The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-04
Car Nicholas Signs Im-
 perial Rescript.
PEOPLE TO HAVE CHANGE
Auto ocracy's Final Response to
 Popular Demand.
Emperor Also Issues Appeal to His Subjects to Rally Round Throne
 in the Country's Present Elm t5t barrassment.

Alexandria Palace at Tsarskoe-Selo surrounded by the ministers and a few members of the court and with the em- pres at his side. Emperor Nicholas this afternoon affixed his signature to a rescript containing his majesty's de- cree to give elected representatives of the people an opportunity to express their views in the preparation of the laws of the empire. This Is the auto- cracy's final response to the agitation in favor of participation by the peo- pie in the government which has brought Russia in the last few months almost to the brink of a revolution. Its import must not be misunderstood. For the present at least 1t involves no change in the regime of autocracy and 1t means neither a constitution nor a national assembly. At the same time 1t recognizes the principle of the peo- ple's right to be heard regarding laws under which they must live. What ever the result may be. the document is sure to mark an epoch in Russian history as important if not more i'm portant than the signing of the eman- capation manifesto, the 24 anniver- sary of which it was intended to sig nalize.
 The signing of the document came at the end of a dramatic scene, the climax which was an impassioned speech by Emperor Nicholas to his ministers, in which he decared that he sought only the welfare of his subjects.
 T am willing" the emperor said, ito shed my blood for the good of my people,
 From the lips of a high parsonage who was present when the rescript was signed, the Associated Press is able to give the following statement:
 The action of the emperor today Is not step toward, but the actual grant to the people of the means whereby their duly elected representatives can place before his majesty their views on every important measure affecting them and recommended by the council read the rescript carefully, you will see thatsft contains a distinct promise of something more in the future. Its small beginning will not involve the surrender of the principle of autocracy now, what 1t may evolve in the future only the future can deter mine.
 Can't Please Extremists.
 we do not expect that 1t will meet the wishes of radicals and exqtremists of any class; nothing would satisfy them but the complete overthrow of the existing regime. We do hope, how III will meet with the approval of moder- ate men who are sincere we'll wishers of the country.
 ''The Emperor has been much ma ligned and misunderstood abroad. Mo- body appreciates the trials and suffer- ing he has endured the last few months. He has been represented as indifferent to the condition of his peo- pie. Nothing could be further from no nnlu the people, but the greatness of Rus sia is his sole care. For him the two are indissolubly linked. For this req son he refuses to surrender the auto cratic power in favor of a constitu- tional regime. Why? Because he is convinced, as he virtually says in so many words in the. rescript, that the people are not prepared for popular government. The heterogeneous ele- ments of the population-Poles, Films. Tartars, Armenians, Mongols and other races-are only held together by the autocracy. whose end would mean the fall of Russia as a great state. But the Emperor recognizes the strength of the outcry against the bureaucracy as manifested by the addresses and memo rials voted by all classes of society. and has yielded to their demand. The peoples representatives can make
 
 corning every law which the Council of the empire proposes.
 The manifesto and the rescrlpt must be read together. To Americans the former doubtless will appear as a. strange medieval document; but 1t must be remembered that it is the Em- peror's word to his people in every condition of life, scattered from the White Sea to the Black Sea, and from the frontiers of Germany to the Pa cific. It will be read in every church. in every hamlet of the empire. It is a personal appeal to the people to sup port the government in it's hour of trial and should be read in that light. The rescript on the other hand Is ad- dressed to the Minister of the Interior. Under the Russian law only nobles have the right to address memorials to his majesty in person; all other classes umst communicate through the Minis ter of the Interior. The rescript. therefore, must be regarded as his ma iesty's reply to the vast number of ad- dresses adopted by the zemstvos, mu- nicipalities, educational, commercial and professional associations and even comn4unes.
 Following is the text of the Elm peror's rescript:
 True to the ancient custom Of the Russian peOplS Ol Lnc SAPtCSSANh OA its feelings to the throne in days of joy or sorrow for the fatherland, the nobility, zemstvo assemblies, commer- cial associations and peasant communi- ties have offered from all parts of Rus sia congratulations on the birth of the heir to the throne with expressions of their willingness to sacrifice their for tunes for the successful termination of the war and to devote all their strength to the establishment of or der in the State. In my own name and in that of her majesty. I order you to convey to them our hearty thanks for the expression of their loyal feeling which in the present very grave times is all the more pleasing as an express sion of their willingness. at my call, to cooperate in the successful execu- tion of the reforms announced by me and is entirely in accordance with the wishes of my heart.
 My desire is to attain the fulnll- ment of my intentions for the welfare of my people by means of the eo-op-