The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-17
H STRICKEN CAR
ONCE A SAMSON, ENFEEBLED
BY HIGH LIVING AND DISSIPATION.
An Estimate of His Characteristic
Successor Is Fond of Gay Life,
Strong-Willed and insignificant.

The Emperor Alexander III, who was
born in 1916. was never expected TO reign,
but was Intended TO lead the life of a
soldier. 1t was upon his brother Nicholas,
the Czarevitch, that all the best training
was lavished. 1t was he who. as the eldest
son, was supposed to be destined to. ascend
the throne and rule automatically 100, 00O, 600
Russians.
But this eldest son, tended like a hot
house plant. was overeducated, overforced
and died of physical and nervous exhaus-
ton in the flower Of his early manhood.
Alexander. who had always peen regarded
as the fool of the family, now became the
heir to the throne. What sort Of young
man was he? What preparations had he
received for the exalted position to which
he would now in the fullness of time be
called?
Well, he was a surly young giant. Opin-
ions he was believed to have none. If he
possessed any he had at least kept them
pretty much to himself. Like his brothers.
Vladimir and Alexis. he was the performer
OF fabulous feats at the supper table. He
was a splendid wrestler. extremely power
full. who could drink more champaign than
any of his brothers. and who took pleasure
in initiating the tricks with which history
has credited Peter the Great.
Thus he used to crush horeeshoes in the
hollow of his hand. roll sik er rubles into
tubes. between his thumb and finger, and
used to sally forth with his brothers to dis
reputable drinking places at night. in strict
incognito, and thrash the assembled COM
pany. Whether he ever stopped the sails
of a windmill in full motion, as Peter is
reputed to have done. is not on record.
He had been brought up in strict belief
in the orthodox Greek Church, and, while
his father was q free thinker and believed
in little else than pleasure, the younger
| Alexander swallowed whole the supersti-
lions of his national Byzantine faith, and
made of his religious preceptor, Pobedono-
stzeff, his friend and confidant, almost the
keeper of his conscience.
For the rest. he cared little for books
and less for art, but he delighted in the
details of militarism. and, being big and
strong, was on the whole harmIes and
even gentle, though surly and self-con-
HIS MARRIAGE.
1t was this giant, living in intellectual
| darkness, who, fresh from the wine cellars
| Of St. Petersburg, was thrown into the
| arms of the beautiful Dagmar of Den
mark.
This Princess had been betrothed to the
heir-apparent to the Russian throne. What
There was still an heir-apparent. Her per-
ents were poor and anxious for good
matches for their daughters; besides there
were high political reasons.
Her sister had married the Prince Of
Wales. Russia and England would thus
become related. The ever-meddling Queen
/ Victoria was suspected to have a finger in
the pie. And then Denmark, the best part
of which had just been swallowed up by
| Prussia, wanted powerful friends. In short,
the beauty and the beast were united, the
beautiful Dagmar to the repuisive and dis
sipated Alexander.
That repulsive giant developed into what
is called a good husband. But not sudden
ly. Horrid scandals had to pave the way.
1t was across the vilest weaknesses of a
| corrupt court that the road OF domestic
At first Alexander neglected his wife.
who was too beautiful and delicate a
flower for him to appreciate. But his
which these attentions called into being
made him madly jealous. He satisfied
himself that these were SANDERS. but he
began to see that the flower he was neg
| lecting was beautiful and sweet.
The Empress Dagmar certainly had as
frivolous, and, having been brought up in
s srntt P sSe Iyve Tas dr Rasur anS v vsniti extra and
| especially dancing. If her husband was
sullen and t~acisurn, a sort of Saul, she was
| animation, and he grew to love her.
Alexander III had few opinions and lit
ts lssgn In the but eer ns had of his an old fmo tutors
Pobedonostzeff This mar is very nearly a
genius-an evil genius. perhaps. but still
He saw that Russia was drifting towards
renublicanism 1t was then the fashion to
be either liberal and western or to talk
OF a revival of the old republic of Nov
gorod under the form of a. confederation
Of all Siavonic countries.
AKE THE THRONE.
A clever journalist saw how to turn this
latter movement to account. He argued
that the autocracy was a purely national
institution, and that the confederation of
Slavonic nations should be consummated
under a Car. This man was Karkoff. He
won over Pobedonostzef, and he succeeded
in inducing the Czarevitch to put himse.f
at the head of this natural party.
The CZarevitch hated his father. The
stories about Dagmar and the treatment he
had received as the fool Of the family were
sufficient for this. for he was resentful.
Alexander IL was a Western He coquetted
with France and Germany. His son hated
both countries. and also hated theories.
When. in 1881. the Car fell a victim to
the intrigues of his brother Constantine
and was murdered. it was due largely to
the energy of Vladimir, who then COM
manded the Imperial Guards, that Alexan-
der III assembled the throne, and a palace
revolution did not place the crown on Con-
stantine's head. For this reason Alexander
has forgiven his brother many acts of ROB-
berry and debauchery.
on the throne he remained the chief of
the Siavonic party. But he was practical,
and did not advocate any of those wild
schemes which his friends wished him to
carry OUT he Hau commanded an army IN
the Russo-Turkish war. and knew some
thing OF the terrors of warfare. He was,
therefore. obstinately in favor Of peace.
Besides, much as he respected the religious
and intriguing fanatic, Pobedonostzeff the
Empress hated this man. and so the fanatic
never quite got the upper hand.
Alexander III had a certain kind of cum
ming, which stupid men possess, and did
not mind increasing the power of Russia
by the arts of diplomacy. When his cunning
failed him, as in the case of Bulgaria, he
had the common sense to swallow mis- pride
and did not proceed TO bloodshed. This was
his great merit.
Otherwise he was an Indifferent and lazy
Of favorites. He picked them up wherever
he could find them, and prider himself on
his faculty of discovering genius. In this
respect he had something of Napoleon
about him.
But all the talk Of his great industry Is
sheer nonsense. He spent most Of his TIM
sleeping, eating and drinking. This was
the cause of his disease. He did not take
sufficient exercise. When his ministers
presented him with projects OF laws he
would retire to his study and go to sleer
over them.
He is also very misery and hated ex.
pense. The furniture in his palaces is ir
a disgraceful state of untidiness because he
grudged the money for repairs. In his
dress also he is untidy, and his Wallets have
the greatest difficulty In turning him out
creditably.
He is very shy and a poor speaker. In
fact, he has no talents, hut he is an hon
est and a moral man, who tried to do his
duty, who was brave and did not fear death
and who, if he could, would have done a
great deal of good but he had not tbe