Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-14
The Country Home
BY MRS. w. I'll. FELTON,
THE TRAGEDY IN RUSSIA

4uOS6 OI us VIII arc 1dIlllldT Will
the story of the French revolution,
which followed close. upon the in
dependence of the United States in
the year 1875, are always reminded
Of the death Of Louis, XVI and of
Maria Antoinette, his wife and queen
stand out in front whenever the
French Revolution is discussed or re-
membered. 1t was understood that
the executed king was the most kind
ly disposed of all their kings, and
with desires to relieve the conditions
old regime. The queen, a petted
daughter Of Austria, was blamed for
everything that displeased the popu-
lace, and when the crisis came she
was carried to the guillotine in a
tumbril with other victims, her hands
hair suddenly whitened by intense
mental anguish, also fell over her
face and almost blinded her as she
was tossed about in the jolting cart
on her way to death: The. guillotine
U kept h nasK d ofy t y da 1cs
these victims were of the wealthy
class, Or had been prominent in So
cial or political life, that was quite
enough to doom them to the. gullo-
tine.
1t has always seemed as If this
Tragedy In france was Inc !iIAl1s "
mob violence. King Charles the First
was carried to the scaffold in Eng
land, but the hate did not extend to
his wife or children.
In a. few years Charles the Second
assembled the throne, and II he had
been an upright and honorable per
son even as good as his father inc
on o111 the English throne at this time,
The tragedy that heads the list
and which occurred two years ago
in July, 1918, was the massacre OF
Car Nicholas of Russia, along with
his wife and their five children; by
mob violence in Russia. Just lf faI,r
Of the brutal assassination OF Tour
grown young ladies, innocent ana
harmless girls, by the orders OF a
political faction setting In the pa lace
Of Petrograd, the former nome OF Ille
crowned rulers of the Russian en-
pire. 1900. +ha
mother Of Gear Nicholas, were thus
exterminated. Dowager Empress
Dagmar is the sister DoWager queen
Alexander of England 1t Is sup
posed that she was able to make her
escape to her sister, or to some OF
her kindred in Denmark or Greece.
If she had been captured, 1t IS ike
" she would have been shot or
Stabbed to death with the others, and
then burned III d huse ii'
wards.
How many Of their associates who
also persisted in a samilar way, mas
not yet been told, but the tale OF
horror grows as it is being exposed
to public gaze.
Of people have been destroyed IN
the human mind turns to violence,
both in politics and religion.
There was mixture OF renglous
and czarina. The poor woman has
been violently blamed for her obedt-
ence and devotion to priest Of her
church. Unaccountable stories have
been printed about her and her alb
sorption in religious fervor:
The hysteria of war is one OF the
deadly things that make the -popu-
lace lose it's head, and get ready for
mob violence. We who read history
know the story Of Joan Of Arc, who
was the military leader of the
English domination in her time. .
Later on her own people turned
against her, and finally burned her
as witch. Nevertheless, in later
days, the French people build mon
uments to her and worship her name
and memory. '.''
But of all the tragedies recorded
up to date is this wholesale mas
sacre of the czars family in Russia,
in July, 1918. Five of the number
were innocent and helpless. They
had wronged nobody; their only
crime was being born in a Russian
palace and the children of Nicholas
II, and as the story goes on down
the ages, it will stand out as a
fiendish desire for human blood and
toe wreaking of amob vengeance on
the helpless children of an. emperor.
AS I see it, that one act will Always
becloud the movement to free Rus
STA from monarchy. 1t will wake
up sympathizers that were friendly
to Russian republic, and it will
warn those who are unfriendly to
monarchy that the remedy as ap-
piled was worse than the disease.