The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-11-22

lucOSLllO IL SLIP carpenter tuttt AC
help ship carpenters, and a mechanic that
he might help mechanics. and put on poor
mems garb tl4lt he might sympathZe with
men, and who in his last words said: MY
lord, ] am dying. Oh, help my unbelief."
l say from that time the throne of Russia
has for the most part been occupied by
rulers as benetcent and kind and sympa-
thetic as they were powerful. TO 60 no
further back than Nicholas, the grandfather
of the present emperor. Nicholas had for
the emancipation of the serfs. When it
was found that he premeditated the free
dom of the serfs, he received the following
letter of threat from deputation of noble
men: Your Imperial Majesty: We learn
that the council and senate of the empire
have before them for deliberation, 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 snip
port your will, but there are in Russia a
large number of small owners Of serfs, who
are dependent for actual subsistence on the
labor of those serfs and who consequently
will be left wholly penniess and without
any resource by the operation OF enamel
patton. They will then undoubtedly resort
to desperate measures, and in the extremity
of their despair will put the life of your
majesty in jeopardy" The emperor replied
III words that will last as long as history:
'Gcntlemen, if l should die because of my
meet my fate" When under an attack of
pneumonia from exposure to severe weather
i'll the service of his people, that emperor
put down his head on the pillow of dust,
Russia lost as good a monarch as was ever
crowned. Then came Alexander II, the
father of the present emperor. Amid the
mightest opposition, and innumerable pro-
tests, he, with one stroke Of his pen, eman-
cipated 2O,O0O,OUO serfs, practically saying:
Go free Re your own masters, and this
the day he was basely assassinated land /
will parinthetically say that l saw his car
rage III 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 l saw the bed
which he died, the mattress yet crimson with
his llfeS blood)-on the day he was assas-
sinated he had on his table found afterwaru
free constitution that proposed to give the
right OF suffrage to the people Of Russia.
Ii it had not been for the assassination, he
would have soon signed that constitution,
but that horrible violence put things back,
as violence always does. What Al marvel.
Gus character of kindness was Alexander H.
the father of the presenS emperor, sa thas
the present emperor. Alexander the Third in
herits his benignity. Alexander the Second,
hearing that :: nobieman had formed cob
spiracy against his life, had him arrested.
Then the eyes of the criminal were band
aged, and he war put in carriage and fer
a.
food. After Il while the bandage was re-
moved, and supposing that he must by that
time have been almost in Siberia, found that
he was at the door of his own home. But
this punishment was sufficient. The Same
emperor having heard that 4 poet had writ
ten poem defamatory of his empress, or
dered the poet into his presence. Inspecting
great severity, the poet entcrd the palace,
and found the emperor and empress and
dukes and duchessess gathered to-
rpthpr ~ tp10 morning ~ said tnil
emperor I'd the offender. Il 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," The man cried out Send
me to Siberia, or do anything with me. but
do not make me read this poem III your
presence" lie was competed TO read tho
defamatory poem, and then the empress
against whom it was aimed. sand, i do not
think he will write any more verses about
us again. Let him go" 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 ardent
ly loves him. But what an undertaking TO
rule one hundred and twelve million people,
made up of one hundred tribes and races,
and speaking forty different languages. But
Notwithstanding all this, things there move
on marvelousiy well, and l do not belleVe
that out of five hundred thusand russians
YOU would find more than one person who
c calnmn, Of dread of assassination
drops so fiat it can fall no fatter.
CaIrmny the Second. If YOU 20 TO Rusr
STA. you ere under seyerest espionage;
stoppod here and questioned there, and
in danger Ct arrest. But my opinion IS
that if a man is disturbed III Russia 1t Is
because he ough. to be disturbed. Rus
STA is the only country in Eurona IN when
nv baggage was not eXamlntc. car
ricd in my hand, tied together with a
cord so that their titles could be seen, a
nile of eight or ten books, all OF them
from lid TO lid cursipg Russia, but l hao
no troub.. in taking with me the DOCKS
There is ten times more difficult IN get
ting your baggage through the American
cnsJon house than through the Rus~
sian. / speak not for myself, for friends
interceded for me American wharves;
and l am not deiained l was seF e
DAYS in Russia before [ was asked II L
had any passport at al. Depelu upon
r. If hereafter n man believes he Is I'M
comfortably watched by the police OF St
Petersburg or Moscow, it is because there
is something suspicious abou- nun, any
Won yourself had better, when ne IS arc1na,
look after your silvec spoons. L promise
vor an honest man or an homes: woman
mat when you go there as many OF you
will for European travel IS deStiHeu -
cbanoa its course from southern EUROPE
- those northern regions, you VIII have
no more mOlestatOE or supervisor lnai
in Rroolllv.l or in New York or the quiet
est Long Island village. H..
Calumny the Third. Russia and It's ruler
are 81. opposed to any other religion except
The Greek religion. that they Will not Al
low any ether religion, that nothing but
persecution and imprisonment aud outrage
iDtolerable await the disciples OF any other
religion. But what arc the facts? / had Il
long ride in St. Petersburg and its sub Irba
" .fh the project, a brilliant, ethclent ana
lovely man. who is the highest official in
the city of St. Petersburg. and whose chief
business is to attend to the emperor: | said
to him: Il suppose that your religion is
that of the Greek church, No. said he,
Il am a Lutheran What is your re-
lcion?'' | said TO one of the highest ana
most influential officials at st. Petersburg.
He said: II am Of the Church of England"
Myself. an American, Of still another -
nomination of Christians, and never having
been inside of Il Greek church in my life
until | went to Russia, could not have re-
ceived more consideration had ! been bap-
fled in the Greek church and all my life
worshipped at her altaIs. l had it demon
| strated to me very plainly that mans re-
I Iirjon in Russia has nothing to do with his
! preferment of either office or social position.
! The only questions taken into such consid-
! Grafton are honesty, fidelity morality and
adaptation. ] had not been in St Peters
/ burg an hour before / received an invitation
! to nrcach the gospel of Christ as ] believed