Democratic messenger., 1892-11-26

but because of what she Will be. let IL
cease the defamation If all that pertains
to that great empire. Ii Russia can af-
ford to be the friend rf America. Amer
lea can afford to hc the friend Of Russia
And now proceed n what | told the
elnperorand the cupre ,, aul all the inn
perial family at the palace of the Peter
Lof | would do if ! ever got back 10
America. an! that Is 10 answer some Of
the caluEinirs which have been an
nounced and reiterated and stcreo,vpcd
against Russia.
Calumny the First The emperor and
all the imperial family arr in perpetual
dread of assassination. They are prac-
tically prisoners ii the winter palace,
and trenches with dynamite hay. been
found dug around the winter palace
They dare NOT venture forth. except pre-
ceded and followed and surrounded by %
most elaborate military guard
My answer 10 this is that | never saw
a face more free from worriment than
the empcror's face The winter palace
around which the trenches are said L.
have been charged with dynamite. and
in which the imperial family are said iu
be prisoners. has never been the resi-
dence of the imperial family one moment
since the present emperor has been on
the throne. That winter palace has been
changed into museum and a picture
gallery and place of great leveeS lie
spends his summer in the palace at Peter
hof, fifteen or twenty miles from ST.
Petersburg. his autulnns ut the palace AT
Gratschna and his winters in a palace
AT st. Petersburg, but i'll quite different
part of the city To that occupied by the
winter palace He rides through the
streets unattended, except by the en-
press AT his side and the driver on the
box. There is not 4 person in this audi.
ence more free from fear Of harm than
he is. His subjects not only admire him.
but almost worship him.
There are cranks in Russia. but have
We not had oEr Charles Guiteau and
John Wilkes Booth: But" SAYS some
one, did not the Russians kill the IA
ther of the present emperor" Yes. but
III the time that Russia has had one as.
sassination of emperor America has
had two presidents aSSassinated. But
is not the emperor an autocrat:" BY
which You mean. has he not power
without restriction: Yes, but it all de-
pends upon what use a man makes Of
his power. Are you an autocrat in your
factory. or an autocrat in your store. or
an autocrat in Your style Of business:
II all depends on what use you make If
Your power. whether 10 bless or to o,,-
press. and from the time of Peter the
Great-that Russian who was the Won
der of all time. the emperor who became
iucogrito a ship carpenter that he might
help ship carpenters. and mechanic
that he might help mechanics, and put
on poor mems garb that he might SYN
pathize with poor men. and who i'll his
last words said: My Lord. | am diving
Oh, help my unbelief"'- say. from that
time the throne of Russia has. for the
most part, been occupied By rulers rs
benefcent and kind and sympathetic as
they We're 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 il was found that he
premeditated the freedom of the serfs
he received the following letter Of threat
from deputation of noblemen: Your
Imperial Majesty-We learn that the
council and senate of the empire have
before them for delibcrajion. 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 large number of small own
ers of serfs who are dependent for actual
subsistence 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 desper-
ate measures and i'll the extremity Of
their despair will put the life of you.
majesty in jeopardy" The emperor
replied in words that will last as long
as history: Gentlemen. if | should
die because of my devotion to such u
cause, am willing 10 meet my fate.
When, under an attack Of pneumonia
from exposure 10 severe weather in the
service of his people. that emperor pnt
down his head on the pillow of dust.
Russia lost as good monarch rs was
ever crowned.
Then came Alexander the Second. the
father of the present emperor. Amid the
mightiest opposition and innumerable
protests he. with one stroke of his pen.
emancipated twenty million serfs. prac-
ticslly saving: Go free. Be your own
masters. and this is for Won ami your
children forever On the day he was
basely assassinatel (and | will paren-
thetically say that saw his carriage in
splinterS as il looked when he stepped
From il, not 10 save himself, but 10 look
after some poor people i'll the street who
had been hurt, and | saw the bed on
which he died. the matirass vet crimson
with his life's blood)-on the day he was
assassinatcd he had on his table. found
afterward. free constitution that pro
posed to give the right of suffrage to
the people of Russia. II il 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 marvel
ous character Of kindness was AlcXan-
der the Second. the father Of the present
emperor. SO that the present emperor.
Alexander the Third. inhcrits his be
nignity. Alexander the Second. hearing
that y noblcman had formed IA couSpir-
acy against his life. had him arrested.
Then the ewes If the criminal were band
aged. and he was put in Il carriage and
for some time Travelled on. only stopping Z
for food. After awhile the handage was
removed. aad supposing that he must
by that time have been almost in Siberia
lie found that he WAS NJ the door of ms
own home. But thi, punishment was
sufficient.
The same emperor having heard that
a poet had written y poem defImaiory
of his empress. ordered The poet into his