an honest man an honest
woman, that when you go there, as many of
you will-for European travel is destined to
change its course from southern Europe to
those northern regions-you will have no
more molestation supervisal than in
Brooklyn or New York or the quietest Long