New-York tribune., 1907-08-11
yOBIEDONOSTSEFF PTNXIT.

J The most unsparing critic of the late Mr..
Pobiedonostseff. the Procurator of the Holy
| Synod i'll Russia, could scarcely wish for "a
more convincing confirmation of his judgment
| than that which is posthum0usly provided by
| that formidable statesman himself in the diary
| and correspondence which he has left behind
him. These documents establish in Mr.. Poble-
donostseff's own words the facts that. instead,
as he used to say of bis devoting his attention
exclusively to ecclesiastical affairs and leaving
secular politics severely alone, he was, in fact.
| the dominant figure in the secular politics OF
the reign of Alexander III and was solely re
sponsible for the remuneration of the liberal
policy adopted by Alexander III and for the
appalling repression and reaction which made
life a horror alike TO Alexander III and TO his
people. 1t is shown. moreover, that the Proc
urator was Il most intolerant man, 10 whom
all who disagreed with him We're swine, and
all policies contrary to his were devices of
the devil.
The day after the assassination Of Alexander
III it was quite natural and fitting that he
should exclaim, oh God how L pity the new
Emperor! | pity him like a poor, stunned.
"sick child" But it was Ominous that in the
same breath he should speak of Loris Melkon
as that sharper and of the Grand Duke Con-
stantine as disgusting beast" At that time,
il is made clear, Alexander III intrusted him
self almost absolutely to Mr. PobiedOnostsetf's S
guidance in all things, and the latter began his
sinister sway the imperial mind with en-
treIy groundless insinuatons and warnings
against Constantine. Again. on the morning
of the late Cars funeral, referring to the
popular demand that the will of Alexander III
should be carried out In the granting Of some
sort of constitution TO Russia, the Procurator
| fiercely exclaimed, This is devilish tempta-
tionr' And he wrote the young Car a long
letter urging that martial law should be estab-
lished i'll St Petersburg, that Loris Melikof
and the other ministers should he dismissed
and that the Car should then 'go away TO
Moscow, or even further" presumably to iso-
late himself in some bomb-proof fortress.
When the ministers came together little
LATER and Loris Melikoff suggested that it
was n sacred duty for the new Emperor to
execute the will of his father. Mr.. Pobiedonost-
self exclaimed against the "shamelessness'' of
il; and when several ministers added that Rus
sia was expecting the blessing of constitution,
which Alexander II had promised, he de-
nounced their speeches empty and oath-
some Nor was he content with merely re-
cording such opinions in his letters and diary
He rose in the ministerial meeting and laying
bare all the fraud of the proposed represen
"tatiye institution, said that shame mounted TO
"the face at the thought. :" His words
he modestly declared ''fel! like thunderbolt"
ssrhe grand dukes made soft flabby speeches.
with the pitifu plea that something must be
"done That donkey Saburoff (the Min
lister of Education) spoke lot of nonsense"
But the Car was under the Procurator's SPELL
and postponed all action uPea the matter until
a later date, before which be had Il long con-
ference with the Procurator and displayed
confidence in him.
Another meeting of the ministers was held.
..rhere were speeches., wrote Mr. Pobiedo-
nostseff, consisting of picSSaS of transparent