New-York tribune., 1897-01-31
COUNT MURAvIEFF.
..,..s NEW MINISTER OF FOREIGN
ArrAIRs-HIs CAREER AND THAT
OF HIS FAMILY.

OF HIS FAMILY.
whenever foreign diplomat takes his leave
,.or, a European capital on his transfer to
.,,. other post 1t is standing rule for the
coyernment to which he has been accredited to
s..sent him with decoration as a sort OF fare
~.r, Gift. exception being made In the case Of the
r,.mbers Of the United States and English mis-
..or. neither Of whom. save in extraordinary
s,r.rmstances. are permitted to receive foreign
,r,ers Count Muravieff. the newly appointed
Minister of Foreign Affairs Of Russia and the
xeeper Of It's Great Seal. however, enjoys the
dstinction OF having been the only Russian rep
-ssentative or Continental diplomat who has ever
.aen permitted to take his leave Of the German
rmperor after a number of years spent In Ber-
lin without being offered any such token Of es-
,eem and regard. This in itself Is sufficient TO
indicate the nature of the circumstances attend
ing his departure from the banks OF the Spree.
which were the reverse of agreeable. and it may
safely be said that never has any statesman
been appointed to the position Of Minister OF
Foreign Affairs in Russia who has been imbued
with sentiments Of more bitter animosty toward
Germany than is Count Muravien. His feelings
toward them no secret to the Germans. and
the announcement of his nomination had the re-
suit Of causing immediate sharp decline
the Stock Exchange These feelings due
partly to personal reasons and partly to what
may be described official causes. When the
Emperor Alexander III made up lis mind to cut
adrift from his association with Germany and
with Austria, which preceded the organization
Of the Triple Alliance as now constituted. he in
trusted Count Muraveff with the not altogether
pleasant duty Of conveying to Berlin the news of
his determination TO reverse the foreign policy
Of Russia, and of his intention to throw his
try's lot thenceforth with that Of France
Bearers Of Ill tidings are never very Welcome,
and there is no doubt that such the Count
was not thereafter a persona grata in the eyes
OF the German Court. Moreover he had served
at Paris under Prince Orion before being trans
ferred TO Berlin. and having thoroughly enjoyed
his life on the banks Of the Seine. where he was
one Of the most popular members of the Union
and OF the Jockey clubs. he made secret Of
his pronounced French sympathes. we'll as
OF his personal preferences for life at Paris to
the drearness of existence In the Teutonic CAPT.
tai But apart from this there are certain rea-
sons of a more private and domestic character
connected with the matrimonial happiness Of the
Count which must cause him to forever regard
Berlin, its Court and its society with aversion:
painful circumstances to which it is not neces-
sary to refer more closely here, but which are
familiar TO society In of the capitals Of Con-
tinental Europe.
COUNT MURAvIEFFs PERSONALITY.
Count Michel Muravieff is a fair-haired.
gray-eyed man. slightly over the middle height.
always exceedingly we-groomed. rather bald
and with a monocle forever fixed In his eye.
Noted for the excellence Of his dinners, and for
his qualities a host. he nevertheless knows
how TO keep his head clear under all circum-
stances. and never permits either good cheer or
wine to loosen his tongue-a defect from which
IN cuffer
Though gracious in his manner, he is reserved
In his condolences. and while he possesses re-
markable command of speech. he uses that COM
mand to prevent his lips from utterances that he
might afterward regret. There is no doubt that
his remarkable self-control and discretion have
weighed largely with the young Car in making
the appointment For If there is thing that
Nicholas has inherited from his father it is his
hatred for loquacity. and there is certainly no
person Of any prominence In the Old World at
the present moment who is so little given to that
defect and who is so silent the present auto
crat OF Russia.
II is mistake to ascribe the nomination OF the
Count to the Dowager Czarina, whose influence
with her son is considerably overrated and for
some time past altogether overshadowed by that
Of her daughter-in-law. Empress Alix. Nicholas
has known Count Muravief intimately for a
number of years. and. in fact. has been much
more closely acquainted with him than with NJ.
Shishkine. If his appointment has been delayed
until now It is attributable not to any ignorance
as to his qualifications for the post, but to the
fact that the Emperor wished to see things for
himself at Paris before he finally decided upon
step so manifestly hostile to the Court Of Ber
lin as the choice Of Count Muravieff as success
sor 10 Prince Lobanoff. Since his return to Rus
sa from his foreign tour Nicholas has been more
defa han nj n into allj-
ance with the Court Of Berlin and is now known
10 share entirely his fathers pronounced dislike
OF Emperor William.
THE CARS FEELINGS TOWARD GERMANY. |
II should be thoroughly understood. however.
that the hostility Of the Car Is restricted to
Emperor William and to his Court, possibly also
TO Prussia. But IL does not extend TO the re-
mainder Of Germany. For IL there are any Of his
relatives to whom the Car is devotedly attached
1t is to his brother-in-law. the reigning Grand
duke OF Hesse. and TO the latters wife. who Is,
moreover his first cousin He is likewise quite
pronounced In his affection for his uncle and
aunt, the reignng Duke and Duchess Of Sake
Coburg -Gotha: for his cousins. the regnng
Grand-duke and Grand duchess OF Meckenburg
schwerin and for his other cousins of Wiirtem- |
berg. and he is known to have encouraged them !
all to abandon their subserviency to Berlin and
TO cut short the attempts Of Emperor William !
unlawfully to usurp their independence. Among !
the steps which he has taken TO promote this |
policy on their part has been the reappontment |
Of Independent Muscovte Legations TO all the |
minor courts OF Germany. instead Of intrusting to
his Ambassador at Berlin the duty Of represent
Ing Russian interests throughout the entire Ger |
man Empire: and his nomination Of ENJOYS at |
Munich. Stuttgart. Darmstadt. etc. has naturally |
LED the Governments Of Bavaria, WGrtemberg
Baden. Hesse. Saxony. etc, to restore at St |
Petersburg their diplomatic representation |
which they had been induced by Prince Bismarck |
TO abolish and TO intrust to the German Ambas |
sador. Emperor Nicholas is likewise known to