New-York tribune., 1900-12-02

/ Firms those constitutional rights assured to
| them by treaty and by Imperial coronation OATH
| but Of which they rapidly being deprived. he
is less disposed than Nicholas to introduce liberal
reforms in Russia proper Partly owing to the
fact that he his fathers favOrite and partly
| in consequence of his mothers influence upon
him, he is thoroughly imbued with the reaction
| airy ideas and principles of Alexander III, and
is credited with the resolution of adhering there
J to should he be invested with supreme power
| While possessed OF a greater degree of energy
| and decision of character than Nicholas he lacks
| his brothers breadth of view and desire for
| progress and enlightenment.
! 1t is we'll known that the widow of Alexander
| III is so devoted to the memory of her husband
! that. in spite of her foreign birth she has i'm
| bued herself with his bigotry in religion and
with his reactionary spirit in political affairs
! She looks upon any departure from h., ideas
and upon every liberal reform as an act of dis
respect to her Iamented consort. Michael has
| been constantly in her company since the
death of his father. making his home with her in
Russia and accompanying her on all her travels
abroad, that all the principles inculcated in his
mind by his father have been confirmed by her.
He may be relied upon TO submit to her advice in
| all things, and TO endeavor to tread the same
| narrow path as Lis honest, though not broad
minded, father.
HIS LIKENESS To HIS FATHER
No more striking demonstration of the SYM
pathy of Michael with his fathers ideas need be
given than his attitude toward Finland Like
the young Grand Duke. the late Emperor Alex
ander III was particularly fond of his Finnish
subjects, and while he had no hesitation about
sending Russians to Siberia and even to life
| Imprisonment for demanding the same political
rights were enjoyed by the Firms he would
q he LAT baip
smallest of their national prerogatives
Nicholas is in his way equally paradoxicaI
For while he has declined TO permit the Firms
10 retain those constitutional privileges which
they enjoyed in the reign of the most despotic
and tyrannical of all his predecessors, he has
introduced more liberal and popular form Of
government in Russia proper
Michael does not enjoy the advantages de-
rived from foreign travel by his brother Nicho-
las The latter toured through India besides
visiting Siam. Cochin China and Japan. return
ing home across Siberia. But MichaeTs knowI-
edge of foreign countries has been derived from
the annual trips to Copenhagen with his mother
and two visits with her to the South of France
1t is no exaggeration TO assert that what he
has seen of life abroad has been through her
eyes the only journey he has ever been per-
mltted TO take alone having been a voyage frcm
copenhagen TO Aberdeen for the purpose of
spending a few days with Queen Victoria at
Balmoral- The gayer side of Partisan life is To
him still closed Eock. and. thanks to the some
what strict supervision to which re has been
subjected by his mother. there have been so far
none OF those "affaires de coeur in his case that
se~|ed to give a touch of romance to the pre-
nuptial days of Emperor Nicholas. There is one
point which he has in common with the latter
and in which he differs from his father-he has
no taste for music This may be ascribed to the
somewhat i'll advised and persistent efforts of
Alexander III to force a musical education ot
an advanced character upon his children. Alex
ander III was passionately devoted to Wagner
and was quite unable to comprehend why his
progeny failed to appreciate the works OF the
great German master. EX-ATTACHE.