The Yale expositor., 1894-11-09
THE CAR IS DEAD.
III SUCCUMBS TO
HIS DISEASE.
His Last Moments Were PeacefuI.-Grand
Duke Nicholas to Succeed IIim.-The
Reign or Alexander III Ono of Peace
and Qutet.-Othcr News of Interest.

The angel of death, in the shadow
of whose pinions Alexander III, the
autocrat Of all the Russias, lay for
many days. finally beckoned, and the
soul of the man who had in his hands
the lives and destinies of millions upon
millions of men was borne away.
Calmly and peacefully as sleeping
babe he who by his slightest word
could have plunged Europe into war,
the horrors of which would defy des.
cription, fell into the dreamless sleep
which he feared not For two DAYS
before the end when the doctors in
formed the ear that there was no
longer room for hope, his majesty COM
posedly waited for the end, attending
the necessary state and family affairs
in the short intervals of consciousness
and freedom from pain.
The morning of the great rulers
last day on earth opened with rain and
wind and heavy clouds, and the
weather much colder. As the day adj
vanced his weakness increased so
rapidly that the car himself still
conscious, recognized that he could
live only few hours. He expressed u
desire to receive the sacrament, which
was administered to him by Court
Chaplain Yanisheff and FIR. Ivan in the
presence of the whole family. The
ear then conversed long and earnestly
with Father Ivan, concluding by ask
ing his family to again gather around
him. He spoke TO each member separ-
ately and at the greatest length with
the cZarina. lie blessed all his children
present The scene was one of deep
a in
time his majesty was sitting up in an
arm chair. After taking leave of his
family he grew gradually weaker and
his voice became SO indistinct that it
was scarcely audible. About noon
convulsive tit of coughing was followed
by a slight rally. Thence until the
end the ear remained quiet, seemingly
free from pain. At 2:l5 o'clock he
heaved "A deep sigh and breathed his
last in the arms of the empress, who
then broke down with the weight of
her grief. The doctors fear the results
of reaction upon her already exhausted
system.
When all was over the czarewitch
and the other imperial relatives took
last farewell. Shortly after o'clock
the members of the palace guard were
marshaled in the square in front of the
palace chapel for the ceremony Of
swearing allegiance to the new ear.
They were the first to take the oath.
The grand dukes were the next to
10 swear allegiance and they were
followed in the order of precedence by
the high court functionaries, court
officials, military officers and civil
Officials.
Alexander III was born March 10, 1915, and
maj rinl nf pf
in 1850. Alter his fathers death, through fear
Of assassination, he shut himself up in his
palace at Gatschina. His coronation was post
poned until 1888 and was celebrated with extra
ordinary magnihcencc. and national festivities
During the reign Of this emperor Russia stead
lily pursued her policy OF conquest and OF the
the consolidation OF her dominion. As regards
European AFFAIRS his policy on the whole much
resembled that OF his father with an evident
desire for peace. In 1857 there were repeated
attempts by the revolutionary party on the life
OF the car and on that account an invisible but
impossible barrier has been maintained
between him and the public. By reason OF this
barrier accurate knowledge OF Alexander the
man was concealed, as all precise information
concerning his empire aud the world at large
had been kept hidden from him.
The ear was a man OF great strength and he
was very fond OF exercising himself when pos
stb!e by ckopping logs. digging bitches and the
like. Among to- peasants he was greatly
beloved ana IN "a ne was known as the
peasant car In character he was man OF
deep sympathy, but the fact that his advisers
kept rom him the true condition OF his people
prevented him from doing for them as he
might have done. He was OF strong Will when
once decided and was greatly devoted TO the
cZarina, was she to him and she, OF all who
had free access to him. was the only one who
told him the truth, to make clear to him the
feelings OF amaZement, horror and disgust that
is entertained toward Russia and its govern
ment by the more enlightened nations of the
west and her expressed desire for radical
changes must have resulted for good long ago
had it not been for the influence exercised
over Alexander by his old tutoT,; NJ
PObiedonosten. This man has always been a
conservative OF the conservatives. In' his per-
son has been manifest the very quintesSence Of
the medieval spirit and the present. situation
in Russia is undeniably OF his creation IL was
TO the procurator's influence that the crusade
against the Jews was due.