New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-08


These diaries OF George Mifn Dallas a"oru
animated and interesting descriptions OF tne au,
thors experiences while representing tine Cniteu
States at ST. Petersburg and at st. James - c
account of his Russian embassy in ls3'-re5V
gives much information concerning the Court OF
| Nicholas and the condition Of Russian society Az
the time Mr. Dallas appears TO have been eNceeu-
ingly popular at ST. Petersburg, and to have gone
everywhere ard seen everything. lie was eVidcnt
much liked personally by the Car. VINO never
mi ,sed an opportunity Of conversing with him.
and showing him special honors and favors Being
! so well received By the Emperor he was OF course
persona grata" in society. md the highest person
ages of tie Empire We'd with one another in enter
tanning and honorng him. lie was at ST. petersburg
! when the destruction OF the Winter Palace by fire
occurred. His description of the disaster might DC
clearer in points, but he seems to assert that
| no attempt made TO fight the fire. and that
| there was no fire department available Tor the
purpose The police and military tookSharge OF the
! burning building. and after several accidents had
occurred in attempting 10 save the treasures con-
tanned in it, the Gar gave orders that no more
lives should he put in danger, and so the enormous
edilce was permitted to burn down. Much
| propcrty was, however saved for Mr.. Dallas states
that the palace and its contents were valued at
$40 900. O00 and that the loss amounted 10
81 900, 600 The Gar gave orders that il should
be Immediately rebuilt, and with such expedition
was the work Of restoration carried on that in
year the palace was completed. II the humanity
| OF the Car would not allow his subjects to rlsk
their lives in saving property AZ the fire, no such
con.idt ration applied 10 the rebuilding. for
| Mr. Dallas says that the sacrifice Of life among
| the three thousand workmcn employed was fear
| full owing 10 rho unwhoesomc atmosphere pro-
duced by the necessity OF keeping up very high
temperature in order to dry the walls quickly.
| Some OF the best things in the book are stories
| told Mr.. Dallas by men OF distinction. lie thus
| heard curious anccdotc Of the deceased Emperor
! Alexander told concerning his stay in Paris after
the abdication OF Napoleon. lie was fond of visit
| ing the cx-Emprcss Josephine at Malmaison, and
| coming one dav from such a call Inc met n French
officer in a curricle and pair who would not yield
the road. the consequence being that there was n
| collision the curriclc was upset and broken and
| it's owner thrown out The Emperor alighted
Immediately begged the officers pardon. hoped he
was not hurt and ascribcd the disaster to the
| carcrssrcss Of his coachman "No." was the reply,
| "you are doubtless ono Of those who have con-
| qucrcd our capital. and You think 20 ride rough
! shod over IFS hut ! will not submit TO such in
| dignitics and wrongs. | demand the satisfaction
| due Ia an insultcd man. There is my address,
and expect TO see YOU by eleven o'clock to-mor-
row morning" Agreed" said his Majesty; you
| shall be satisfied Early the next day the En-
peror sent General Kis-licf 10 the Frenchman with
a splendid currcle and two of his finest horses,
requesting him TO accept them in lien Of the in
| nrcd ones. AZ first the Frcnchman haughtily
declined saying that hc wanted the personal
presence of General Kissilicfs friend and a,so-
ciatc and would receive nothing but the satisfac-
| ton Of an apology or duel lie was thunder
struck. seys " SoltlkoG and overwhelmed, when
Kissilicf replied That il impossible Ny friend il
| his Majesty, the Emperor of Russia.
| The following particulars Of the death Of
Morcau were related 10 Mr.. Dallas by Sir James
| WIFE, who was the Cars physician. NJ. Dallns
asked wylc where lie was when Moreau was
killed at Dresden "Cloec by him.. was the re-.
plv aud amputatcd both his legs At the thighs. y
lie ihcn gave me. with his usual garruty, a
| long and not unintcrcsting account Of the par
| ,icmlars OF that wcl-known event. Morcau's first
| exclamation TO him was 'Qu'il est fachcuX mon
| cher Docteur. que CO miserable iNnpolcon' m
| nttrapc lei They were Obliged 70 NOV" him
! about good deal In order 10 got him into place
of safety hut Sir James thinks that the operation
had been 80 fortunate that hc would have sur
yivcd had no, Mef,crnich and the Duke of Cum
| bcrland thrown him into fever by prolonged
| political Conversations" Prince lfohcnlohc told
| Mr. Dallas the following nnccdoie OF Jerome Bona
| partc. lie had hcrn playing cards until he lost
| all his ready money then pledged hi> rings and
finally laid his watch on tho table. II was n
small GOLD one. tire bncl, of which opened with =
apring 4 lady. overlooking thr gam'. admired
| tho watch. and took il M &c examine. On her
a,tcnrting 20 opcn the bac; Jerome Immediately
| claspcI il. and said that must not bc done. Ills
wife. who stood by. insisted upon Knowing what
was i'm il: grew angry. rcproachcd him with
| having some keepsake Of favoritc there. and
finally. bursting into tears quit the room. Jcrom"
| thcn opcncd the watch showed IN oil present
| that il contained beautiful miniature Of his
| first wife ulciecy Patterson, with the remark ::
| You sce. hope that could not with proprlety
| LET her see it. The Prince says that II was no.
! toriou, that re remained deeply attached TO bis
first wife long after their separation
The espionage practs"d by the Russian Govern
| men; and its INSCRIPTIONS manipulation Of TN"
mails are long 't,hding abuses. or the latter.
| Mr. Dallas has this - say: The dscreiitablc
| practice Of opening letters rs they pass through
the Postoice--a practice said TO he universal, AMI
| Of which have had convincing proolS-is attcsted
by several anecdotes current here, Of which note
the two following Not long ago one of the
! foreign ministers complained in person TO Count
| Nerclrodc hat hr had received n bundle Of
| dispatches through the Postofcc rumpcd. torn.
| and obviously having been opened. The Count
| cooy observed. 1T must have been dorc very
| carcessly: | will give instructions against such
negligence in future On another occasion the
| Swedish Minister, meeting the Director General
| OF the Pos,ofic". casually said 20 him tl1t his
| eubornatcs ought t. be more careful in their
| process of examining his letters; the Director
| gravcly protested that nothing Of the sort was
| done "Oh, don't mind it, said the Baron ::
but as in their hurry they sent me my dispatches
| from Stockholm with the scil OF the Minister Of
| Foreign Affairs OF Holland think they want
| featuring" The way in which dcspotsm NEEDLES
with the mails in another fashion in illustrated hy