The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26
The Ecclesiastical Head OF the Russian
CamarilIa.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUI Sir: Tho
ASSASSINATION of Grand Duke Sergius. who.
like Joab, the son OF Zertiah Of old. shed the
blood Of war in peace and put the blood of
war upon his girdle. Il Kings ii 81. draws
again public attention to the mysterious
Iron Chancellor II the Russian Church,
whose hoary head # the printed reports are
true. the revolutionary party Of his country
will not let 90 down to the grave in peace.
Permit me, therefore 10 supplement the short
biographical fragment Of Konstantin Petrovch
Pobledonostsef published in your paper OF
sunday with a few additional remarks
one hundred and forty Popes had Already
reigned over the Roman Catholic Church
when Vladimir the Great, the Russian Con-
stantine. was in ess. baptized by Greek
priests. forcing his pagan subjects to en-
brace the same faith In 2a9 the metropoli-
tan see was transferred from kief TO Vladimir
and twenty mine years later TO that very
part OF Moscow whore before the maagled
body of the son of Alexander ii. on Black
Friday last the widowed niece of King Ed
ward knet recitng fervent Water Unser
for the soul OF the evil genius OF the dynasty
OF the Romanons
In i72l. after having restricted the lights
OF the clergy and revised the legislation Of
the convents Peter the Great ties2-l725)
established the Holy synod as the highest
ecclesiastical body of the Russian Empire.
with the General IrOclrator as ltS president
and the personal representative OF the Gar.
The present occupant oil TINS exalted post
and subject Of this sketcn was born in 1871
at Moscow. the son OF poor parents. In 1890
the young professor OF canonlcal law at
the University OF St. Petersburg WAS chosen
by Alexander Ii. a. tutor III Jurisprudence
OF his three sons. Nicholas, Alexander
ulIl. and Vladimir. whose name. together
With That OF ms ancient teacher OF forty
fiVe years ago, on the dead list OF the
tubunal or inq llslton playins N modern
kuSsih the role OF Nemesis OF old. in 1879
Pobiedonostsen became MEMBER or the
Senate, and In 1885 tho same year IN which
Prince Bismarck practically lett the scene OF
European politics the compiler Of juridical
TEXTBOOKS, translator OF English and no.
herman works aud writer OF essay IS Tor Ancri-
can magazines reached the nlghest ambition
OF ms lie IN becoming the Iorqueulada OF
tue Greek Catholic hurch. with whose career
that OF Pobiedon0stseh 0hDW6 indeed some
analogy
inns little old man, surrounded in his gov
ernmcntal palace by hls COLLEAGUES a or rather
suUoruiEates the bishops. ArculnaDdrite5
and prototypes of noiy Russia. exercises
vastly greater innuenCr upon the ten thou-
sands Of ms poor and ignorant clergy than
fius \. upon tue dgnitaries, priests and
monks of the CnurCn OF nome, PODledonoS-
tsen' 2 creatures depending Tor tneiT and their
families life entirely upon tle state. l. e.,
his own good viii For That woman Ger
homauoiis. Catherine H.. anticipating by
three decades the JacObIns OF tne French
revolution had coniiscated the whole prop
erty OF the Church, throwing out meagre
stipend 10 the humble servants OF the molly
ikOns-
The supreme ck3ef Of these beggar priests,
who occupy Va the Russian empire a position
similar 10 That OF the priests OF Cybele Mater
and Mitnras ia aucient Rome. is the rigid
unyiedinR persOnInCat.on OF tie inuexible
solidarity OF Statc and Church sternly re-
stsiing all demands Tor the revision OF the
latters creed and piillessly excluding from
tue higher benefits OF Cltlzeuhood the millions
OF Russian SUBJECTS belonging TO other faiths
Against the a1amautine Will OF TINS re-
uglous autotIat AL waves OF reform have
so lar beaten IN vain. But II seems 20 be
written In the stars that neither ne nor the
tunate AicnOias H., shan ret realized the
dream OF Peter the Great and most OF his
successors TO plant the Eusslau eagle and
the Greek cross from the Bospnorus 10 the
heart OF China. And TINS would De but the
Just punishment Tor his ruthless fanaticism
which has broken up thousands OF families
ana driven the best elements OF the Russian
people into cruel exile. Whenever their
better instincts prompted Alexander III. and
Nicholas H. TO break loose from the traditions
or old umt Ges9otism and tyranny. the
mouiik son OF Moscow has always been ready
10 turn tnum back. HIS hands. stained WITH
the blood OF massacred Jcws knouted peas
ants and budgeoned students and working
men, may have trembled on that tragic after
noon oil FeD, H. when his uniformed and
armed anteroom sentinel brought him upon
plate OF silver the elegram announcing
the assassination. in the heart OF Russia upon
the battiemeuts Of the Kremlin aud under
the very shadows of the hofy ikons. of the son
OF his beneiaCtor. Gar Alexander H., who
through his unlucky choice OF a teacher for
his sons unwittingly contributed TO their and
his dynastys tnalruin. lsTDoR SINGRR.
NEW YORK. Feb. IS.