The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-17
LEADER OF LIBERALS
SKETCH OF THE LIFE or THE FAM
 OUS PETRuNKEvICH.
Accepted Candidate of the Constisutien- al Democrats Ass President of the D0uma, The New Russian
 Parliament,

| DVHHA<xe M% NEW NUDDh4m
 Parliament.
 l St. Petersburg, April 16.--Petrunk. evich. the famous Petrunkevich. 1 as he is called in Russia, thu l man whose name for a score of years
 has been in the forefront of Russian
 liberalism and who now as the accep.
 ted candidate of the Constitutions | Democrats will be President of the I Douma. does not look the born leader he undoubtedly is. 4 bearded man oi i fifty. of medium stature he would hard.
 dinary assembiase. But upon closer examination the deep lines and piercing ] eyes beneath shaggy brows lend to his 1 telligence and force which marks hin as man among men.
 He comes from noble stock. an old
 where he was reared. After hayins brilliantly finished his college career at the University of Moscow he lived
 for ten years upon his estate greatly
 their life and habits and needs. At the same time he served in the Zemstvo of
 the Province and there really began what might be called his public ca-
 reer. But his natural inclination to liberalism and his outspoken dec1ara-
 tons in favor of measures to educate
 no hosty ne aonx the
 crats of St. Petersburg who were ear ly apprised of his growing influence ana he was dismissed from the zemstvo
 and forbidden to live in either of the
 two capitals. St. Petersburg or Mos
 cow. He then took up his residence
 aeaaed an esasee % a xsr the pstret whsEs ss o
 the affairs of the zemstvo of
 zems,vo wos os tSs Rs' rssrs rlSes under his inspiration. became renown-
 ed as the most advanced of all the
 Zemstvos in. Russia. But it was not that the incident occurred which made Petrunkevich's name resound through out the country.
 Upon the accession of Nicholas II feiicitations for the young monarch, coincidence for the loss of the late Elm peror and best wishes for a long and lemstvo of Tver, however. was an ex- traordinary document. While repeat ing the felicitations and formufas of the welfare of Russia the new mon arch should give a constitution to his people, expressing the opinion that on- tynsns iy thus eouid Russia flourish "A con will lead the country to perdition." This was the first time that the word constitution could be said to have been authors of that historic document. 1t with the other addresses were formal iy presented to the Emperor Novem- Der 20. 1S96. when he received the dep- utation of nobles and Zemstvoists, ai- though actually they had been sent to the the EmPeror m November. 1904. a Amid grand pomp all those who had were assembled in the magnificent ha SaadaS 0d tas Tse hs sae pefor's first public appearance. He was plainly embarrassed. Surrounded Chevalier Guard
 In his left hand he held his helmet and inside his helmet was a sheet of he was to deliver. Timid. pale with emotion, the Emperor with his eye con stantly travelling to the helmet in his hand. commenced his speech of thanks for the addresses which had been pre- sented. His majesty touched the ques- tion of his future policy lightly, say ing only that he would follow step by step the policy of his dead father. And then he reached the phrase which was to become historic. While thank ing the Zemstvos for their patriotism the Emperor added that one among them-zemstvo of Tver---had not real itself." said the Emperor. his voice trembling and his eyes glancing fur lively for support into the cold, hard face. of Pobiedonosteff. the Procurator. of the Holy Synod. who stood at his side and who was the real author of the speechh, Tit has permitted itself to speak of constitution. That, gentle men, is a senseless dream" Those words reproduced in all the papers Petrunkevich, and made him celebrated.
 He became in a day the idol of the Liberals. Petrunkevichs permission to come to St. Petersburg at the head of deputation had been procured with great difficulty and lasted only a few days. Immediately upon his return the Government took special measures of repression |, against ga ,toI him and all the ertheless Petrunkevich and his col leagues, several of whom, like Rode chef and De Robertti later achieved prominence. the celebrity of the lat ter two becoming quite equal to that of Petrunkevich. It was not until 1904 when Prince Sviatopolk Mirsky became Minister of the Interior that Petrunk- evich received permission to come to there was coincident with the meet ing of the first Zemsvo Congress, No- vember 1922, 1904, of which he was unanimously chosen President. It was this Congress which adopted the fa- nous program of twenty-two articles and which started the great movement which finally compelled the Emperor to yield to the popular demand for the people to have a share in the govern ment of the country.
 It was followed at short intervals after Bloody Sunday by other Congress es in all of which Petrunkevich was one of the central figures and over the majority of which he presided. At the largest of these, held in June, 1905, the Congress decided to send a deputa- tion directly to the Emperor and place before him the resolutions which the Congress had adopted, showing the re- forms which in the opinion of it's mem bers were necessary to meet the de- mands and needs of the people. This Congress included not only the repre- sentatives from all the provinces of European Russia. but also delegates from Poland. Finland, the Baltic Prov inces. the Caucasus and Siberia,
 Petrunkevich, whose presence had so long been prohibited in the two capi- tals together with Rodecheff. Prince Serge Troubestskoy, Prince Chakow- skoy and other prominent Liberals most of whom had suffered some pen alty for the views in the past. made up this delegation. The Emperor receiv- ed them at the Palace in Peterhof and after Prince Troubetskoy had delivered this moving and eloquent speech to the Monarch and the latter had renew ed the assurance of his unalterabls to convene the rep. of the people he went among the members of the delegation. speaking a few words to each one.