New-York tribune., 1900-07-01
AlORAVIEFFs SUCCESSOR.
INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF THE
SELECTION ABOUT TO BE MADE
BY THE CZAR.


fall. For it is by the choice which Emperor
Nicholas will make for the now vacant post of
Minister of Foreign Affairs at st. Petersburg
that some indication will be obtained of the
real views and intentions of the Car. Until
now the contradiction between the autocrats
utterances and the acts of his Govern
ment has been Of such a glarng character as
to puzzle even those imbued with the most
friendly sentiments toward Russia. To read
his speeches, and the record Of his remarks to
those who had enjoyed the privilege of personal
interviews with him, gave one the conviction
that he was ruler of the most humane pro-
gressive and generous ideas, and that his dspO-
sitOn toward the most enlightened forms of
Liberalism fostered by his consOrt re-
markably clever woman, who, though of Ger
man birth was brought up altogether an
English girl by her grandmother Queen Vic
toria. Yet his reign, since his accession six
years ago, has been signalzed by an increase
rather than by a decrease of the despotism of
the Muscovite Government, while his eloquent
arguments in favor of universal peace have
been belied by a most aggressive policy in Per
sia in Corea and in China, as well as in Bulgaria
The severity of the censorship the press
has been augmented instead of diminished since
he became Emperor, and so, too, has the admin
istrative intolerance with regard to all those
protesting any other faith than that OF the
State Orthodox Church. Besides this the Grand
Duchy of Finland has been deprived of it's
autonomy, as well as of all the nationalist pre-
negatives guaranteed to it's inhabitants at the
time when it became a dependency of Russia
and which had been respected and maintained
in force by every Car until Nicholas II sue
ceeded to the crown. Moreover, the privileges
Of the provincial diets of Russia proper have
been restricted while students of the various
universities have been subjected to a greater
degree of tyranny than ever before.
FEAR OF GRAND DUKE MICHAEL.
The result of all this has been to create wide
spread perpexity to the real character and
aims of Nicholas as regards both his domestic
and his foreign policy. AS far as the former
is concerned there is good deal of reason to
believe the assertions of those who argue that
he is perfectly sincere in his intention to in
troduce enlightened methods of government, but
that his projects thwarted in every direction
by officials high and low, who, realizing that his
health is frail and that he has yet no son,
fear to compromise themselves in the eyes Of his
successor, the Grand Duke Michael, nineteen
year-old lad, thoroughly imbued with all the
reactionaIy doctrines of his mother, the widowed
Czarina Not until he has a the En-
peror Nicholas hope to secure the loyal and
honest execution of his behests through the re-
moval Of that fear which the TchinnObcks
high and low now entertain of his brother and
mother.
The late Count Muraveffs appointment to
succeed Prince LobanOff four years ago afforded
little no cew to the Cars policy toward for
egn nations. For the Count a relatively
unknown man, who was chiefly remembered as
having while Charge dAffaires at Berlin been
commissioned to communicate to the Kaiser the
late Cars withdrawal from the so-called Three
EmperOrS Alliance which bound Germany,
Austria and Russia together in offensive and
defensive union His selection at the most
regarded as a demonstration that the Car had
allowed himself to be Influenced by his mother,
Muravieff during his stay at the Court of Den
mark as Russian Envoy having had the oppor-
tunity of acquiring in altogether remarkable
degree the favor of the imperial widow.
To-day Nicholas is no longer subservent to
his mother as during the first two or three years
Of his reign He has acquired the conviction
that if his views frustrated it is largely
due to that particular reaCtiOnary party in Rus
sian politics which looks to her for inspiration.
In fact he has come to regard his mother no
longer as a safe counsellor, but as a dangerous
political opponent. This time, when he chooses
a Foreign Minister, he may be relied upon to
permit no Influences to weigh with him save
those possibly of his COnsOrt, and that is why
the nomination of Count Muravieff's successor
is awaited not alone in Russia but in all for
eign capitals with such extraordinary degree
of interest For it will show for the first time
he Of he nd Dt.lir Of