A ROMANOFF TRAITOR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 151, 28 June 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

A ROMANOFF TRAITOR.

Poet, Nihilist, and Cousin op the Czar.

The Nihilistic escapades of the Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovitch form the most exasperating episode of the reign of the present Czar. They are sufficiently serious in a political way to disturb the Government very greatly. They show that Alexander 111. cannot depend even upon his own near kinsman for loyal support, and they have a highly demoralising effect upon the whole aristocracy, which has hitherto been, of course, the foundation of conservatism. Ib was the late Count Tolstoi, the reactionery Minister of the Interior, who declared that the importance of a man's deeds was magnified in equal ratio to the cube of his social elevation. Nor was this an extravagant expression; at least in Russia. The treason of a dozen colonels in the arn»y or of a thousand students in the universities would nob be for a moment comparable in disastrous effects to the disloyalty of a cousin of the Czar. But

The Wrath which Alexander 111. now feels has another cause than this ; just as the treason of Constantino Constanbinovitch has another inspiration .than a mere love for the people and desire for their emancipation. Ib is even to be doubted if the Grand Duke cherishes these latter sentiments at all save as a means to an end. His treaeon hae its origin in a bitter personal enmity between him and the Emperor, an enmity which has frequently been manifested hitherto with troublous results, and which dates <back to the boyhood of the fathers of the Duke and bhe Czar. Ib is a curious' and romantic story, resembling more the legends of the feudal ages than the matter-of-facb record of the nineteenth century. Constantino Constantinovitch is, as his name indicates, a son ot Constantine Nieolaevitch, and brother of Alexander 11., and eon of the Czar Nicolas. Alexander was the eldest son of Nicolas, bub was born before Nicolas became heir apparent to the throne. Soon after Alexander's birth, however, Constantine Pavlovitch, brother of Alexander 1., abdicated his rights as heir apparent in favour of Nicolas, and the latter thus became heir apparent and

Afterwards Czar.

And ifc was after this abdication of Constanbine Pavlovitch that Constantine Nicolaevitch was born. Although, therefore, Constantino was the second son of Nicolas, / he was his firstborn after he became heir apparent, and this fact, in the eyes of Constantino himself and.manjLof his friends,, gave him claims to tho succession superior to those of his elder brother Alexander. Czar Nicolas thought differently, and designated Alexander as Czarevitch,'and the latter became Emperor, as Alexander 11. But Constantino never abandoned his ambition to become Czar, nor his enmity towards the elder brother who had, as he thought, robbed him of his rights. Even during his father's reign he stiowed his disaffection by giving sympathy and aid to the Polish insurrection of 1853-54, and he even planned to establish himself at Warsaw as King or Czar of Poland should the rebellion prove successful. On coming to the throne Alexander 11. forgave and sought to conciliate his brother, whose great intellectual gifts and genius for statesmanship he fully recognised. He ev,en went bo far as to make him

President of the Council op State. But in time it became evident that Con" Btantine was using his rank and office to undermine the authority of the Czar, whereupon the latter, largely, it is said, at the suggestion of his eon, the present Czar, removed him from office, and exiled him to his eetatea at Orianda, in the Crimea, near the Imperial <fieat of Livadia. Since the accession of Alexander 111. this banishment has been made stricter than ever. The estate of Orianda is largely planted with vineyards, and Constantine has tor years apparently devoted himself to, the peaceful pursuits of a wine-maker. He has five children, cousins of the Czar. The eldest of these is Nicolas, of whom more anon. The second is the beautiful Grand Duchess Olga, now Queen of Greece. The third is the Grand Duchess Vera, widow of Eugene, Duke of Wurtemburg. The fourth is the present traitor, Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovitch, who ie 32 years old, is married to Princess Elizabeth of Saxe-Altenbourg, and has two children. And the fifth is the Grand Duke Demetrius, or Dimitry. This young Constantine inherits all his father's intellectual ability and political ambition. Some years ago be won

High Rank as a Poet

through the publication of his verses in Katkoff'a review, the 'B.usai Viestnik. , Now, however, his writings are so openly treasonable and so violenfe in their hostility to the Governmenb that a&j paper publishing them would be ab once suppressed, and its edibor sent to Siberia for the rest of his days. Accordingly the Grand Duke prints them himself and circulates'them privately, though widely. Some time ago his doings were reported to the Czar, who was furiouely angry and actually threatened him with deportation to Siberia. This threat was not' fulfilled, however, nor is it likely ever to be, for the reason that young Consbantine is a hopeless sufferer from consurepbion, and exile bo Siberia would be his death-warrant. The Czar, however, is bo-day reported to have said: {We will send him to his brother, who seems to be doing very well. Perhaps ib will have an equally good effect upon him." The brother here referred to is Nicolas Constantinovitch, eldest son of the elder Grand Duke Constanbine. Some years ago Nicolas, a man of extraordinary talents, by the way, became desperately enamoured of

A Beautiful American Adventuress,

who had a marvellous faculty for spending money. She soon ran through with all his available means, and still clamoured for more. Fearing that she would forsake him unless he supplied her demands, Nicolas in bis desperation stole some valuable jewels which his mother, to whom they belonged, had used to decorate the altar in the chapel of the palace. This act was at once discovered and proved fatal to Nicolas' career in Russia, since it amounted to both larceny and sacrilege. The Czar summarily deprived him of .his titles and rights, and exiled him for life to Turkeatan. Harsh as this fate was, ifc proved a good thing for Nicolas. Taking the name of Nicolas Romanoff, he settled |n Turkestan and de-

voted himself to business. He acquired large tracts of desert land, and by means of artificial irrigation transformed them into the most fertile fields. He built a large silk factory, which is now doing a great and profitable business, and he has so identified himself with the building of irrigation canals and the promotion of other public works as to be regarded with unbounded esteem and affection by all the country. It is altogether probable that his brother Constantino will presently be sent to join him there. Turkestan is a poor place for Nihilism, but a good place for consumptives.