Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-02
FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 2. 1894.
The Oaath of the CZar.

The Death of the Gar.
The death OF Alexander III, OF Russia,
was typical OF his life as n ruler
Sovereign OF millions OF subjects, and of
vaster contiguous realm than any other
crowned head in Europe. autoerat Of
autocrats. he was none the less an I'M
perial prisoner almos, from the hour OF
his accession. and powerless IN his power.
Physically. one of the most perfect speci-
mems Of manhood OF his generation, and
capable Of performing prodigies Of
strength. after his last Illness developed
~ was as weak and az impotent as
babe. Truly. in both his rising and MS
PASSING away there is somethn; deeply
pathetic.
That liberalism. reaction. atrocities
have marked his reign IS all too true.
That during the fourteen years he welded
The sceptrc Of the R0manoffs most II
not all. the seeds of governmental re-
form sown by his father and prcdeces-
Tor were killed while terminating Is
"a sad reality The latter years Of his
czarsnlp constitute, when compared with
tLe closing years OF thu rule OF Alexander
Il. peculiarly gloomy ana reirogressiVe
chapter in the history OF Russia. act
now far Alexander III. was individually
responsible for this. and how far MS
reign was one OF lost opportunities y.
respect Of advancing Russia towards
those conditions under which some form
Of constitutional government would be
safe. are questions which. in justice 10 |
his memory. We should not essay to |
answer now.
When. al the age OF Sc. Alexander III. |
succeeded to the czarship the civilized |
world was in 4 shud1er Of horror at the |
assassination o. his fa,her. Thc Nihiiists' !
not satisfied with the death Of the father |
were breathing dire threats against me
cen, and investigation proved that the
shirt Of militant Nihilism had permeaied |
all classes. even the Imperial house was |
tainted with disaifection. The Russian
rtactionists were not slow 10 seize IRIS |
opportunity to bring the Car under Their |
Influence The war party. and the Obj
!icsc0w nobility. whose condition since |
the emarcipation Of the serfs mad be- |
come pitiablc. were, If not disloyAl, IN |
an rent to the drift OF events. Inus |
Alexander was bounded without his
palace by implacable foes and within It's
walls subject TO malgn domination.
INastr.-ls. therefore. as his posi-
ton. y AS in a sense an obscure man.
lie dared not travel over his own DO
mains. except through lines of sentinels.
and In his fortress home he was guarded
b. his counsellors against all influences
that would tend to broaden and liberaiize
his views lie lived between the shadow
Of the bomb and the dagger on one
hand and an Inspiration to retrogressive
and semi-barbarous methods on the other.
There was. however. one thing from
which 10 pressure could swerve him. and
in which he was his own master. No
conditions growing out Of the intrigues
OF the rcactionlsts, the pressure OF the
war party.or the outrages OF Nihilism were
sufficient To make him breal, the peace
Of Europe. IT has been truly said that in
the saddle and ut the head Of his army
Alexander III. would have been Gas free
and az safe as any other ruler IL Europe.
But he suffered all the Ills we have de-
picted, and stood continuously under the
sword Of Dlmocles rather than dcluge
the Continent in blood. For his firm
ness and courage In this matter he de-
serves the gratitude not only Of Russia.
but Of all the other powers as well. and
will be accorded lasting honors.
Alexander married Princess DaFlnar.
second daughter of King Christian, Of
Denmark. and whatever may have been
bis shortc. nings as a monarch we know
that his domestic life was pure and beau
tful. No; only In his own person did
he reverse. as far as morals are concern
ed. the history OF his family. bat he was
the ruthless punlsher Of RIGHTEOUSNESS
md immortality In others.
Nicholas. the Czarowltch. was born in
1865. and as We said few days since
In anticipating the death Of the Gar,
Europe Will not breathe freely until he
has held the sceptre a sufficient length
OF time 10 discover a definite policy. IL,
as regards foreign relations. he follows in
the footsteps OF his father. the peace
OF the Continent will probably remain
undistur6ed cor many years II, how
ever. he should prefer to be the idol OF
the war party rather than the prisoner of
the reacllonists aud the Nihilists the
heNitdble-that Is. another dash on the
Bosphorus and the Dardeneiles. another
enort TO plant the cross on ST. Sophia
Will come during his reign. As 10 the
policy Of Nicholas In dealing with the
internal Affairs Of Russia-especialiy the
question Of more freedom-we cannot
expect him TO snap suddenly the letters
'lht bound his father. Nevertheless. We
may hope for the best on this point a.
We 90 in the matter OF his attitude TO-
wards the European peace problem.