Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-20
RASPUTIN
Devil or Saint?
Copyright. 1917.
by THE PRINCESS RADZIWILL.

dHalT, ndu Deen IOllOWeu ny SOIoiS
revolutionary movement in the country
that eliminated in the assassination of
the Tar, Alexander ii, another prophet.
this time of foreign origin appeared on
the social horizon of St. Petersburg
society," where he made a considerable
number of converts. This was the ia
nous Lord Radstock. whose doctrines
were taken up by a gentleman who up
to that time had been known as one of
the gayest among the gay, a colonel
in the Guards-Mr. Basil PaSchkon. He
was enormously rich, and put all his vast
fortune at the service of the religious
craze which had seized him. He used
his best efforts to convert to the doc
trine of salvation through faith only
not alone his friends and relatives, but
also the poorer classes of the population
of the capital, devoting in particular his
attention to the cab drivers. Ali these
people used to meet at his house, where
they mingled with persons of the high
est rank and standing, such as Count
Korff, and a former minister, Count
Alexis Bobrinsky. Later on the whole
Tchertkoff family, to which belonged
the famous friend of Count Leo Tolstoy,
associated itself with them, and, indeed,
displayed the greatest fanaticism in re-
gard to it's participation in the doctrines
of the new sect. ~..
The Pascrkowites, as they came to
be called had nothing at all in common
with the Khlystys. Their morals were
absolutely unimpeachable. and what they
preached was simply the necessity to
conform ones existence to the teachings
of the Gospel, which they explained and
in a certain sense, inasmuch as their
views were distinctly Protestant ones.
But they had much more in common
with the noncomformists than the real
followers of Luther or of Calvin. They
were a kind of refined Salvation Army,
If this expression can be forgiven me;
though they never acquired the impor-
lance nor did the good which the latter
has done perhaps because they could
never make any practical application OF
the principles and of the ideas which
animated them. But at one time the
Paschkowitst craze was just as strong
as Rasputin one became later on, and
Lord Radstock and Mr.. Paschkoff were
considered just as much'prophets among
their own particular circle as was Ras-
putin among the fanatical ladies who
had taken him up.
These crises OF religious mania are
regular occurrences in Russian higher
social circles when unusually grave cir
cumstances arrive to shake their equa-
nimity. Seen from this particular point
of view the apparition of Rasputin and
the importance which his personality ac-
uuired in the life of the Russian upper
classes present nothing very wonderful.
Before him other so-called prophets had
kept the attention of the public riveted
upon their doings and their actions.
What distinguished his short passage
was the fact that it was made the &C.
casion by the natural enemies of the en-
pire, consisting of the discontinued at
home and of the Germans outside the
commented upon, each person according
to his own light. They were Professionals
frontier. to discredit the dynasty well
as those whose life was spent in It's i'm
mediate vicinity and to present this fig
ure of the vagrant half-monk and half
layman He preached a new relation to
those foolish enough to listen to him as
being one of almost gigantic Importance,
who could at his will and fancy direct
the course of public affairs and lead them
wherever he wanted.
My object in this study will be 20
show Rasputin for what he really was.
and in .retracing the different vicissi-
tudes of his strange career not to give
way to the many eXaggerattons, which. In
familiarizing people abroad with his per-
son and with his name, have made out of
him something quite wonderful, and al
most equal in power with tar himself
1t is time to do away with such legends
and to bring Rasputin back to his prop
err level--a very able and cunning, half
cultured peasant who owed his sue
| cesses only to the fanaticism of the few,
and to the interest which many had in
discriminating themselves behind him. in
order to bring their personal wishes TO
a successful end. 1t is not Rasputin
who performed most of the actions put
to his credit. 1t was those who influence
ed him, who pushed him forward and
who, thanks to him, became both rich
and powerful. He has disappeared. !
wish we could be as sure that that they
have disappeared along with him.