The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-26

innocent persons! have you no IN
stances where people in brief authority
act arrogantly? I replied, eyes, we
do" Then she said: why does the
world hold our government responsible
for exceptional outrages? AS soon as an
official is found to be cruel he immedi-
ately loses his place."
Then bethought myself, Do the peo-
pie in America hold the government at
Washington responsible for the Home
stead riots, or for railroad instructions,
or for the torch Of the villain that con-
sumes block of houses, Or for the ruff
fans who arrest 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 man as have ever looked
at or talked with, responsible for the
wrongs enacted in a nation with a popu-
lation more than twice as large in num-
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 to
hold the monarch responsible for all that
occurred in that mighty dominion?
Now you must remember that Alexan-
der the Third reigns over wider domin-
ion than all those empires put together.
AS a nation is only man or a woman
on big scale. let me ask, Would you
individually prefer to be judged by your
faults OF your virtues? All people, ex-
cept ourselves, have faults.
The pessimist attempting to write
your biography would take you in your
weaker moods, and the picture of you
on the first pags of your biography
would be as you looked after some
meanness had been practiced on you and
you were tearing mad. Now, as am an
optimist, give you fair warning that if
ever write your biography will take
you as you looked the day your divi-
dends came in twenty per cent. larger
than you ever anticipated, Or the morning
on your way to business after your first
child was born, or the morning after
your conversion, when heaven had
rolled in on your soul. The most &C
cursed homuneui of all the earth are
bi1C DS3SSlullotb, WllCs WaEphOA tilOJ Jo0SO
individual or national character, and
whether they WELD tongue or pen, are
filled with anathematization, and who
have more to say about the freckles ON
the cheek of beauty than of the sunrises
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-fve 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 in its earliest in
fancy. Empress Catherine of Russia In
1778 or thereabouts offered kindly inter
ference that our thirteen colonies might
not go down under the cruelties of war.
Again, in 1918, Russia stretched forth
toward us 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-
koff, the Russian statesman, diplomatist
and prime minister, during that war
looked earnestly into the face of Bayard
Taylor, our minister plenipotentiary to
Russia, and said: Russia alone has
stood by you from the first, and we will
continue to 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 IN 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"
Irehearsed some of those scenes to the
emperor last July, saying, You were
probably too young to remember the po-
sition your father took at that time, " but
with radiant smile he responded, "Oh,
yes; 1 remember, I 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.
stood on New York Battery during
the war, as suppose many of you did,
looking off through magnifying glass
upon feet of Russian ships. ''What
are they doing there?' asked, and SO
every one asked. 1'What business have
the Russian warships in our New York
harbor?' Word came that another feet
of Russian warships was in San Fran
cisco harbor. What does this mean?'
our rulers asked, but did not get imme-
date answer In these two American
harbors the Russian fleets seemed sound