The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-02-02

S'u iiuHN ltiltllbtI L am STUn0
duke and a subject of the emperor
As such | am extremely loyal to him
and | am Il Russian from the crown of
my head to the tip of my toes" accom-.
panying the words with a sweeping
gesture. "What information can
give you?"
THE newspapers abroad" suggested
the correspondent, "have made many
statements regarding the events of
Jan. Do"
Il know. | have read accounts in
the foreign press. | have stood aghast
at the frightful stories of the butchery
of innocent people which they have
printed. | know they say well inten.
toned patriots. with priest at their
head, coming peacefully to place their
grievances before his majesty. were
ruthleSSly shot down in the streets. but
we know tnat behind this peaceful pro-
cession was an anarchistic and Social
istic plot of which the overwhelming
majority of the workmen were merely
innocent tools. We know from exami-
nation of the dead and those arrested
that some alleged priests were actually
revolutionary agitators and students in
disguise. We had to save the city from
a mob. Unfortunately, to do so inno-
cent and guilty suffered alike. But
suppose 10000 men had reached the
gates of the Winter palace They
would have sacked it as the mob sack
ed Versailles. From the palace they
would have gone elsewhere, and the
whole city would have been delivered
over ts anarchy, riot, bloodshed and
flames. Our duty was the duty OF
every government.
"The same situation has confronted
cities in other countries. why, because
this occurred in Russia, should the
whole world point the finger of scorn
at us? In the midst of our difficulties.
why should we be turned upon? Why
should America especially misinterpret
and think i'll of us? We have always
been fricnds-friends of century,
friends when America needed friends.
l remember when America was our
great friend Why has all this chang
ed? What has Russia done to deserve
it? What has Russia done to Ameri-
ca? Why should the foreign press.
especially that of Great Britain. not
hesitate before any calumny? No in
vention seems too horrible for them to
print. They do not explain that on
Saturday every dead wall in ST. Pc
tersburg was placarded with warnings
to the people not to assemble No, but
they tell that thousands Of innocent
people were killed and other thousands
wounded and paint the streets as run
ming red with blood. They even say
the dead were pushed under the ice Of
the Neva ut night. 1t is infamous.
They say nothing of isolated officers
set upon by mobs in the streets and
into insensibility or Of po-
licemen killed or wounded. AS a mat
ter Of fact complete returns show that
exactly 1876 are dead. Several hun
dred were wounded. | can't give the
precise figure of the wounded. but you
shall have an opportunity to see the
full reports"
They say that Gorky will be hang
ed" suggested the correspondent.
"NonsenseW replied the grand duke.
1T is asserted that some OF the troops
refused to obey commands" was the
next suggestion
There is no question of the loyalty
Of the troops" asserted the grand duke.
''They did their duty. They are ready,
as l am ready, to die in the streets for
the emperor
people speak Of IA constitution" said
the grand duke. "A constitution would
mean the end Of Russia, as the state
would be gone, anarchy would super
vene, and when it ended the empire
would be disntegrated Finland, Po-
land and perhaps other frontier prov
inces would have broken away. Russia
is not ripe for constitution Go out
among the peasants who comprise the
vast bulk of the empires population,
and try to explain to them government
by suffrage. The peasant knows moth
ing or government. He does not even
know what the word means. He knows
his emperor-for him the emperor is
and all would be anarchy. Still there is
necessity for reforms, and they will be
granted by the autocracy."
Maintaining the principles of autoc-
racy, then, the people will have an OPP
portunity to be heard in the govern
mont?' questioned the correspondent.
Yes was the reply, they can, and
am sure they will be given a voice.
Of that | am certain" and he repeated
the words emphatically, Il am GER
tain" and continued even more deliber-
ltely, "They will be given the means of
their needs and grievances
direct to the sovereign"
With these significant words, fore
perhaps the immediate
of something in the nature of
he zemskyzabor Qand parliament, the
heir presumptive to the throne of the
Romanoffs ended the interview He
then turned to Prince Belaselsky, in
him to give the correspondent
every facility for Independent investi-