The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-18
in his opinion the effect OF the assassina-
ton would be.
EUROPE IS NOT SURPRISED.
Knew sersius Had been warned OF His Fate
Vladimir and Others on the List.
go. p,,pateh % ~ sos.

Special Cd5is Despatch TO TIKI SuN.
LONDON. Feb. 17.-Europe is not in the
least surprised by the news Of the assassina-
ton Of Grand Duke Sergius. This resort
10 the last weapon Of outraged liberty,
which has been many times prognosticated
in these dispatches. comes a few days
earlier than was expected
1t should be said at once that a wise
choice was made in the selection OF the
first victim Of the nations revenge. II
was Grand Duke Sergius more than Grand
Duke Vladimir and more than any single
member OF the Grand Ducal cabal who
imposed a regime OF tyranny upon the Car
dc was the one man who was always relied
upon to turn the Emperor back from his
tendency toward liberal policy. 1t was
he who secured the reversal Of the imperial
decision to grant the principal demands OF
the zemstvos In the middle OF December
and 1t WINS he who counselled the savage
lesson Of massacre to terrori5e the populace
into servile submission,
BE and Alexander MIchaelt witch were
the brains OF the Grand Ducal clique. and
In striking him down the evolutionary
party has done more TO demorali2' Russian
despotisrn than could have been done by
any other possible single blow. Al mat
ter Of fact. the reacdonaries were denoal-
lied already by the events OF the past three
weeks.
The removal Of Sergius IL tho act OF the
same group which destroyed Minister OF
the Interior Plehve in almost Identical
fashion. and in that sense 1t has no con-
nection with the popular movement which
eliminated in the st. Petersburg massacre.
II is a curious fact that these stern con-
spirators always forewarn their victims
before striking They warned NJ, Plehve
and they warned Sergius. They have
already warned Grand Duke Vladimir
and two or three others.
They have made no threat against the
Gar. On the contrary, they affirm that they
have cafe guarded the Emperor for several
years "a gainst other enemies who have
desired TO take his life in the mistaken
idea that IL would mitigate the tyranny
OF the administration. There is no In
tention TO strike the Gar unless he should
fail to recognize that It Is necessary to
grant measure OF popular liberty as the
result of to-day's lesson and those which
win probably follow.
Grand Duke Vladimir Is no coward, but
he knows his present danger and IA taking
greater precautions than were taken by
Sergius He has not been seen in a public
place since Jan. -.
Russia has now entered the real crisis
of her national existence. The events
of the next few weeks will reshnpe the
destinies of the nation. The correspondent
Of The Sun has reason to know that Euro
pean governments, especially the French,
await the next developments with the
keenest anxiety and apprehension. The
best that is hoped is that to-day's blow
may Drive Sergius's associates into com
plete surren-ier TO the popular demands,
There Ia little doubt that IN der such adj
vice Nicholas would 10 only too glad to
yield anything and everything necessary
10 eec1re domestic tranquility.
Grand Duke Sergus was influential with
the Emperor, who with difficulty wasccn-
WINGED Of the necessity for his removal
from the Governorship of Moscow at the
be ginning of the year, after he had been for
long time an object of hatred by all classes,
especially the students. 1t Is stated that
the thro wer Of the bomb was a student.
Grand Duke Sergius's wife is a sister Of
the Empress and the leading beauty of the
Russian Court.
SerGus Is the first Grand Duke to be
assassinated. Although past attempts on
the lives of Emperors and Minister'S have
succeeded, there had been no actual at
tempt against the Grand Dukes