Washington sentinel., 1898-05-28
Oon.tantine PoDedonostzer.
.AHayew d. HAifs, in Hs Century
MaRaEMe.


Russian whom I more desire
to meet than any other-Col
stantine Pobedonostzeh. For som
years / had seen his name in var
Gus English and American review!
coupled with charges of bigotry
cruelty, hYpocrisY-indeed, of tn
most hateful qualities which
human being can possess. But tn
fact remained that he was gener
ally admitted to be the most influ
ential parsonage in the Russian
Empire under Alexander III, anC
that, though bearing the distinctly,
title OF "Procurateur General o
the Most Holy Synod" he wa:
evidently no less powerful in civil
than in ecclesiastical affairs. As
to his history, it was understood
to be as follows: When the Grand
Duke Nicholas, the eldest son oil
Alexander H., a young man OF
gentle and kindly characteristics
greatly resembling his father, died
upon the Riviera, the next heir to
the throne was the Grand Duke
Alexander, a stalwart, taciturn
guardsman, respected by all who
knew him for the honesty, simple
lty and directness of his character,
but one who, never having looked
forward to a throne, had been
brought up simply as a sold er,
with few of the gifts and graces
traditional among the heirs of the
Russian monarchy since the days
OF the great Catherine, Therefore
il was that it became necessary to
extemporize for this soldier a train
ing which should fit him for the
manifold duties of the position so
Unexpectedly opened to him; and
the man chosen as his tutor was a
professor at Moscow distinguished
as a jurist and theologian-a man
Of remarkable lorce of character,
and devoted to Russian ideas as
distinguished from those of western
Europe.
During the dark and stormy days
toward the end Of his career, Alex
ander II. had called in as his main
adviser General Loris MelikoH,
man of Armenian descent, in whom
was mingled with the shTewd char
acteristics of his race sincere de-
sire to give to Russia a policy and
development in accordance with
modern ideas. The result is well
kno Wn to the world. The Emperor
having taken the advice ci this and
other counsellors--of deeply patri.
otic men like Miloutine, Samarin,
and Tcherkasky-had freed the
serfs within his empire (iortY mil
lions in ally, had given his sanction
to vast scheme by which they
were to arrive at the possession of
landed property, had established
local self government in the varI-
Gus provinces and districts OF the
empire, had improved the courts
Of law. had introduced western
ideas into legal procedure, had
greatly mitigated the seventies
formerly exercised toward the
Jews, and had virtually sanctioned
a constitution which, in all proba-
bilIty, would have been promul-
gated at his approaching birthday.
But this did not satisfy the nihil-
istic sect. What more they wanted
it is hard to say. 1t is very doubt
iul whether Russia even then had
arrived at a state of civilization
when the institutions which Alex |
ander III. had conceded could be |
received by her wholly with profit. |
But, with their vague longings for
fruit on the dav the tree was
planted, the leaders of the anar-
chist movement dscreed the death |
OF the Emperor ne greatest bene-
factor that Russia has ever known,
and one ofthe greatest that human
ity has known, and his assassina-
ton followed. 1t was perhaps the
most fearful blow ever struck at
liberty, for it blasted the hopes and |
aspirations of over a hundred mil
lions Of people, doubtless for many
generations.
AT his death the sturdy young
guardsman became the Emperor
Alexander III. It is related bV
men conversant with Russian az
fairs that at the first meeting Of the
imperial councillors, Lorls Nell.
koff, believing that the young SOW
ereign would be led by ilial rev.
erence to continue the liberal pol
icy to which the father had devoted
his life, made a speech, taking this
for granted, and that the majority
OF the councillors seemed fully in
accord with him, when suddenly
there arose in the council this tall,
gaunt, scholarly man, who-at first
very simply, but finally with burn
ing geloquence-pTesented differ
ent view. According to the chron-
iclers OF the period, Pobedonost
zeff told the Emperor that all so.
called liberal measures, including
the constitution, were a ssdelusion;
that, however such things might
be suited TO western Europe, they
were not suited to Russia; that the
of that Empire had
been from time immemorial the
will o. the autocrat directed by his
own sense of responsibility to the
Almighty; that no other constitu-
ton was possible in Russia; that
this alone was fitted to the tradi-
tions, the laws, the ideas OF the
hundred millions Of various races
under the sway Of the Russian
sceptre; that in other parts Of the
,,,orIJ constitutional bherfv co |