New-York tribune., 1903-03-22

Peter the Great and by Catherine the Great he
demands 'undeviating observance" thereof, and
the assurance Ito all our subjects of other re-
ligfOns Uhan the orthodox church,, and [" all
foreign persuasions freedom of creed and Of
worship in accordance with their respective
rights" This means that the l2.ENtHn Roman
Catholics the 7OplDN PrutrstintS. tn" l'nH"'
jews and TIL" I2.H0NFN or more diss"Et"rs "i
one kind and another in the European n!"letN
of Russia will be free practise their rt'-
Iigion without let hindranCe, and VIII be II"
longer prosecuted and treated di>loya. and rs
rebels merely because they refuse to join the
orthodox church and r gard the Car not
al me as their temporal ruler, but as their &
cIrsfLstiaal PontifcX MaxinGs.
or course there. is nothing in this decree to
Indicate that those fanatic sectS of disSs'ut"r$
no imagine that they attain salvation b. hay
ing tn, nseves buried alive and hy- practising
u,an themselves $ the most horriE' mu';IIti"rI
viii be allowed to carry on rites which atc re
voting to every civilized mind and oppose 10
tn, laws of every civilized country Neither
need th,. 1lk;,sc be. taken to mean that those
diss,nters who have sought refuge in Canada
rather than serve in the army will he permitted
to ,.v;de the lrws on the subject Of obligatory
service in the army without punishment, neither
ar. the statutes restricting the Jews tn &. rtain
portions o. tn" empire likely t. be modified hy
the decree. For these are prompted net 10y re-
ligiuus but by economic considerations
That Nicholas should have selected precisely
his fathers birthday for the iS<u,. Of this de
may he taken to mean that he wished To
bear public tribute to the fact that his father
contrary to InI.Har h.ti-f both at h"m" AMI
abruud the most tolerant of ncm in matters
Of religion He wished, in word, to disso-
cate Alexander Ill from all the religious pcrs"-
cutions carried in his name and usually
without his knowledge consent, and, in one
word. to identify his predecessor on tn" throne
in the minds of the people with enc Of the most
notable ukases that has been promulgated
by any AutOcrat of All the IiuSS;is since tn,
days of Peter the Great. II MAY also b" taken
to imply that the decree has thc approval Of
his mother the widowed Czalin;I. who, at any
rate long Nicholas remains without a son
to inherit his crown, remains power i'll the
land-a power that has until been :, ,tr,i..I
as reactiOnary by reason of tht. Circumstance"
that, passUnately devoted to the memory OF her
late husband, she il believed to Sard any de
parture from his policy impiDus. If Nicholas
should have son his cOnsurt would, in hr event
of his DEATH becOm" regent during the
boys minority, and Muscovitc otf,i..!lnn would
feel itself assured of continuity of the En-
peror's progressive policy. But long as he
remains without direct heir the TchinoyikS
that is to say all the officials from thu. highest
to the lowest, have no guarantee whatsoever
that, in the event Of any sudden demise of the
Grown, the successor that is to say, the Grand
Duke Michael. would not completely reyers, his
elder brothers policy. and regard with disfavur
all those who had identified themselves there
with. Michael is known to be passionatcIy de-
voted TO his mother, between whom and him
self much the Same complete confidence and
| innate companonship prevails as that which
existed between Queen Alexandra Of EuuI.IId
and her eldest boy the late Prince Eddie Duke
of Clarence, and he would, Emperor. at any
rate for some years to come. be wholly subject
to his mothers Influence. If | mention this it
is because the issue of the Cars decree on his
fathers birthday implies his mothers approval
and therefore the hope that the ukase will not
remain a dead letter. but receive vigorous
Cuti0n auI enforcement.
Criticisms of tho decree and dcprccatory COM