New-York tribune., 1900-12-02

Grand Duke Michael would exercise only a
moiety of the powers which he would enjoy as
Car. for in Russia the office OF Emperor is
partly temporal and partly sacerdotal and
three-quarters of the strength and prestige of
the Cars temporal sovereignty is derived from
his ecclesiastical supremacy in the national
Church. TO which he stands in much the same
relation as the Pope does to the Roman Catholic
Church AS regent the Grand Duke MICHAEL
would only exercise the temporal sway of a
MuscOvte sovereign. since the latter does not
become endowed with his ecclesiastical preroga-
tives and supremacy until his conservation
which forms part Of the coronation service.
The possibility of a regency excites a certain
degree of misgiving in St. Petersburg. well as
in foreign capitals. Since the Muscovite mon
archy is an autocracy. everything calculated to
impair the authority and prestige of the Throne
is destined to promote confusion and misrule, as
there is parliament or constitutional body
either TO strengthen the hand of the ruler when
needful or to supply the authority that for one
reason another may be wanting.
Posthumous births among the reign
ing families of Europe. The young King of
Spain. who horn six months after his
fathers death is the only instance in modern
times the writer can recall of a baby coming
into the world full fedged sovereign. During
XII and the birth of his son. the throne
occupied by the late Kings at that time five
year-od daughter as Queen" Mercedes. She
resumed her position of Princess of the Asturias.
and surrendered the regal dignity the birth
Of her brother. But il would be impossible to
adopt the same procedure in Russia. There
women are barred from the succession to the
throne until the extinction of male heirs to the
crown.
THE RUSSIAN SYSTEM.
The so-called Russian system which prevails.
not only in the Muscovite Empire, but also in
Holland Greece. Bavaria and Wurtemburg. pro-
vides that all male heirs to the throne shall take
precedence over the princesses of the reigning
house, and that none of the latter shall come to
the throne until the extinction OF the male line.
Only then could the rights of the oldest daugh-
ter of Emperor Nicholas he taken into consider
alton. and the little Grand Duchess Olga would
naturally come before ali other princesses OF the
imperial house OF Romanoff, since the succession
of women is regulated by the degree Of proximity
OF relationship 10 the Emperor who reisned
last At present there twenty or thirty
Grand Dukes of Russia. who would have to die
without leaving male issue before the little
Grand Duchess Olga could come to the throne
She would. however, come before her aunts
Xenia and Olga. daughters OF the late Gar and
the widowed Duchess of Coburg and Edinburgh.
the only sister of Alexander Ill Russia has not
always had the succession to her throne gov
erned by this system 1t was discarded by Peter
the Great in order to disinherit his disObedient
son Alexis and he decreed that the succession
should he determined by a testamentary dispo-
sition of the sovereign. This plan was followed
until the early part Of the present century, Alex
ander l hequeathing the throne TO his youngest
brother. Nicholas l. disinheriting the latters
senior, Constantine. Nicholas himself, taking
note of the fact that emperors in bequeathing
the throne invariably bequeathed civil war at
the same time. reverted 10 the system discarded
by Peter the Great and which is in force to-day
Grand Duke Michael who was born November
26. 1873 is slightly taller than his elder brother
but did not inherit the stalwart proportions and
colossal stature of his father The stories that
the Grand Duke is possessed of such a super
abundance Of physical strength that he is forced
20 indulge in great boxing bouts. Alexander
III did TO keep himself in proper condition, are
ridiculous. He takes after his mother rather
than his father. and resembles her alike in race
and in slightness OF figure. He was his father
favorite. and the one person in the empire VINO
had the audacty TO check that stern autocrat
and TO laugh in his face. In the course or the
last trip OF Alexander III TO Copenhagen ne
was reposng one warm afternoon on deck on
low couch. endeavoring to snatch fe" mo
mants' peace His sesta was disturbed by
Michael who persisted in leapIng over the couch.
notwithstanding the protests of the Emperor
At last. thoroughly angered. Alexander ex-
claimed 1T is the Czar who commands you to
ston this" Instead Of being impressed thereby,
Michael seemed to he tickled by the comic as
meet Of the affair and simply threw himself on
the deck and rolled over and over. screaming
with laughter. Michael has always had tend
ency 10 make fun Of everything. to see In all
Things the humorous feature and has dispo-
sition 10 ridicule and sarcasm. If he be-
comes sovereign the people OF Russia may look
for ruler Of somewhat the same character al