The Daily News TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1904. THE CZAR IN A NEW LIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 208, 6 September 1904, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1904. THE CZAR IN A NEW LIGHT.

We have been accustomed to regard the ruler of Russia as being almost entirely under the control of his Ministers, but if the writer of a recent article in the Quarterly Review is to he believed Czar Nicholas 11. must be held responsible for much of the oppression, mal-admjnistration, and political mistakes that have landed the country in a ferment. The article is interesting reading. The writer says that soon after the Czar began his reign he commenced to show that he believed himself to be "God's lieutenant, the earthly counterpart of his divine Mastei —as the centre of the world, the peacemaker of mankind, the torohibearer of civilisation among the 'yellow' and other 'barbarous' races, and tj.jq dispenser of almost every blessing to his own happy people," Taking seriously t-'is, his imaginary mission, he has meddled continuously and directly in every affair 0 X State, domestic and foreign, thwarting the course of justice, undermining legality, impoverishing his subjects, boasting his fervent love of peace, and yet plunging his tax-burdened people into the horrors of a song|uinary and needless war. The article goes on to point out that the Czar was unfortunate from the first in his advisers, his own choice. M. Sipiaguine, the Minister for Puiblic Instruction, who

was assassinated on April 14th, 1904, was "intellectually Boeotian; but. socially agreeable ;" he was a courtier who flattered the Czar and oppressed the people. M. de Plehve (who was also assassinated recently) is described as an official who was tolerably instructed, possessed an intricate acquaintance with the seamy side of human nature, knew how to touch deftly the light cords of sentiment, prejudice, or passion, and could keep his head in the most alarming crisis. M. de Witte's fall is attributed to his unwillingness to play the courtier. ''He not only spoke freely to Nicholas 11., but refused to change his opinion in accordance with the Emperor's desires. He also declined to dupe the foreign Powers. 'Your Majestypledged your word to evacuate Manchuria, and the world believed you. Russia will now lose all credit, and perhaps not even gain Manchuria, if it pleasei your Majesty to break that pledge. War also will follow, and we sorely need peace, nesdldes, Manchuria is useless to us. Therefore, 1 cannot bo a party to this policy.' Thus plainly spoke the Finance Minister, heedless of courteous phraseology. ' Witte is a haughty dictator, wjno gives himself the ail's of an Emperor.' So spoke the courtiers among themselves and to his Majesty through the Grand Dukes. And the autocrat, wrathful that a subject should oppose liis wishes and refuse to co-operate with him in professing to work for peace, while provoking war, dismissed him." Describing the attitude of the Czar in the conduct of public business, the article says : " He is ever straggling with phantoms, lighting with windmills,

conversing with saints, or consulting the spirits of the dead. But of the moans at hand for helping the people or letting them help themselves he never avails himself. Books he has long ago ceased to read, and sound advice lie is incapable of listening to. His Ministers he receives with great formality and dismisses with haughty condescension. They are often kept- in the dark about subjects which it behoves them to know thoroughly and early. Thus, shortly after the present war had begun, a num'ber of dignitaries and officials gathered round General Kuropatkin one day and asked him how things were going on. With a malicious twinkle in his eye the War Minister replied—' lAko yourselves I know only what Li published. The war is Alexleff's business, not mine.' When three Ministers implored the Czar to evacuate Manclnnia and safeguard the peace of the world, he answered—' I shall keep the peace ■and my own counsel as well.' To one of the Grand Dukes, who, on the day before the rupture with Julian, vaguely hinted at the possibility of war, the Emperor said—- ' Leave that to me. Japan will sever fight. My rcigm will be an ora of peace to tho end.' " The evil influence surrounding the Czar is attributed principally to the Grand Dukes, his near rclutivos. The writer says that they paint their plnns in the hues of the Czar's own dreams, presemt him with motives which appeal to his prejudices' and always open their attack by gross flattery. The Gnamd-Ducal reigm is described as the Russian governing syndicate with power unlimited, and which no Minister cam withstand for a month. The Grand Dukes can thwart Ministers' plans in their preliminary stages, discredit them in the eyes of the C»ar during discussion, and

have them cancelled even after the Czar has sanctioned them. The indict meat of the Czar in the article t)uoled spins up the Imperial i offences as follows :—" The responsi- | bility for liis acts cannot he laid | upon the shoulders of his Ministers, I whose advice he refrains from seek- ' ing in the most dangerous crisis of his reign. It was not his Ministers who prompted him to break the promise he had given to evacu-l ate Manchuria ; they entreated him' to keep it. It was not they who proposed that he should curtail the, power for good still lett to such institutions' as the Council of the | Empire, tho Committee of Ministers, ■and the governing Senate. It was I

not tliley who impelled him to make the Monarchy ridiculous by seeking wisdom in the evocation of spirits, and strength in the caniionisaiion

of saints. It was not they who urged him to break up the Finnish nation by a series of inkiuitous measures worthy of an Oriental despot of ancient Babylon or Persia. On the contrary, they assured him in clear and not always courtly phraseology that justice and statesimanship reqniired him to stay his hand. It was not his official ad-

visers who suggested that, lie should despoil the Armenian Church of its property and endowments, while leaving all other religious communities in the possession of theirs, and should punish with .bullets and cold steel the zealous members of the Church who protested in the name of their religion and conscience. Almost all his Ministers unitod for once in warning him that this was an act of wanton speculation ami in conjuring him to abandon or modify his scheme. But, deaf to their, arguments, he insisted on having his own way."