The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-19

aas sStst Ge9gtatlon. making an assem-
e.sse NaleA n -iself forms an Interesting
--la.S4os.caI congress The tribes % ST.
osr.a ane the steppss. the Esktrpos Poles
Eln!anters. IapiAndsrs, Cossacks. Tartars,
Aflnenians. GeorSiazs. CIreasslAns, Hal
,aacks. hurds. Chinese, Monsosians and A
eo<Sh ot1ers, In strange oGtianxsfSh CO.'S
TUNES and unknown tongues. have come
70 MOSCOW from all the ends of the eu,nire
@ renew Their homage to the great White
Ia. eas astocrat or all the Ruxssss- They
are NaEderiug the streets OF this ancient
capitai IN motley shrongs today under the
soAaering inspection OF other strange ns-o-
pies. even from the wesieranost part Of
America, who have come this long Sassrnsv.
Tor the spectacle
Prince Henry Of Prussia rearesent{n~
Emperor william; Gen. Won wsrisr. form
cry 1eFrnan ambassador to Russia ard
,ae Grand Duke OF oidenaurg have arrived
here and were received with military ha--
orx ts"--
IN order TO appreciate the vas, inaaor-
,aace OF the coronation ce-ernonses Of
Ncholas IL al MOSCOW, IL must b ex-
paalhed thaf in the eyes OF the one hundred
.nn,i9hs or 50 who are compelled TO bow
70 the altocratic will Of the car the lafter
does not reign In the fun enss~.,f .sh.
word until he has been soleu,uly eroWras
ahointsd and consecrated not alone as a
temporal hu; also as the spiritual ruler OF
ihe msgnty Russian empire Up TO the
reign OK Peter the Great there were tan
rulers co-existent in Russia. the one ercIa
siastic. the other secular and az car and
patriarch we're seldom in unison with one
another and almost equally powerful, the
country was torn asunder by their isssen-
slohs, productive of national misery and
ruin Yielding to the demands of the peo-
pie. Peter the Great wrested from the pa
utAfcn or MOSCOW the position OF pontifex
maximus and proclaimed himself for the
hrst time not alone the temporal, but also
the spiritual autocrat of the empire. Up
to that time all the czars had been crowned
by the patriarch.
But Peter the Great, IN his capacity Of
sammus episcopus. insisted that he alone
was enthusiastically qualified to place the
crown upon his own head. and from that
time forward tse emperors Of Russia have
not only crowned themselves and their
consorts. but have also exscted tire abeds-
ence OF their subjects, not only as secular
rulers. but also the highest representative
OF the Almighty here on earth IL is this
assumption Of two high functions that
renders the coronation of A cxar SO irnpor-
tdnt IN Russian eyes. IL is not merely a
coronation, bat it is also a conservation.
OF the same kind which the pope al Rome
undergoes when he takes for the first time
his seat in the chair OF ST. Peter. Russians
investing their emperor after his Joint coro-
nation and conservation with the same
ecclesiastical attributes of fnfallfhilay and
spiritual supremacy that the Catholics are
accustomed TO accord TO the pope.
The cathedral where the actual ceremony
OF the coronation is celebrated Is that OF
the Assumption, the principal Of the cius-
ter or three small bur venerable basiIicas
that form the close between the famous
tower cf Ivan Feleki and the imperial pail
ace The cathedral OF the Assumption "a
very small. and the room so limited that
only very small number OF the diplomatic
corps are furnished with cards OF aarnis-
sion, while the representation Of the press
Is limited TO five correspondents two ma
tive and three foreign. The cathedral in
deed. looks as II It could not hold more
than about 800 people, and the ciineing
tenacity OF deep-rooted tradition In Russia
Is illustrated by the simple fact that the
modern coronations of the czars. with all
their attendant pomp and circumstance,
are stsN sniemnlzed within the extremely
narrow limits OF this ancient shrine IN
stead Of IN the superb cathedral of the
Saviour, which easily holds Is on persons.
