The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-05-18
HAVE NO FAITH IN TIE czAP.
His Speech to ParIisment Short and Fall
Flat.

May this day be the day of the moral
revival of Russia and the day for the
renewal of its highest forces.
81 shall keep inviolate the institutions
which have granted.
"The needs of the peasantry are close
to my heart.
in the expectation of brilliant fu-
ture for Russia l greet in your per-
sons the best men from the empire.
St. Petersburg (By Cable) Without
hitch and with only minor incident
to mar the memorable day, the Russian
parliament was inaugurated. The wealth
er was superb, and the stage manage
ment of the impressive ceremony at the
Winter Palace, where Emperor Nicholas
surrounded by courtiers and all the pomp
and panoply of power, delivered the
speech from the throne to the members
of the two houses, was perfect Such
a spectacle, perhaps, never before has
been witnessed on the earth's stage.
The message in reality was less
throne speech than greeting, and re-
quired only three minutes for It's de-
livery. Emperor Nicholas read slowly.
The cordial tone of the sovereign IN re-
newing his pledges and asking the CO.
operation of parliament for the regenera-
ton of the country was only negatively
satisfactory.
Courtiers and spectators other than
members of the national parliament led
the cheering, but the members were
on1niously silent and sullen, expressing
neither approval nor disapproval. What
ranked most was the failure of the
Emperor to mention amnesty, and later,
when the members assembled in the Tau
ride Palace away from the spell of the
throne room, many of them were with
difficulty restrained from precipitating
matters by offering resolutions on the
subject The Constitutional Democratic
leaders, however, who nominated every
thing, were anxious not to weaken the
reply which the lower house will pre-
pare to the speech from the throne, IN
which issues with crown will be joined,
and succeeded in staving off premature
action.
The scene around the Tauride Palace
was in striking contrast with that at the
Winter Palace. Each, indeed, was typi-
cal, and told all eloquent story. At the
Tauride Palace tens of thousands OF peo-
pie were acclaiming their representatives
at the Winter Palace legions of military
and courtiers by the hundreds cheered
for the Emperor. Nevertheless, the
proceedings of the lower house were not
spectacular; in fact, they were almost
tame in comparison with those at the
Winter Palace.
The only genuine flashes of fire which
showed the real temper of the members
of the house were when Professor Mou-
romtseff, who had been elected pres1-
dent of the lower house, invited govern
ment officials and clerks to leave the hall,
and when Ivan Petrunkevitch, in few
eloquent words from the rostruin, told
the auditors that the first thought of the
Parliament should be for those who had
suffered in the cause of liberty, who now
filled the prisons, and whose arms were
stretched out in hope and confidence to
the peoples representatives. More en-
thusiastic cheering than that which greet
ed this appeal never was heard in a po-
litical convention in the United States.
Constitution and amnesty were the
keynotes of President Mouromtsef's
speech.
By the irony of fate, Ivan Petrunke-
witch, whose first mention of the word
constitution IL years ago was dismissed
by Emperor Nicholas II. as foolish
Dream" stood in the front rank of the
members of the representative chamber
while Emperor Nicholas put his final
seal upon the Russian Parliament and
begged the representatives of the people
to cooperate with him in working for
the welfare of the country.