The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-19
REAL POWER OF THE GEAR.
Russia's Ruler Is Not the Autocra4
Most People Think.


From the Chicago Tlmes- Herald.
In the course of his recent conversation
with NJ. de Blowitz in Paris. the Russian
foreign minister. Prince Lebanon. said:
ut is a great mistake to believe that
our emperor expresses his own will. noth-
ing but his will. and that this will be-
comes the will OF the nation. When tho
emperor expresses his will it must be un-
derstood that that will has already be-
come the will Of the nation, and that Il
has imposed itself on certain select few
Of the nation who understand It and COM
pletely personify It. It is they, the chosen
few, who cause II to penetrate the high
est circles until 1t reaches even the mind
of the emperor. His counSelors impress
the idea upon him as an inspiration OF
the loftiest and truest wisdom. It becomes
part of the atmosphere by which he Is
surrounded. It sinks into his mind and
he in turn undertakes to spread " abroad
among the people.
Thus, take for instance, the emancipa-
ton of the serfs. DO you suppose that the
Emperor Alexander II conceived II and
carried 1t out unaided? Do you suppose
that one man by single stroke of the
pen restored the moral life and a human
constituencies to millions of individuals
who were sunk in slavery No! The idea
of the liberation of the serfs had ferment-
ed for long years in certain minds either
from instinct or reason. To the emperor
is given the honor for he had the energy
to take it IN hand, and he alone was in a
position to carry 1t through, but the idea
terminated first among the people. II
was first the vague conception Of certain
superior minds. 1t took shape and pene-
trated up to the imperial palace. Then the
emperor, seeing that the time
was ripe and that the measure was nee
essary BY his supreme authority and
formal will made the scheme a reality.
yet by this act of emancipation the
emperor Alexander II has none the less
obtained everlasting glory, which must
be proclaimed, because 1t will be bestowed
upon him by history. 1t was owing to his
bility, in spite of the advice Of some OF
the most influential persons of his imme-
date encourage, that the emancipation
was brought about-a reform which was
one Of the most daring of modern times
and which has remained a blessing not
only for Russia, but for civilization as q
whole.
'The task of an absolute emperor in a
dominion so vast as that of Russia Of ons
man, however, great may be his intellf-
gence The Emperor Alexander II, with
his loyal devotion to his duties, wished
to accomplish his task-the whole of his
task. He sometimes remained at his desk
up to 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, ana
then fell upon his bed utterly worn out.
He died in the flower of his age, entirely
owing, 1 am convinced, to an excess OF
nara WOIk. consequently DIS you HSos
when people talk of the Russian emperors
as sovereigns whose single will directs the
great empire, such remarks are absurd.
The emperor is the head he is the soul
of the nation. He represents its will, and
therein lies our strength. But he calls
to his aid auxiliaries who are working for
the same end as the emperor and attached
to the same round of duties, and they
give Russia the force secured by the unity
of action, and preserve it from the incon-
veniences of a single paramount power
without counterpoise."