New-York tribune., 1905-02-12
MorurcbS and Re,OoIf.
Attitude Different Face of nsurrectonHow They
Fail o Rise the Emergency

mob In 1870. Rfter the battle OF Seohh' hes t-''
world been treated TO such spectacle as that
(which took place less than a month ago at St-
Petersburg. when the popuiace marched upon
ifhe palace Of it's sovereign until routed by the
rifle fre and the cavalry charges of the troops.
Opinions differ as To the intentions OF those
who were endeavorsng 10 force their way into
sthe presence of the Gar. According TO some
their intentions were peaceabie-and this IS the
view adopted almost without exception py the
foreign press But & must not be forgotten
that their leader. the priest Gopon. having
warned them beforehand that the authorities
would oppose their approach TO the Imperial
residence. had urged them to be prepared ioF
resistance by coming armed, Be this as 1t may
.sbe fact remains that the obedience OF the
.roo,s OF the garrison to the orders OF their
,h5Aes alone preventad the Winter Palace from
being oyerrun by the populace. as was the
-r>,flerfss on that fateful September day al
Paris ttirty-five years ago. when Empress hu-
eknie abandoned by all, fed for refuge 10 lHe
house Of her American dentist. lnoeeo' Hao
not the army remained true to the crown u
IS posSible that the provisional government
contemplated by Gorky might now De e&er-
risinr sovereignty at St Petersburg N the
place OF Nicholas IL
To all the rulers of Europe the recent eFen's
II, the Russian metropolis have served as a
a-s9sys Of
rssssons Of the mob constituted by the lowest
rlasses in the social scale of every great caii-
TAI These passions are easily awakened ei'hei
L., crack -t,raiYlei Socialists by revolutonisls
',.-i,o aim al upsetting the government, or py
hold and clever international criminals VINO
sdopt the mantle Of political anarchy as d coy'f
for raplne and plUnder. What a mop VIII q"
once II gets beyond control has been SHOWN on
several occasions notably at Vienna In 1870
when Il literally to pieces the unfortuhale
Minister of War Count Latour. and In Paris III
the last DAYS Of the Commune. when It set ilre
n ALI the public buildings and pillaged private
houses II is a danger that is dreaded nowhere
more than at Rome since 1T is known that the
sacLinr Of the Vatican, rightly wrongly re-
puted 70 be the richest treasure house in Eu-
rone hes long been a pet project of the an
arcbists and il has not escaped the attention OF
the police in Italy as well as in the other coun-
tries Of the Old World. that whenever popular
disturbances appear imminent in the Eternai
CITY those who may be called the captains OF
tar,ational crime flock to the banks or the
Tiber from all points of the universe, IN the nope
that the mob may get the better Of the govern
Irent and thus enable them TO put into execu-
tjon their cherished plans Of looting the Palace
% the Popes.
Ns- co,,ld the popuiace be permitted 10 obtain
United States Were the mob ever to get be-
vond the control of the police and of the troops
in Nep-York for instance. where the aggrega-
tion of wealth along Fifth-ave. and in Wall
Street is SO great there is knowing what
might hap appen particularly when ii is borne in
mind how great is the number OF alien an
archists and foreign criminals who honor the
United States with their presence. In fact
there is no government official, high or low. no
iasr-abiding citizen possessed of property or
earning his livelihood ia an honest fashion, VINO
will not. after sober reflection. agree that the
mob. which as a rule is composed of the very
scurn Of the population, must at all cost be kept
under control, and that to allow it to get beyond
BOUNDS and to obtain the mastery is a danger
not only 10 the immediate objects of its animOs-
ity but also 10 the entire community.
II is for this reason that when the situation
srpears critical the government at once resorts
10 heroic measures, thoroughly aware, however,
that the scenes OF Inevitable bloodshed that en-
sue and in which ia innocent are more apt TO
suffer thau the E-tity. invariably tend 10 eX-
cite against It the resentment Of the people at
laFgc, both at home and abroad. Indeed.
thoroughly is this realized by those in author
ity that they rarely allow the troops TO fire
IL no other alternative is left. The governments
that have been compelled TO resort 10 such
uenities as these have always been over
NheIned with popular odium. King Frederick
William ~ Of Prussia was forced, in 1913 TO
stand bareheaded the balcony Of his palace
while the bodies Of those VINO had been shot
down by his troops in restoring order in the
streets Of Berlin were borne PAST him in pro-
cesslon, and the entire reign Of Napoleon III
was blighted by the sangulnary scenes which sig
nelized his advent TO the throne, when not mere
" lancer charges and Inusketry fire. but
arfg1 ,sSft. clao
streets and TO suppress the popular disturb
snceS which his seiZure OF the imperial crown
had called forth
The attitude Of rulers when confronted by
popular instructions varies SO much that a
brief review thereof may be of interest Some
monarchs boldly face the danger. while others
take flight. Thus. Nicholas !, great grand
father Of the present Car, was confronted by
situation even still more serious than that with
which his nanesake was required TO deal last
month. II was just after his succession to the
throne. and the mob which marched on 10 the
Winter Palace was composed not merely Of the
working classes, students and OF the scum OF
the population, but likewise of a large number
OF officers ana mobiles. who were ali determined
that Nicholas should make way for his brother
Constantine. whose rights he was considered to
have usurped and who, & was understood, had
promised 20 grant the people z constitution.
Nicholas I, unlike his great grandson. was un-
able TO corfide IN the loyalty OF his troops
aware that some o. the principal regiments Of
the garrison OF the metropolis and their officers
we're in sympathy with his opponents. He did
not send any soldiers 20 oppose the march of the
mob upon the Winter Palace because he could
not trust them. But when the people ap-
preached and filed The entire huge place In
front OF the palace. he suddenly appeared among
bxol aHa s.S