Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07

ana a craCk-Dralned QeSpOt were the laSC
to appreciate an original and Independent
mind, and the Seclusion Of Alexander had
been SO complete during the lifetime OF
his father that Rezanov had barely known
him by sight. But the tsarovitz, enfhu-
siastic for reform and a passionate ad-
mirer of enterprise, knew of Rezanov, and
no sooner did he mount his CORY throne
than he confirmed the chamberlain in his
tremendous enterprise, and two years later
made him priVy counsellor, invested him
with the order of st. Ann and chose him
for the critical embassy to the verdant
realm with the blind and gateleSS walls.
Rezanov had conquered SO far in life
even less by address than by the demon
stration Ct abilities very singular in.
man of his birth and education. When he
met Shellkov, the Siberian fur merchant
and trader, during the latters visit to st.
Petersburg in 1873, he was a young man
with little interest in life outside of it's
pleasures and patrimony that enabled
him to command them to no great extent
and barely to maintain the dignity OF his
rank. Shelkov's plan to obtain a mo-
nopoly of the fur trade in the islands and
territories added by his company to Rus
STA, possibly throughout the entire pos
session, thus preventing the destruction
of sables, seals, offers and foxes by small
traders and foreigners interested him at
once; or possibly he was merely fascf-
mated at first by the shreWd and daunt-
less representative of class with which
he had never before come in contact. The
accidental acquaintance ripened into in
timacy, ReZanov became partner in the
Shelikov-Golikov Company and married
the daughter of his new friend. After
the death of his father-inlaw, in 1875,
his ambitions and business abilities, now
fully awake, prompted him to obtain for
himself an6 his partners rights analogous
to those granted by England to the East
India Company Shelikov had won little
more than half the power and privileges
he had solicited of Catherine, although
he had amalgamated the two leading
companies, drawn in several others, and
h11i1 oh fnc nd no lott
tected b.. forts And If the regnant mer-
chants made large fortunes, the enter
prise in general suffered from the rival
ries between the various companies, and
above all from lack of imperial support.
Renazov his plans made. brought to
bear all the considerable influence he was
able to command, called upon all his re-
sources of brain and address, and brought
Catherine to the point of consenting to
sign the charter he needed. Before it was
ready for the imperial signature she died
ReZanov was forced to begin again with
her Unbalanced and intractable son. Ma
talfe Sheikov, his famous mother-in-law
the old shareholders of the company, and
the many new ones that had subscribed
to Rezanovs ambitious project, gave
themselves up to despair. For a time the
outlook was dark. The personal enemies
of Rezanov and the bitter and persistent
opponents of the companies threw them
selves eagerly into the scale with tales Of
the brutality of the merchants and the
threatened extirpation Of the fur bearing
animals. raul announced MS intention TO
abolish all the companies and close the
colonies to traders big and little
But the enemy had very subtle an
tagonist in Rezanov. Apparently dismiss
ing the subject. he applied himself to
gaining personal ascendency over the |
erratic but impressionable tsar. No one
in the opposing camp could compare with |
him in that fine balance of charm and |
brain which was his peculiar gift, or In
the adroit manipulation of a mind pro-
PEELED mainly by vanity He studied
Pauls moods and character, discovered
that after some senseless act of oppres-
sion he suffered from corresponding re-
morse. and was peculiarly susceptible to
any plan that would increase his power |
and add luster to his name. The CONNER
cial and historic advantages of prosper
Gus northeastern possessions were art
fully instilled. At the oppertune moment !
ReZanov laid before him a scheme ma
ture in every detail for great company |
that would add to the wealth of Russia |
and convince Europe of the sound COM |
mercial sense and immortal wisdom Of its |
sovereign Without more ado he obtained !
his charter.
This momentous instrument granted to |
the Russian American Company under |
our Highest Protection full privileges, |
for period of twenty years, on the coast |
of northwestern America, beginning from |
latitude 55 degrees north, and including |
the chain of islands extending from KAN |
chatka nCrthWard, and southwark to ia |
pan; the exclusive right to all enterprises, |
whether hunting, trading or building, |
and to new discoveries; with strict pro-
hibition from profiting from any of these :
pursuits, not only to all parties who |
might engage in them on their own re-
sponsibility but also to those who for
merly had ships and establishments there
except those who have united with the
new company" All private traders who
refuse to join the company were to be al
lowed to sell their property and depart
in peace
Thus was formed the first Trust Com
pany of America; and the United States
never has had formidable a menace /
to her territorial greatness as in this Rus
wretched deck Of the little ship he had
bought from one of her shippers. Per-
turbed in mind at his recent failures and
immediate prospects. he was no less de-
Spaniards either by absorption or force
On his way from New Archangel to San
Francisco he had met with h S second
failure since leaving ST. Petersburg 1t
was his intention to move the Sitkan col
ony down to the mouth Of the Columbia
river, not only pressed by the need Of
more beneficent SOIL but as a first insdi-
Gus advance upon San Francisco bay. Upon |
this trip 1t would be enough to make q
survey of the ground and bury copper
plate inscribed: Possession of the Rus
terrific storms After three desperate at
tempts to reach the mouth Of the river,
Rezanov had been forced to relnquish the
enterprise for the moment and hasten
|
to the nearest port. 1t was true that the
attempt could be made again later but
ReZanov, sanguine of temperament was |
depressed by failure and
disposed to regard 1t as ill-omen.
An ambassador inspired by heaven could
have accomplished no more with the Jap
anese at that medieval stage of their de-
velopment than he had done. and the most
indomitable of men cannot yet control the
winds of heaven; but sovereigns are rarely
governed by logic, and frequently by the
fayorite at hand. The privilege Of writ
ing personally to the tsar. in his case,
meant more and less than appeared on
the surface. 1t was a measure to keep
the reports Of the company out of the
hands of the Admiralty College, its bitter
est enemy. and always jealous of the civil
service. Nevertheless. Rezanov knew
that he had no immediate reason to an
prehend the loss of Alexander's friendship
and esteem: and If he placed the COM
pany, in which all the imperial family
had bought shares sounder basis than
ever before. and doubled it's earnings by
insuring the health of its employees he
would meet. when in st. Petersburg again,
with practically no opposition to his high
est ambitions These ambitions he do |