Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-08

The dead Gar was the second son of
Alexander II. and was born in ST. Peters
burg on the Goth of February (m0dern
style,) 1876 He and his eldest brother
were educated under the general direction
of Count Stroyanov, who had for his as
sistants NJ. de Grimm and NJ. Pobiedo-
nostzev, the present head of the Sacred
Synod. Upon the death of the Tscsare-
witch, in 1865, he was recognized formally
as the heir to the throne and was presented
to the Cossacks as their Ataman. In the
following year he was married to the Prin-
cess Dagmar, daughter OF the King OF
Denmark, who had been betrothed to his
brother. During the Franco-Prussan war
his sympathies were understood to be with
the French, although his father favored
the Germans. In the war between Russia
ind Turkey in 1877 he nDminally com
manded the Twelfth and Thirteenth Army
Corps and was present at the hard fighting
around Schumla and Rustchuk and the
bloody struggles In front of Plevnn.
The murder of his father by the Nihilists
in March, 1881. threw the y h lie Russian
nation into a panic, and the state of the
public mind was far from favorable to the
execution of the plans of liberal reform
which he was believed to have at heart.
Upon his accession to the throne, he issued
manifesto simply asserting his absolute
power, and then withdrew to CATCHING,
where he remained in retirement for
long period, until his public coronation.
Among his earliest acts were the substitu-
ton of Count IgnatieIf for General Loris.
Melikoff us Minister of the Interior, and
the elevation of his old tutor, Pobiedono-
stvev, to his present position. He also APP
pointed NJ. de Giers, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, upon the retirement of the veteran
Gortchak0tf. His next step was to cement
the friendly relations existing between
Russia and Austria aud Germany, but from
the first he exhibited tendency to keep
himself free from the complications of
European diplomacy and to avoid entang-
ling alliances. His refusal of support to
Prince Alexander of Bulgaria led to the
resignation of the latter (after his roman
tic abduction,) and TO the last he declined
to enter into any kind 81 official relations
with the present Prince, Ferdinand of
Saxe-CoburE, although the latter, il is said,
was quite ready to throw himself into his
| arms u little while ago.
His policy in Asia was more aggressive
and he entered into important negotiations
| with China. which resulted in his obtain
| ing important mercantile concessions and
the extension of his frontiers to the
| boundaries of Afghauistan and Thibet.
| This excited anger and apprehension In
Great Britain, but the threatened danger
| of q conflict was averted by the appoint
ment of special commissioners to settle all
frontier questions Another great event
of his reign was the opening OF the Trans.
Caspian railroad to Merry, which occurred
| in loS6. In the same year the free port OF
Batum was transformed by ukase into q
maritime fortress, and the Black Sea fleet
again came into existence, in spite of the
stipulatlons of the treaty of Berlin. Oi
late even the agreement concerning the
passage Of men-of-war through the Oar
danelles, practically has been disregarded.
As regards the interior affairs of his EN-
pire his reign was marked by great activity
on the part OF the Nihilists and the adop
ton of a vigorous policy Of repression, MOI
only against open revolutionists, bu
students and all young men exhibiting
any trace of the modern progressive spirit
The natural consequence OF all this was {
succession of plots against his life, result
ing in condition OF nervous strain which
finally proved too much for even his ri
gantic strength and iron constitution.
During the last year or two the financia
relations between Russia and France be
came very intimate and a political friend
ship was established which led the French
to believe that the Gar was ready to be
come the ally of the republic in a Euro
pean war. An interchange of nava
courtesies provoked extraordinary display
of national enthusiasm in both countries
and in Paris the most extravagant antici
palions of coming revenge upon Germany
were cherished. The Gar. however
threw cold water upon all these patriotic
aspirations and proclaimed himself still
the friend of peace. Throughout hi
public career he has exerted his tremen
dous powers iii behalf of pacific policy
and his well-known horror of war ha
been regarded for long time as one of tn
surest foundations Of European confidence
Personally tie Gar was u good-natgret
giant, wholly devoted to his family, AM
never SO happy as when he could get
brief respite from political cares and stat
ceremony. He was prouder of being re
ported the strongest man in his dominion
than of his position as alitocrat. The as
sassinntion of his father checked hi
earlier impulses towards liberalism, but hi
natural disposition was just and kindly
although his intellect was little obtuse
For many of the outrages against libert
committed in his name lie was not respon
sble, even if he were cognizant of them
He himself, like his subjects, was til
| m "A a auefap,