The morning call., 1894-07-01
BARS TO A ROYAL MARRIAGE.

1t appears that the course OF true love Is
not running smooth in the royal family OF
Russia. A few days ago it was announced
that Nicolai Alexsndrovitch, heir-apparent
to the throne of Russia. was betrothed to
the Princess Alix of HesSe-Darmstadt, a
granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The
Hesse-Darmstadt family ale strict Protes-
tants. By ukase bearing date June Is,
1889. the wife of the heir-apparent to the
Russian throne is required to be men,
ber Of the orthodox Greek church. When
the present CZar was married 30 the Prln-
cess Dagmar of Denmark she renounced
her religion and Joined the Greek church
in order to ascend the Russian throne. 1t
is said that Alix of Hesse-Darmsl adt has
agreed TO follow her example, though she
stipulated that sentence in the Greek
conversion service stigmatiZing Protestant
ism as unbelief should be expunged.
This feeble protest does not satisfy the
Protestant divines of Germany. They
say that it is setting shameful example
for evangelical princesses to change their
faith as they change their gloves for the
sake of rank, and that it Is difficult for
ministers of the gospel to hold their own
against agnusticism when persons in high
station show that they consider religion a
trivial matter. The subject has been
| taken up by the press. and unpleasant
things are being said about the Princess
|. .AIix, who appears to be sensitive and
conscientious young lady. 1t is pointed
out that when Peter the Great married the
Princess of Wolfenbuttel- Brunsweig, she
stipulated and be agreed that she should
enjoy perfect liberty in the matter of re-
ligion, and she did in effect hold Lutheran
services in her own chapel at st. Peters
burg The example is presented to the
Princess Alix as good one to follow.
1t is probable that the edicJ of 1889 was
a concession to the Pauslavist sentiment,
which is SO marked characteristic of the
Russian peasant. The present Emperor
has never been suspected of intolerance.
He is supposed, on what authority 1t does
not appear, to be about as liberal in mat
ters of religion as the other crowned heads
of Europe. But the Russian moujik is as
exacting as the Basque peasants; he
would not object to an iDquisition under
the auspices Of the patriarchs AMI archi-
mandrites. One of his chief grounds for
hating the Turks is their Mosiem faith. L
is quite likely that the ukase of 1889 was
issued to conciiate this class, and 10 show
them how thoroughly Russian the En-
peror is II SO, it would not cost him a
severe wrench TO revoke it in favor of his
new daughter-in-law.
On the other hand the heir-apparent is
said to regard the proposed alliance as a
marriage de coDvenance. Like so many of
the Princes Of the house of R0manoff, he
is eccentric, TO such degree that it has
sometimes been questioned whether he
was all there" One of his eccentri-
cities-which shows how very unnatural
he ISIS an aversion. or at least an irdif-
ference, to female society. 1t is said that
he never was in love and probably never
will be. His bstrothed was picked out for
him under the direction Of the great match
maker, Queen Victoria. Alix is lovely
girl. She inherits the sweetness of her
mother and the good looks Of her father.
The Queen chose her long ago to be the
bride of the Duke of Clarence, but tn 9
young lady had mind of her own, and
she rejected him on grounds which were
perfectly satisfactory to her friends, Since
then she has led a life of expectancy.
When Clarence died Queen Victoria nego-
tiated the alliance which is now about to
be concluded.
The Princess will make name for her.
self 10 history If she declines to sacrifice her
belief to the glory of becoming the wife of
the greatest emperor in the world. Such
sacrifices have been made. Queen Eliza
beth placed her non-acceptance of the
offers of Philip of Spain on the ground of
her devotion to the Protestant faith. But,
at any rate in our time, ladies do not often
suffer sectarian doctrine to stand in the
way of union which promises substantial
happiness. It will be feather in pretty
Alix's cap if she is pointed out as the girl
who was so firm in her faith that she re-
fused to concede a point to become the
Empress of all the Russias.