New-York tribune., 1906-05-10
RUSSIA'S NEW ERA.

In the great hail of the Tauride Palace in
which the DOuma meets to-day, there is a sculpt-
ured epitOme Of the history of Russia. 1t is
embraced in single design on the front of the
Speakers desk, where the eyes of all the dele
gates will often rest upon It, 1t consists Of the
twoheaded eagle of Byzantium, bearing upon
its breast a tablet displaying an efigy of st.
George Staying the dragon. The suggestion is
obvious and complete. Russia embOdieS to-day
the very spirit-with all its black despOtism-Of
old Byzantium. whence AskOld and Dir snatched
the eagle emblem which has been Russia's for
the ten and half centuries since that raid Of.
Morse Ruriks brothers; and to-day also Russia
moves to align herself in progress and enlight-
eminent with that other empire whose patron is
ST George. From Byzantium to Britain, the
whole gamut is rum and to-day a new era
dawns, which we may hope will leave ByZan-
tum to the past and set the face of Russia in
fieXlbly toward those standards with which for
the greater part of ten and half centuries the
Anglo-SaXon race has led the world.
The semi-legendary era of Russian history
began not long before the accession Of Alfred In
England, and lasted, with the dreary period of
the apanages, for about two centuries and a
half, in which time the rulers Of Russia were
slowly changing from Morse to Slav. That era
eliminated in the reign Of vladimir Mono
machus, grandson OF Constantine Monomachus
OF ByZantum and father Of George DOlgorOuki,
founder Of the most ancient family of Russia.
A century later came the still more dreary era
Of MOngol supremacy, iIlumined with the two
splendid Names and Deeds OF Alexander Nevski
and the Battle OF the Ice and OF Demetrius
DOnskOi and the Field Of Woodcocks. In 1862
began the era OF autOcracy under Ivan III, great
grandson Of Demetrius, who gave Russia a code
OF laws and who proclaimed himself Autocrat-
CHI h. %
sonal despOism, but in token of Russla's in
dependence Of the MOngol yoke which she had
borne for two centuries and a quarter, meaning
that he reigned over Russia by his and Russia's
own right and not by the favor of the Khan
OF the Golden Horde The era thus opened saw
Basil Ivanovitch in 1910 destroy the indepen-
dence Of PskOff and thus abolish the last of the
old Slav republics. II saw Ivan the Terrible
establish printing in Russia, open relations with
England, welcome the enterprises OF Will0ughby
and Chancellor, claim the throne Of Poland and
receive the sovereignty Of Siberia at the hands
OF the outlaw Yermak. IL was in 1893 that the
line Of Rurik perished, and IN Boris the first
slav Gar arose. and In 1913 that the Romanoff
dynasty was founded. The era Of the true EN-.
pire dates from 1889, with Peter the Great, and
has endured until the present year.
Now comes the era OF the Constitution Old
men may still recall a childhood's memory of the
nrst utterance OF that word In Russia. IT was
at the death OF Alexander when the Decem-
brists-the reforners Of their day-sought TO
put Constantine the rightful heir, upon the
throne. shout" they said TO the popuace
shout for Constantine and the Constitution ="
constitution was the querying reply Of the
unlettered mob "Is that the wife OF Oonstan-
tineF So Constantine the Liberal was rejected
In blood and exile, and the first Nicholas, the
keacuonary resgned IN. his stead and now,
fourscore years later, the second Nicholas essays
The work that Constantine would have done.
The auspices are happier now. The people, even
the mouJiks. know that "Constitutzia" Is some
thing more than Czarovltch's bride They are
not prepared for complete self government and
they are not just yet 20 be endowed with IL.
| But we must believe them ready for the long.