The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-19
PARIS INTERESTED.
Serglus's Death Absorbs Public an
 OMcinl Attention.


 Serglus's Death AbsorBs Public and
 Omcial Attention.
 Paris. Feb. 1S.-The assassination of Grand Duke Sergius absorbs public and official attention. as personally the Grand Duke was known here owing to his frequent visits, while politically he was regarded in government circles az the real power behind the throne. Ac- cordingly the authorities are nssociat- Ing themselves with Russia's official period of mourning. Foreign Minister Delcasse's gala reception which was to take place tonight has been postponed The conclusions of the international eommission's inquiry into the North Sea incident ma also be interrupted owing to the d. re of Vice-Admira al Doubasoff. the representative of Rus sia. not to participate pending the ob- seauies.
 Solemn memorial services were ceie- brated this morning at the Russian orthodox church Ambassador Neli- dorff and many Russian officials at- tended the services. Rear Admiral Davis.. the American representative or the Commission was among the callers at the Russian embassy to express condoIence.
 Grand Duke Sergius visited Paris each year with the Grand Duchess Elizabeth. They appeared quite dem ocratic. stopping at The Hotel de Liv- erpool. promenading the boulevards. driving io the Boise de Boulogne and visiting shipping and art centres. The Grand Duke attracted marked atten- tion from his massive appearance. He was the largest of Alexander ITS big sons and was over six feet tall. d heavy blonde beard surrounding a rud- A1r ,aA rxTfIk \. strong features. The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess observed strict incog- nito so as to permit of larger liberties of action.
 Semi-ohicial letters just received here from St. Petersburg give pro- phetic sideliRhts upon the events lead ing up to the assassination, Grand Duke Sergius, it is pointed out, was an uncompromising opponent of any reform, which he declared was orga- nized warfare against autocrscy. hand ed down to emperors. He exercised strong influence in this direction upon bis brother, Alexander III. One day Alexander. exasperated with the pop ular unrest, declared the agitators ought to ba sent to the forests of the Caucasus to feed upon acorns. Sergius replied: That would be more diges- tive and less dangerous than letting them nurse idle dreams of bomb- throwing, for every pretended liberal Is at heart a bomb-thrower
 Sergius exercised the same influence on Nicholas II against the realization of reform. He frequently spoke of the assassination of his (SerEiuss) father. Alexander II. representing to Nichol Aa that the crime was q chastisement of Heaven for. relaxiEg the autocra tic power. to the liberal demands. When the recent liberal movement developed Sergius exclaimed: Better far that we perish by bombs than by reform There is some bravery in the first. There is only cowardice in the last. :"
 It was the result of this persistent attitude of Grand Duke SerKius against reform that largely inspired the late Minister of lne Interior von Plehve's iron administration. More recently IL was the Grand Duke who sent General Trepoft to subdue the uprising in St. Petersburg with an iron hand. The check to former Minister of the 1nte- rior Sviatopolk-Mirsky's liberal plans and the subsequent retirement of Svia- topolk- -Mirsky are attributed to Ser gius.