The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-11-22

world hold our government responsible
for exceptional Outrages: As soon as al
official Is found to be cruel he immedi
ately loses his place
Then l bethought myself, Do the peo-
pie in America hold the government al
Washington responsible for the Home
stead rists, or for railroad in=urrections
or for the torch of the villain that con
sumes block of houses, or for the ruff
fans who arrest a rail train, making the
passengers hold up their arms until the
pockets are picked? Why then hold the
emperor of Russia, who is as impressive
and genial a man as l have ever looked
at or talked with, responsible for the
wrongs enacted In a nation with popu
lation more than twice as large in mum
bers as the millions of America?
Suppose one monarch in Europe ruled
over England, Scotland. Ireland, France
Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Nor
way and Sweden. Would it be fair tC
hold the monarch responsible for all that
occurred IN that mighty dominion;
Now you must remember that Alexan-
der the Third reigns over wider doinin-
ion than all those empires put together
on big scale. let me ask. Would you
individually prefer to be judged by your
faults or your virtues? All people, eX-
cept ourselves, have faults.
The pessimist attempting TO write
your biography would take you III ycn:
weaker moods, AMI the picture OF you
on the first page of your biography
would be as you looked after some
meanness had been practiced on you and
you We're tearing mad. Now, as | am an
optimist, give you fair warning that il
| ever write Your biography will t+ke
You as you looked the day your divi-
dends came in twenty per cent. larger
than you ever anticipated. or the morning
on your was 10 business after your firsi
child was born, or the morning after
your conversion. when heaven had
rolled in on your soul. The most nc
cursed homunculi OF all the earth are
the pessimists, who. whether they Judge
individual or national character, aud
whether they WELD tongue or pen, ART
filled with INSTRUMENTATION. and who
have more to say about the freckles on
the cheek of beauty than of the sunrise>
and sunsets that flush it.
1t is most important that this country
have right ideas concerning Russia, for
among all the nations this side of
heaven Russia is Americas best friend.
There has not been an hour in the last
seventy-five years that the shipwreck of
free institutions in America would not
have called forth from all the despotisms
of Europe and Asia a shout of gladness
wide as earth and deep as perdition
But whoever else failed us, Russia never
did, and whoever else was doubtful
Russia never was. Russia, then an old
government smiled on the cradle of our
government while yet III its earliest in
fancy. Empress Catherine of Russia in
1916 or Whereabouts offered kindly inter
ference that our thirteen colonies might
not 90 down under the cruelties of war.
Again, i'll 1918, Russia stretched forth
toward us a merciful hand. When our
dreadful civil war was raging, and the
two thunder clouds of northern and
southern valor clashed, Russia practi-
cally said to the nations of Europe
Keep YOUR hands off and let the brave
men of the north and the south settle
their own troubles" Prince Gortscha-
koif, the Russian statesman, diplomatisr
and prime minister, during that war
looked earnestly into the face of Bayard
Taylor, our minister plenipoteutiary to
Russia, and said: Russia alone has
stood by YOU from the first, and we will
continue 10 stand by you. You know
the sentiment of Russia. We desire,
above all things, the maintenance OF the
American Union as one indivisible
Union. We cannot take any part more
than we have done. We have no hos
tility to the southern people. Russia has
declared her position and will maintain
it. There will be proposals for inter
vention. We believe that Intervention
could do no good at present. Proposals
will be made to Russia to join i'll some
plan of interference. She will refuse
any invitation of the kind. Russia will
occupy the same ground as at the begin
ming of the struggle. You may rely
upon it, she will not change"
[ rehearsed some of trose scenes to the
emperor last July. saying, You We're
probably too young to remember the pO
sition your father took at that time, but
with radiant smile he responded, "Oh,
yes; remember, [ remember" and
there was an accentuation of the words
which demonstrated to me that these
occurrences had often been talked of in
the imperial household.
1 stood on New York Battery during
the war, as l suppose many of you did.
looking off through a magnifying glass
upon fleet of Russian ships. What
are they doing there?' l asked. and SO
every one asked. What business have
the Russian warships i'll our New York
harbOr?' Word came that another fleet
of Russian warships was in San Fran
cisco harbor. What does this meiln?"
our rulers asked. but did not get inme-
date answer. In these two American
harbors the Russian fleets seemed sound
asleep. Their great mouths of iron
spoke not a word, and the Russian flag.
whether floating in the air or dropping
by the flagstaff, made 10 answer 10 our
inquisitiveness. William II. Seward.
secretary of Stlta asked the Russian