The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-07-29
RUSSIA'S PETER THE GREAT.
nEsAucHED DEsPoT PUT His
COUNTRY IN VAN OF
PROGRESS.
The Trail of the White Bear Across
Far Eastern Continent-Strange,
Savage, Passion-Stained Genius
With a Dream of Empire,

VOC
Far Eastern Continent-Strange,
Savage, Passion-Stained Genius
With Dream of Empire.
There was time when Spain was
the great world power, when Portu-
gal carried her standard to the four
quarters of the globe, when Germany
was not mere Prussian annex, when
Italy was only geographical express
sion, when Turkey stood unassailable
as the greatest military and most
civilized power in Europe, when Rus
STA was Asia in Europe, with the bar
barities and civil disorders of both
continents and the virtues of neither.
But the great drama has changed.
says Paul Henry in London To-day.
The stars have disappeared from
their pre-eminent position on the
boards have now, indeed, only a
Zine" to speak, or mere walking
on part. The Omnipotenu Manager
has elaborated the puppet play, so
that We wonder and are awed and
startled when we make our little
guess at the situations which are yet
to come, before the black curtain OF
the infinite falls at the conclusion.
A strange, weird play this, teeming
with romance! How often have we
looked at some figure monopolizing
the center of the stage-grand, noble,
the mightiest of the mighty-and
hailed him as the greatest actor OF
all time, whose deeds and sayings
must be the climax of all that is to
be done and said. Splendid in arms.
splendid in wisdom; surely he has
done the final deed and uttered tae
final thought amidst the acclamations
of the vast chorus, which must needs
mould the play On definite and de-
cisive lines, leaving no lcophole for
those mysterious see-sawing varia-
tons which have marked the previous
scenes. The stupid Commissioning
figure standing by the wings in the
background, amusing himself in some
fatuous, inexp.icabls manner, what
Is he doing there, we wonder, with
that splendid figure in the center OF
the stage? Then suddenly 'the tu-
multi and the shouting dies; the cap.
tains and the kings depart" and that
same clown WORKS himself forward
tempestuously, doing this and saying
tlat. and leaving a something be-
hind him before he disappears, which
alters the spirit of the play. 1t was
part somewhat after this sort that
was played by Peter the Great.
When in 1889 Peter finally over
came the dynastic quarrels at Mos
COW and ruled supreme, Russia had
made little, if any, advance from the
centuries of uncivilization. In the
councils of Europe her voice was not
heard. At none of the capitals were
her accredited representatives to be
found. In dress and manners and
thought her people were Asiatic,
with that love of perfect isolation so
characteristic of the Chinese. 1t was
death for Russian to have any conf
mercial intercourse with foreigner.
Shut in on all sides, with no outlet
even on the Black Sea. Russian seem
ences at work in Europe. And in
Peter it hardly seemed that the coun-
try had found the man capable of
giving her the necessary impetus for
ward. He was ignorant, debauched,
incredibly violent-a man whose pas
He drank to excess, his gross vices
had been carefully fostered by his
ambitious sister, the Princess sophia,
who hoped by this means to bring
about his early decease. Military
training he had none, of naval mat
tiers he was hopelessly ignorant, new
er having, indeed, seen the sea. We
do not know what influence it was
that gave to this barbaric mind that
splendid dream of Russia regenerate,
no longer an offshoot of Asia. but
European power in the van of pro-
gress. But the dream was dreamt,
and the thought of it never left him.
1t inspired and lightened his life. 1t
rose triumphant above his nature,
the bad qualities from the
good quality-his bound
less energy. He knew nothing. so he
set to work to learn. Under the d.
rection of Scotchman, Gen. Patrick
Gordon, proper army was formed,
which in his pursuit of knowledge he
himself entered as a private, rising
through all the intermediate ranks
until he obtained his commission. The
mobiles were compelled to fol-
low his example, in some cases with
most barbaric blows. The long Tar |
tar dress was forcibly abolished, in !
deed, everything was done with a
whip and a blow. CHANGING to see
a small vessel built by some Dutch |
men in his fathers time on the river
that runs through Moscow, he deter
mined to build navy. Numbers of |
young Russians were sent
to Venice, Leghorn and Holland to
learn the art of shipbuilding. He him
self followed. and in the garb of a
worked for wages at Saar-