The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27

N
androvitch. and the Grand Duke vladimir
Alexandrovitch He was also requested about
this time to the then Heir Apparent
Nlkolnl Alexandrovitoh on his tour through
Russia. The experiences of this journey he
afterward transcribed and published under
tho title Letters Concerning the Tour
OF the Hereditary Czarevitch in Russia,
from Petersburg to the Crimen' (Peecmn
o Pouteshcstvie Nnslcdnika Tsecaricyitcha DO
Rossy OF peterburga do Kreema.
Early in his public career, while still acting as
over Secretary of the Moscow department Of the
Senate, Pobedonostzeff conducted a course in
civil law in the University of Moscow.
Tho references to this period speak of
his display of brilliant erudition, his persuasive
eloquence. and are agrET that his authority
over his students was complete, n disciplinary
power duo as pnuch to his natural a~usterity as
to his charm OF manner. In 1868 Pobedonost-
zcfr published this Course In Civil Law" 1t
was Immediately recognized as n standard
work. and continues to DO tho authoritative
treatise on tho theory and practice Of
Russian law. Innumerable editions have
appeared, tho latest. with many revisions
and additions, having been issued during the
present year. The method pursued in tho
course Is comparative. First. the fundamental
idea of the statute Is given; then follows an
analysis of its provisions, conducted successfully
uCCOEuluR 10 tue IOUlau. unB tTeuCn, III tno
German law. The student, having thus received
n clear notion of the statute in its relation to
history. and in it's relation to the statutes deal
ing with like questions In other countries, ia
then first introduced to the Russian statute,
which is subjected to an exhaustive analysis.
Mr.. Pobedonostzefrs literary activity asserted
itself early. and. as the recent publication Of the
Moscow Collection" shows. has continued with
out Interruption. Tho volumes which bear his
name compose q respectable library in them
selves. and no has at all times contributed freely
to the periodical press. He is an alert observer
Of current events both in Russia and In other
countries, and with him to observe 10 insepara-
BILE from the written expression Of his opinions.
For the greater part his writings treat of ques-
tons OF law. church history and polity. and
education; but he has permitted himself at va
rious times brief excursions into the field Of
pure literature. and his ~foraging has been con-
fined to the literature of no one country. An
excellent %linguist, his curiosity has led him
among many foreign literatures. Thus he dis
covered our own Emerson, of whose works he
IL an intelligent and sympathetic reader.
His admiration for the Concord sage was
shown q few years ago, when he affixed
a long quotation from Emerson to n
collection Of Poushkine's Flowers Of tho
North" which was issued under his editorship.
The pages of this collection reveal him also as q
reader of John Stuart Mill. Carlyle, and Her.
bert Spencer. From the writings of all three
he has translated and printed long extracts.
Owing to the authors high position. 1t is only
natural that whatever he writes should be
widely read; but 1t is to be noted, as proof of
his literary skill. that two of the most infiuen-
tial articles he ever composed were published at
a time when his name was little known. COM
paratively speaking. These two articles, dating
respectively from the years 1858 and 1861.
dealt with the burning question Of the emanci-
patton of the serfs. and they appeared in the
pages of the RusskdDd Vcstnih. and are now
acknowledged to have exerted a strong infu-
ence in preparing the minds OF those in author
ity for the great reforms of 1868.
For fifty years Mr.. Pobedonostzef has been o
man necessarily and variously active, but
throughout his guiding principle has been
strictly conservative. he has an antipathy to
change. except under overwhelming pressure:
and. II changes must come, he countenanccs
them only when they can be shown to come nat
urally and spontaneously from a development
Of Russian tradition. Thus he has arrayed
himself against representative government:
against religious federation. as the term Is I'M
derstood with US; against the States providing
high schools for the education of the people;
against the liberty of the press. as we
know It: against trial by jury; against
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