Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-22
PAUL THE ECCENTRIC
,rn .,cE STORIES ABOUT AN EN-
PEROR.
yo,x He sent n Regiment 20 Siberia.
promotinw n Young Omcer-The
rngIishman Had to Wear Spec
tacIes.
Tenple BARI

- this paper few instances OF the
p,ssan Emperor Paurs extremely
original manner OF conducting some OF
,re affairs OF the realm over which he
,-esiacd IN the hope that the anecdotes.
vblch have been collected from the Rus
.ian archives and from the records OF
.fs,orians OF the period. may be Of inter-
st 10 those who are DESTROYS OF
,tidv!ng the character OF this most &C.
centric and extraordinary sovereign. who
Uas. perhaps. one OF the best-intentioned
.,,'crs that ever lived, as well as
The most unconventional in his method
y CARRYING out his ideas. Stern and
severe TO an exceptional degree as Paul
v,s when he considered that the occa-
,ion demanded severity. yet there never
lived monarch reader to recognize
and reward merit of any sort when
found. Immoderate in his punishments.
PAM was equally so in his rewards. 1t
a. related OF him that upon one occasion,
during a parade Of his Horse Guards,
the Emperor was extremely us
satlsfed with the manner In which the
,roons performed their evolutions. His
features paling with anger. Paul watched
TIVE badly executed movements Of his
finest regiment of cavalry, regiment
whose efforts on the parade ground he
was accustomed TO regard as the acme
q all that was perfect In the minutlae
a military accuracy and elegance. 10
day. however. everything and every one
seemed to be out of joint-nothing went
as u should.
STUPID blunder on the part of the troops,
the car could stand IL no longer, and
h. determined TO see whether matters
would not improve were he 10 preside
over the drill in person. Unfortunately
the TROOPS were well aware that the
cars temper always at boiling point,
was on the verge OF bubbling over; and
tho knowledge. instead OF rendering them
less awkward in their movements, so I'M
Yerved them that things went from bad
10 worse until at last a blunder super
vened "a b.under In which officers and
men shared alike) which proved the ell
max Of the series and put to flight enec-
tually the futtering patience OF the EN-
peror GallOping up TO the disorganlzed
lines and refining up his charger at their
had. nvld with the fury which he no
longer attempted 10 suppress, Paul gave
vent 10 the following original and erect
I've speech: Officers and troopers OF the
Imperial Horse Guards. Right about face!
Quick March-to siberia"
The historian 20 whom i am indebted
for the facts above narrated proceeds 10
describe how the entire regiment, with
unbroken composure and dignity, ana in
Verfect order wheeled TO the right. ana
I'm unquestioni obedience TO the WORD OF
command started off then and there upon
their terrible march into exile. In point
Of fact, they never reached siberia, TOT py
the time they had arrived at point ~
ing some few days march from the capt.
tai the Cars temper had found It's way
home again. or possibly wiser counsels
observation-disclosures this may have been,
swift couriers were dispatched after the
exued guards with news Of the Imperial
clemency, and the troops were allowed
90 return That the entire regiment
should have thus marched straiGhtaway
into exile without a murmur ana pre-
served as the historian declares them
% have done. perfect order from begin
ming TO end OF the Journey, speaks vol
umes for the condition OF discipline 10
which Paul had succeeded In bringing
lo1v Of troops which the Empress Cattle
rine bcqueathed TO him In the most ter
role state of disorganiZation.
The following is a good example poth
Of Paurs eccentric way of dealing with
,ndlyiduals who happened 10 please him.
and of his severity toward those VINO
were unfortunate enough To incur ms
Aai.stv's dlspleasure-an easy matter
,r.urh. ITpon one occasion the Car oo-
s.ryed an officer step out of house INTO
Inc street without his sword, which. how
ever. n trooper fastening after MN,
quickly brought him. The Car stopped
both men.
what is the meaning OF this ne
asked IN his very sternest manner no"
comes IL that an officer of the Guards ap-
,..rs In the public streets without his
sworI?" Then. without waiting Tor the
exclamation which the unfortunate oincer
fastened TO offer, he addressed .the
t-5oper: Take the sword" he said, ana
ran7rt yourself to your colonel as corne'
al The Guards: your commission io!lo"s
tomorrow. This gentleman Will take your
place IN the ranks"
The next anecdote is still better IN
ftau.e OF Pauls waywardness In deaiins
our promotion and disgrace TO his oi'-
c.rs according to his mood OF the mo-
mont one winters day young cofhet
o. the House Guards. who had chahceu
10 earn the Cars notice and approval
owing 10 the fact that he happened 10 DE-
well uu..n the mysteries OF the fruSslaI
mode" as the new drill introduced INTO
the army by Paul was called, ana who
had made himself useful In iihpai,he
Dis knowledge TO others was suo'ii,s
along the Neysky Prospect. thinking, IKE
the historical waterman, "of nothihg AZ
Al" and when suddenly up drove the En-
p.ror. his magnificent. long-tailed bach
horse dragging the small siedsc' IN WIFI
bis Majesty sat alone. as though II were
a thing Of air. Pulling up at the pave
ment close 10 the young corne'' VIM
observing that Il was the Emperor MINI
!-lf. was already in a state or cohslue'a-
DE agitation. Paul hal ed the ohi0e''
whom We Will call VassiIief
Got 40 behind" said his Majesty
a0ab.y. and stand upon the runners
cssire 20 speak to YOU" Go.
Nassinef saw at once that the Gar
was IN high good humor, and quickly
! ,mped up. nothing loath, upon the run.
hers OF the siedge. clinging on as Des'
De- could 10 the back OF the Cars seat
Ike a Gy on a pane OF glass. the morse
Immediately dashing away again. draw
ing the lsht eledge after him at break
neck speod-a proceeding which rendered
1, exceedingly difficult for poor Nassl-
Lief % hold on.
For A while the Emperor said
nothing, and the young guardsman began
90 fear that he must, after al, nave IN
lme unknown manner displeased the
Car. and was perhaps even now peing
cartei away into durance vile In ms
original way: the fact that
me cOachman had turned the horses
head IN the direction of the fortress
lending color 10 this grewsome theory.
lClcr these disQuicting circumstances
] VassGief rapidly iost heart snd was
already debating within himself as TO
he possibility Of slipping quietly on