which cost over eo.oosoc rubles 20 build,
and which would form a subliIneiy grand
setting for the imposing ceremonial Of the
coronation. But OF course the cathedral
Of the SAVIOUR can never possess IN the
eyes OF any Russian the same historical
and religious associations as the cathedral
of the Assumption, which since the twelfth
century has been metropolitan church of
the empire. and the place where every
Russian czar and autocrat has either in
vested himself or been invested by others
with the imperial crown and insignia. lt
likewise contains all the most holy relics
IN the country and il in every sense Of the
word the most sacred and yeneratei spot
In the whole ot the vast Mnscovi,s empire.
No one sleeps on the night before the
co-t nation- and the entire city Of Moscow
s 50 brilliantly illuminated mat /. s aISl-
cult 20 realize that II is uisnt TIE eere-
monies N the cathedral % tae Assumption
pSsio at o'clock IN the morning. and
long before that time the digH.taries and
officials of one kind ami another have TO
be IN their duly assigned places. while the
privileged spectators who have tickets for
the various tribnnes ard Stands ind Il TN
possible to get their seats unless they take
possession OF them before the break of
day. Il is already in the morning when
the grand procession OF the nobility oS
Russia. of the great dignitzTies Of the
state. Of the foreign Ambassadors and roy
al guests ard cf the delegates fron The
various races and provinces OF the empire.
ell in :heir proper order. reach re palace.
where the emperor ant empress await
them IN tAe great throne room Conduct
81 by grand chsrubsgiains. their usaies-
ties take their places near the head y
the procession beneath the canopy richly
wrought n silk ard Eold. and borne by
tt3rty-.so generals II then Wtrsis is
way toward the entrance or the Cathedral.
i@i sy masters of ceremonies ami ~
rorgeosssly clad heralis mounted upon
pure white horses. Every state. province
and condition OF the esns4Te : reFsress ~ ~
in tas procession save ene. The Jewg
alone. although they lusnher sorIss s,'sa3.as1
IN shs Son.rs.sns q the car. have 10 rep
RESERVATION IN the correSr. q fact which
cannot fail - cause a painful srnpress3on
throughout The civilized waf.d
Il = impossible 20 describe the spectacle
presented BY such a procession "a fAls, the
picture s4ueEess Of zhich = vel gh be-
vaad portrayal II - a mixture q the
Orient ard % tie West. q asia and Eu-
rspe, xsta Afrlca lzkew-se lending = h.E %
Is sxn particular color TO the scene There
are caftaas CT cloth % gold, OF silver, os
satin. silk. velvet. plush. OF sssry cojos Of
TIE rainbow. coats and dresses talekiy ~
crT1A:sz5 WITH diamonds. ssnefalds- rabies
ard pearls. danssske@ns6 hreAstslssss and
hs1eksers, slksn ssshez stuck full Of bad
5zrs. Gsgxers and pistols towsr-nE sSi-
BACKS of snoxF white lambs wool. tu~raHs
fyf the csaor and dimensions o. huge neions
ard strange Phrygtan caps g3ists5ing gita
hrtlIsalnS and ruhiss-
The senator's os-the empire wear scarlet.
he iAexeys OF TIRE court ayp-av in dark
green snd gold. then follows esu<f~r q
nzg. coai slack negroes IN fantastic cos
tunes. wao bear tns t,Ie az TIE -'Arxes %
the IN -2@-4ai h0Hs>hos6-" II srssr fessow
ths ga-tes a cAexzl znS the sssTzIlsTs
xarsse. De r.np@rAtr2c~ IN ;seiF xseznsssz
wh8zs uniforms. shining cUira.ses zad Ets-
YER heirnets. srrrroa1fes1 Sy the a1nts8e-
hsa6sd eAxs. IN gold ~sIa oussp~ezd wings.
tie clergy IN vsstFDsnts % oartsa-ic sEier-