South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-22

event, IN RUS
STA at least because the aged man,
who came 10 his end under such
terrible circumstances only a few
weeks after he had been released
from the fortress Of St Peter and
st. Paul i'm Petrograd. where he had
been imprisoned Immediately after
the outbreak of the revolution. was
unquesti0nablv one OF the most
prominent personalities in his couH-
try.
lie had occupied responsible func-
tions at different intervals. lie was
credited with being the stanchest Of
conservatives and reactiOnaries, and
il is certain that he showed himself
the ruthless executor on more than
one occasion Of the will of the last
car. But /, who have known him
well. will venture TO take his part,
and 10 say that he never was thor
oughly in sympathy with the opin-
ions Of the Emperor Nicholas H..
and that his principal falling con-
sisted in his exaggerated dread of
contradicting his imperial master.
Had he possessed more indepen-
dence Of character he might better
have displayed the incOntestable
qualities of craftsmanship which he
possessed. Mr. Goremykine under
stood the Russian character. He
also understood the temper of the
car, perhaps too well. because this
proved his bane. He deserved to
be listened TO, but unfortunately his
life was spent in listening TO others
He was an excellent type of the
Russian Tchinownik. which means
state functionary. and we all know
the evil which this class of people
has done To its country.
An Early Conversation.
Mr.. Goremykine had been brought
up under the influence of an old
school and had become imbued
with its traditions. He did not think
that he had the right TO resist any
thing which the car of all the Rus
sias, his car. commanded him 10
DO. II was this mistaken idea of
his duty which caused him to be-
come associated with so many things
which he entirely disapproved. but
against which he lacked the moral
courage TO protest.
/ remember a curious cOnversa-
ton we had in Moscow i'm 1886. II
was during the coronation Of Mich
olas / and it took place at a ball
that the nobility of the old capital
was giving in honor of the newly
appointed sovereign. The catas-
trophe of Khodinka had already
taken place and was widely discuss
ed everywhere. mentioned il 10
the old minister. he was already an
old man at the time and he sur
prised me immensely by saying he
feared il Nas bad omen for the
reign which had just begun |
wondered how he could show him
self so superstitious. to which he re-
piled 10 me in the following remark
fable words;
II am not superstitious as a rule,
but for a student of history. and I
have been nothing else all through
my life. there is always something
sinister in those great catastrophes
when they appear i'm times OF ma
tional rejoicings. You remem Der the
disaster Of the Champs Elysees. be-
fore the wedding of Marie An
toinette. and the fire i'm the Austrian
embassy after the nuptials OF Ma
poleon and of Marie Louise. Pro-
violence sometimes sends men warn
ings which they generally are fool
ish enough TO disregard Why
should not the accident of the other
day ne one of them 80
GOrcmykine's Prophecy.
4 looked at Mr.. Goremykine. try
ing 10 find out what was really in
his thoughts We had been some
thing more than casual acquaint-
ances for a long time though IL
would not be quite true TO say that
we were real friends But had
an excellent opinion of his political
shrewdness. and wondered what
II was he meant by his remarks He
/ seemed to guess what was going OF
/ in my mind. because he immediate
/ ~ continued.
= NO. I ann not at all sangUme