The San Francisco call., 1905-05-21
HOLY SYNOD S
CHIEF IS DYING
Pobyedonostseff, Fanatic of
the West,' y Embittered by
Defeat as the End Nears
LOSES CONTROL OF CZAR
Aged Procurator> Sees the
Doom of Autocracy and
Orthodoxy in the Russias

ST. PETERSBURG, May 20.-The
power of Pobyedonostseff, procurator
general of the Holy Synod, who Tor
twenty-five years, since he induced En-
peror Alexander II to overthrow Lorls
Melikoff and abandon his whole reform
policy, has been dominating the re-
| dictionary influence of the Russian
state, seems shattered at last He is
more than so years of age, is confined
to his bed practically continuously, be-
lieves he sees everything for which he
/ fought slipping away and is dying an
embittered old man. Yet, with the
threads of life slipping, he still pro-
tests with all the fire of his remarkable
mentality.
Pobyedonostsefr has been denominated
the fanatic of the West" The secret
of his wonderful sway over the minds
of two Emperors has been his un-
shaken belief in and devotion to the
principles of autocracy and orthodoxy
as the twin cornerstones of Russia's fu-
ture greatness. Holy Russia, he be-
lieved with all the intensity of his soul,
was destined to dominate the globe,
! and he was ever fond of asserting. as
he did to Senator Beveridge or Indiana:
Russia is not state; Russia Is a
| world"
Figuratively, Pobyedonostseff spat upon
racy to him was irresponsible despot-
ism and liberty was license and he was
especially hostile to q free press; for
irresponsible editors, passing Judgment
upon any and every thing and foment-
| ing trouble and internal strife for which
| a monarch would be dethroned and re-
sponsible officials disgraced, were to
| him an abomination.
! In the council of the empire for a
| quarter of century none of the EN-
! peror's Ministers could hold his own
| against Pobyedonostseff. With all his
! might he struggled. in spite of failing
| health, against the new reform move
ment, and in recent months, when he
was unable to win outright, he man
| aged at least to secure the appearance
| of a draw by inspiring his imperial
master to balance the reform rescript
with the reactionary manifesto. His
| last signal triumph was the blockin
of the scheme of Metropolitan Antonius
| for a church council and restoration of
the patriarchiate, and in having the sat
! isfaction of seeing its author practical
! ly banished to the Caucasus.
But the crowning defeat of Pobye-
donostseff came with the imperial
ukase striking the shackles from re-
ligion, the blow being all the harder
/ because it was delivered on the ami
versary of his jubilee as procurator OF
the Holy Synod.
3 To intimates who are admitted to his
/ bedroom, Pobyedonostseff talks bitterly
| He says he has lost hope and washes
his hands of everything. He sees only
ruin ahead for church and state The
| Government he declares, has gone mad
! and to allow the people to play will
! questions of state as they would witt
new toys is deplorable. The crisis he
| attributes to the lack of a strong and
| commanding statesman, and he severe
ly blames the Emperor for his weak
ness in yielding to the opportunities Of
the Liberals. On Friday he said to q
| friend:
Ten years ago one of the EN-
peror's subjects would have been exiIe6
to Siberia for what the Emperor now
proclaims in his imperial manifesto"
Strange TO say, Prince Mestchersky
editor of the Grashdanin and political
defender of the autocracy. gloats over
| the downfall of his religious rival
| While admitting the procurator gen
| erals passionate love and veneration
| Tor the church, Prince Mestchersky de-
scribes him as the incarnation of mega
! ton, not only with regard to foreign
/ ideas, but toward anything new
If Christ himself should appear be-
fore Pobyedonostseff,' Prince Mestcher-
sky says, "he would fall down upon
his knees and worship him, but he
would deny the living word. Pobye-
! donostsen will brook no opposition. He