The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-10
DAWN OF LIBERTY.

DAWN OF LIBERTY.
Continued from Page II
walls where repose the remains of the
Romanoffs. There before the tombs
of tie emperor's ancestors the i'm
perial family knelt for 20 minutes,
making their devotions.
Back to Winter Palace.
As their majesties. after their devo-
tat:ons, returned to the terrace and
re-entered the launch the faint echo
of q cheer swept up the Neva. The
imperial launch Immediately crossed
the river and entered the winter pal
ace from the quay entrance. For the
/ first time since the ceremony Of bless
ing the waters January -, 1905, when
I the emperor escaped death from the
/ CHARGE Of grape fired from a gun of
the salutiue battery on the opposite
/ bank Of the river, the emperor and
express were back in the Russian
ca pitai.
A little more than two hours later
vast hosts of military and civil digni-
] taties began arriving at the winter
4 palace to listen to the emperor's mes
sage to the representatives of the peo-
/ pie.
The paIace is an immense. strange,
mysterious looking yellow-red struc-
ture ca the left bank of the Neva- The
/ queer style of the architecture is ac-
ceEtuated by the ungainly statues on
/ the roof line. To the south is large
4 open space called the palace square, in
! the center Of which rises a granite
4 column, thar Ct Alexander L It IS
/ ranl<ed by the tuildings of the general
staff With the ministry of finance and
the foreign Office. An immense quad
! riga crowns the archWay of the main
fy--. he
The scene On the square today was
/ in vivid contrast to that Of less than
i fifteen months ago, when the troops
met with volleys the people coming
to ask the Little Father for less than
/ they have now been granted. Instead
| of grim soldiers shooting into a mob,
+ pranciug cavalry with shining accou-
treTnents guarded the approaches,
while the square itself was filed with
rank upon rank of the chevaIier
guards. oU'-ass'ers, hussars. Iancers,
! and other guard regiments, each in
picturesque uniforms of red. blue AMI
yellow. The helmets and cuirassiers
shcIe i'll the sun, while the polished
lance heads formed a thicket of fash
ing lines overhead
Circassian Cossacks There.
The emperor's picked Circassian
Cossacks in long. flowing crimson
+ kaftaos. sitting high on wild steppe
horses. gave the highest note of color
to the scene. Behind the iron grill
leading to the courtyard of the place
/ were massed a squadron of heavy
Dragons and battery Of machine
/ guns.
Through this brilliant maze of
troops passe splendid equipages.
many of the coachmen wearing the
red imperial livery and bearing in
vited guests swiftly to the various en-
| frances to which they had been
n of h
had hitherto been the most exclusive
! court in Europe were lowered for the
first time to admit to the emperor s
presence men who had come, not by
victue OF his invitation, but because
/ they held mandate from the people,
the rules and traditions of caste and
rank were not otherwise relaxed BY
/ different entrances and up different
stairways into different saloons, strict
" according to rank, the cOncOurse of
court dignitaries, mobiles. foreign rep
resentatiyes, clergy. and military and
civil officers. all in full uniform, gath
cred to await the summons from the
throne in the hall of st. George.
Through the Jordan door the mem
bers of the lower house of parliament
ne united the Carrara marble stair
case to the spacious Nicholas hall,
overlooking the Neva, where the great
court balls are held, While members
Of the council of the empire or upper
trance. The body assembled in the
Hermitage pavilion. The ambassador
aud other chiefs of missions mounte
The ambassadors staircase slxirting the
dining room where Alexander II mar
rowly escaped death as the result Of
an explosion in 1880, and passed the
hall CT I'etel the Great whose red
velvet walls are studded with golden
Russian eagles. In the gold decorated
music room, the field marSha1s and
Arabic halls. the Pompeiian gallery
the hall Of columns. etc, gathered the
suites of the various grand dukes and
grand Guchesses, the procurator gen.
eral of tire holy synod. the mem bers
of the holy synod, the generals OF
high rank admfrals, aide-de-canps
etc. V bile the Immediate suits of the
emperor and two expresses remained
in the Romanoff gallery, off the
) thrcpe room. q: magnificent apartment
| ornamented with ribanded jasper and
beautiful mosafcs representing the
tcn'pl of Ea1stum. The ladies' an6
: niards Of honor of the court arrayed
. in ancient costumes of deep purple
, embroidered with pearls, wearine
sEgar-lOaf headdresses sfnffarilI
adorned. presented a charming ap-
pearance.
No Incident at Reception.
The emperor's reception passed of
: without any untoward incident. Tn,
tone of the speech from the throne wa.
concllat0ry- II expressed the emper
or's wish that relief be given to tn,
peasants in their present unfortunate
conditions and called on tn mem berl
of the parliament to put their heart
: into their work and to cooperate witt
him in solving the present problems o
Russia and IN handing down a united
and prosperous empire to his success
! sor
: Cheer Gar and Czarina.
The emperor and the empress. afte
> leaving the palace entered a launch
] passed down the river. boarded the i'm
= perial yacht Alexandra and returned
- to Peterhof.
I The crowds on the banks of the rive
and islands heartily cheered the i'm