Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-21
The Cznr's Coronation.

(NeW YORK sum
The coronation OF the Car. Nicholas
H.. which will constitute the eliminating
feature Of the festivities row under way
at Moscow. will be the most memorable
ceremony Of the lsind in the history Of
Russia. Nor. indeed, in the history q
the world, With the exception Of the
Congress Of Kings, cOnvoked hy Ma
poleOn J., at Dresden. has there been
such an assemblage OF princes and IL
lustri0us men brought tOgetnc: for ne
purpose OF cvincing respect 10 single
sovereign. BY an interesting coincidence.
it is exactly 30 years since by the
death OF his brother, Ivan, who had been
a joint sovereign, Peter the Great be-
came sole ruler Of the Russians and de-
vised for them the programme Of develop
ment. the colossal outcome OF which Is
an empire stretching from Warsaw 90
Vladvostock. and from the Himalayas
to the Arctic.
These two centuries have witnessed
such astonishing phenomena as the evo-
luton of the United States the rise and
fan Of Napoleon l., and the extension
OF British rule I'm India; yet, perhaps
If we consider both the instruments and
obstacles, we shall have 10 acknowledge
that the creation OF the Russian empire
is the most imposing achievement OF
the epoch, seeing that it un.tes the
clements Of tremendous magnitude and OF
apparently assured stability. In 1926.
when Peter I. became sole master Of
Muscovy. nothing would have seemed
more inconceivable than that he would
become the founder Of the greatest en-
pire upon earth. His subjects were bar
barans. centuries behind the rest Of Eu-
rope; they were without education, with
out manufactures. and without mari
time commerce, having no navigablc
outlet TO Europe except the White Sea.
Their country was cut of from the
Black Sea by the Tartars of the Cri-
mea, and by the Turks; from the Bal
tic and the Gulf of Finland by the
Swedes, while, on the east, Il was
hemmed in by the Poles. who more than
once had threatened the MOscOvites with
political extinction. When Peter became
Car there were men living who had seen
a Polish prince crowned at Moscow, and
a Cossack rebel reigning from Mini Nov
corOd 20 KaZan. Yet, before the egh-
tecnth century had been closed. Poland
had been annihilated; Sweden had been
beaten and dismembered: the Grim Tar
tars had been subjected; the Turks had
been humbled and despoilcd Siberia had
been explored and coloniZed, and there
were Russian fleets on the Baltic ana
Black seas. Since the accession OF Pc
ter's daughter. Elizabeth. Russian
armies have trayersed. either as friends
or enemies. all the greatest divisions OF
he European Continent north Of the
Pyrenecs. In 100 tho Russian flag
waved in triumph over Berlin; IN 1913
over Milan. In lSl4 over Paris; in ls29
over Adrianople. In 1873 IL flew within
sight Of Constantinople. Under the eyes
| Of the present generation the career Of
b. hoo
! OF the Caspian, until the once inacccs-
sible Khsnates Of Central Asia have been
| absorbed and the Russian frontier has been
pushed 10 the border Of Brit!sh-Iudia.
To those who watch the ceremonies I'm
| the Kremlin 1t will be manifest that TO
| diplomacy no less than war Is due the
! extraordinary position occupied By the
! Gar who now TO all his other titles may
] add that Of Protector of China and Korea,
! and that Of arbiter Of peace In Europe.
| The presence Of Marshal Yamagata and
! OF Ii Hung Chang viii bear impressive
| witness 10 the skin with which Japan
was persuaded 10 evacuate Port Arthur.
| and with which China was induced 20
ccde that naval fortress and a large part
| Of Manchuria IN return for Russian inter-
! Venton. The special embassies from Con-
| stantinople and Teheran viii recall the
! fact that the heads Of the two chief
! divisions Of Islam regard the Car no
| longer as their hereditary foe, but as the
| least distrusted of Christian pOtentates.
| The participation OF members Of the royal
| families Of Prussia and England in the
| festival at Moscow will remind the specta-
| tor that the chief of the Triple Alliance
has no intention Of thwarting the designs
Of Nicholas H. in the Balkan peninsula,
and that Great Britain could not, II II
tried, block the Russian Cars path 10
ascendancy at Pekln.
But, perhaps, the most interesting proof
Of the influence attained by Russia viii
be the presence in the Kremlin Of special
representatives not only Of the worlds
monarchics, but also OF its two greatest
| commonwealth. the French and the
! American republics. 1t Is known tC
| Frenchmen that but for the grandfather
OF the present Gar German army mighi
a second time since 1870 have taken Paris
and we are not likely TO forget that but
for the same high-minded ruler the wish
of Napoleon III. and Of Lord Palmerstor
TO assure the destruction Of our Cnlor
might have been carried out At tnt
moment the head OF the house or 10
manoff is the mainstay Of France. anc
the one European sovereign upon WhoS'
friendship Americans may count.