New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-08
PAUL THE ECCENTRIC.
STRANGE STORIES ABOUT AN EMPEROR
,,,. 80, sr,,r . REGIMENT TO srBERIA-PRoMor-
ING A YOUNG oFFIcER-rHE hN"i''"
nan TO WEAR sPEcTAcLEs


ING A YOUNG OFFIcER-THE EN"i'i'h
HAD TO WEAR sPEcTAcLEs'
II +. proposed 10 present 70 '"e ''o' n.u,.
p,per a few Instances Of the RUSSIAN h'nP'''' -,
extremely original manner OF coh'u'"''e ,Is e.,
the affairs Of the realm over "hl'h ne - -. 81,
tho hone that the anecdotes. which have pee" 0o
-, a., Tho Pusslan archives and from the rec
ts -, bis,or,ans Of the period may be OF interest,"
IN those who are desirous OF STUDYING INC 49,,
~ this mos, eccentric and eNtraorhhhs '' ,9
nh ,,q nerhaps one Of the bes,-intentioneh rulers
cha, aver lived as well as the most unconVe"''o"
in his method 81 carrying out his lne'S, ron
o,, 20 an excep,lonal degree as Paul was WI"
no considered that the occasion denanue' $500
We, there never lived n monarch rea'le' "
and reward mer, Of any sort Wheh io'"''
crate in his punlshments Paul was e'u"'' ~ -
h,, rsysrds II 10 related Of him that uPo' INV
occasion. during A parade Of his Horse "ua''S' vi.
r,rror oas extremely dissatisfied with the fnahh''
in which the troops performed their eVoiuuo"',
features paling with anger. Paul "atch'" 'n' '
executed movements Of his finest Regimen. VI 49,,
airy a regiment whose efforts on the para" &c.,.
ne vas accustomed to regard as the acme " "
v,s nerfect in the minutiae Of military ac'ufa's
and elegance To-day. however eVerytni"e o.
-, n .oor,ed ~ be out Of jont-nothing wen,
as II should ,,,, ,,r,d
4, ,angth after a more than ordinarily s'oP,'
bunder on the part Of the troops tne 'A 49,.
stand I, no longer and he deterHheu u 80
rro,,ers ,rould not improve he TO presine o'e'
the dril in person Unfortunately the uooPS
well aware that the cars temper, '.""F -,
In, roir, yas on the verge f bubbiinS over ana
tho knowledge instead OF rendering the'n ~
ward in their movements. so uhh'rVeD "
things went from bad 10 worse. until al as' "'""
l ,e-.aro, =, thunder In which officers ana men
shoro1 olls, which proved the climax OF the series
and mt 10 flight eHectually the huttering paue"cs
=, 80 rrn,eror Galloplng up 20 the disorganized
lines and refining up his charger at their head HV'o
with the fury which he no longer attempted ~ S"I
press Paul gave vent 20 the following '''s 49,
effective speech: "Oflcers and troopers OF tne I'M
peral Horse Guards Rght ao''' ''
March-to Siberia $500
rho his,or,,n 70 whom am indebted for the facts
oho, porro,ed proceeds 10 describe how the entire
regiment, with unbroken composure ana u'k'np'
and in perfect order wheeled TO the rls"'' anu -
unnuestionIng obedience to the wori OF co'n"'a''
started off then and there upon their terrioie maj ~
int, exile In point Of fact they never reached 81
,, for ~, rho time they had arrived at a point
living some few days march from the capital the
Cvars ,ornner had found It's way home again. OF
noseihv wiser counsels prevailed-ho~ever THIS may
have been swift courlers were dlspatcnen di'e' nv
oxiad C;uards with news OF the imperial clenency'
ord the ,roops were allowed to return That the
entire regiment should have thus marched sraiRh.-
away into exile without a murmur ana preserVeu'
&c tho historian declares them 10 have done. pertec'
order from beginning to end OF the Journey speaks
volumes for the condition Of discipline to when fau'
had succeeded in bringing body OF troops wnich
the Empress Catherine bequeathed 70 MIN III ''e
most terrible state OF DISCRIMINATION
The following Is a good example both OF Pauis &c
centric way Of dealing with individuals who nap
pened 10 please him and OF his severity toward those
who were unfortunate enough to incur His Majesty
dlspeasure-an easy matter enough Upon one occa-
sion the car observed an officer step OUT or
house into the street without his sword winch now
ever n trooper Fastening after him. quickly oroush'
him The car stopped both men.
"yyha, Is the meaning OF this?" he asked IN his
vary s,ernest manner how comes Il that an offcer
Of the Guards appears In the public streets WITHOUT
his sword?" Then without waiting for the expaha-
ton which the unfortunate officer fastened 10 oHer'
no addressed the trooper: Take the sword ne
said 'and report yourself your colonel as cornet
If the Guards; your commission follows tomorrow.
This gentleman will take your place in the ranks
The next anecdote Is a still better instance OF
Pauls wavwardness In dealing out promotion and
disgrace to his officers according to his mood OF the
moment one winters day young cornet OF the
Horse Guards who had CHANGED 70 earn the cars
notice and approval owing the fact that he hap
pened 10 be we'll up IN the mysteries OF the
"Prussian mode the new drill introduced
into the army by Paul called and who mad
made himself useful in mparting his knowledge
TO others was strong along the Nevsky Prospect
thinking Ike the historical waterman. OF noth-
ing at all" when suddenly up drove the Emperor
his magnificent long-tailed black horse dragging
the small sledge in which His Majesty sat Alone
as though II thing OF air Pulling UP al
the pavement close TO the young cornet, who, oo-
serving that it was the Emperor himself. was al
reodv in a state Of considerable agitation. Paul
halted the officer whom We will call Vassief.
Get ND behind" said His Majesty afably. and
stand upon the runners. desire TO speak to you.
Vasslef saw at once that the Car was In high
good humor and quickly jumped up nothing loath'
unon the runners OF the seige, clingng on as best
he could to the back OF he Cars seat. Ike IA ny
IN a name OF glass the morse Immediately dashing
avav again drawing the light sledge after him
al breakneck speed-a proceeding when rendered
II exceedingly difficult for poor Nassllief to hod on
For a while the Emperor said nothing ana the
Young Guardsman began to fear that he must AFTER
all have In some unknown manner dispeased the
car and perhaps even no" being carteu
away into durance vile In this dlsagreeahy original
way. the fact that the coachman had turned the
horses head in the direction OF the fortress Iehdhs
color 70 this grewsome theory Under these ais
quleting circumstances poor Nassil!et rap.dly lost
heart and vas already debating within himself
as TO the possibility OF slipping quietly on unoo-
served and making run FOR II, when suddenly
the voice OF the Car put 10 hight his cogtatlohS;
"Onccr ~ tho Imperial Horse Guards said
Hts Majesty. your name
"vassllcf Your Majesty" replied that much
enduring individual
True. had forgotten" the car resumed.
then after shor, pause Your rcs'm'n'al
| rank1'
"Cornct Your Majesty" said Nassilief. wondering
with all the intensity that man IN MS uh'om-
Portable position can spare for anything not Inn
medlately connected with the business OF sucking
on with nothing particular to stick on TO, what In
the world the car meant by all this
Wrong" said the Emperor-'Heutenant
"Iieutenant Your Majesty" assented Nassiliet,
one idea looming large In his mind, namely that
the stories current in the army as TO the cars
occasional excursions into the borderland OF In
sanity we're undoubtedly founded on fact
Five minutes OF silence followed this short con-
yersatlon-fve minutes OF extreme discomfort TO
moor Vassnief only partially redeemed by the con-