Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-02-24
THE GREAT RRACTIONARY,

The special correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune sends an interest
ing and Illuminating story from St.
Petersburg of the position and in
tiuence of Mr.. Pobedonosteff, the
Procurstor General of the Holy Synod
of Russia. NJ. Pobedonosteff is the
most uncompromising reactionary
and most ardent supporter of auto
cracy in all its phases to be found in
Russia today. Apart from his posi-
tion as the official head of the church.
M. Pobedonostef was the tutor of the
Gar in his youth, and thereby
acquired a great personal ascendency
over the mind of Nicholas III, which
has never been shaken. 1t was never
thought that the Russian Torquemada
would even understand the aims of
the workingmen, but the depths of
his hatred to any change and his
oilnd and fanatical adherence to the
uttermost claims of autocracy have
never been as clearly expressed in
this remarkable letter to the Gear.
which has just been made public.
With such advisers the Gar can never
understand the real needs of his SUBJ
Jects. 1t is interesting to note that
Pobedonosteff, in addressing the Gar,
uses the capital letter, just as he
does In addressing the deity.
TO THE GEAR.
Our Lord anI no..z-
has imposed upon Thee the holy dutv of
erecting the orthodox Cross In the ex.
treme Orient In the midst OF the peoples
who believe in idols and not In God. and
who therefore resemble impure monkeys.
Truly, this task Is not easy, this task of
carrying the Cross. Still less easy Is /,
10 erect the Cross among the enemies of
at hand.
y
BY Thy sovereign will, hundreds OF
thousands Of children of the orthodox
church VINO are sincerely devoted 10
Ihee have been sent to the defense of
the fatherland and of orthodoxy. Every
hour, every day, increases the assem-
olage In the far Orient of Thy armies of
faithful subjects, and it is in these times
that my servants, o Gar, and Thy
noDies which came about Thee dare to
trouble Thy sacred and yeritablv ortho.
dox soul by their insensate machinstions
TO enfeeble Thy autocratic power and 20
create States generals.
All these Vaccinations are because
my enemies are enraged and envious
because to Thee 1t is given the happy
ano historic mission of establishing the
orthodox faith in the extreme Orient.
Thou hast the right, as orthodox and
Amounted or God, to do everything &C.
cording to Thy will and the desire of
Thy heart; Thou hast the right to put 10
death and to pardon Thy faithful sub
Jects; Thou hast the right to visit Thy
wrath or Thy mercy on whomsoeyer
Thou wilt; Thou reignest for the glory
OF Russia and to terrify Thy enemies.
But Thou, . Car, hast not the right
TO violate the sacred oath which Thou
hast given, before our Lord and Master,
God, TO keep the promises of Thy ances-
tors, to preserve the Autocracy and Thv
Orthodox faith which is bound up I'm IL
Do not forget, o Car, that Thou art the
Amounted of God. Call back TO Thy
memory how Thy face was beatitied In
The Onspensky Cathedral when Thou
pronouncest Thy sacred promises to Our
LORD and Master. God, while Thou vert
invested with Thy crown, Thy scepter,
and Thy insignia of power, which were
given Thee first by Thine ancestors, and
then by Thy faithful orthodox people.
Hearken not to the counsels of those
about Thee, violate not Thine oaths. For
II, y Autocrat, Thou violate Thy oath.
those about Thee will commence to VIC.
late 1t also, and then will fall all the
prestige OF the church, the State, the
holy Synod, ali Thy holy hierarchies,
and at last the orthodox Faith will fall
and heresy will triumph.
PoBEDoNosTRFF.