A few hours after the death of the Czar Nicholas, his son, heir, and successor, Alexander II., ascended the throne and the officers of the imperial house took the oaths of allegiance. The new Emperor in his manifesto to his subjects says—as his father devoted himself incessantly for the welfare of his Empire, “so do we also on ascending the throne of Russia, and of Poland and Finland, inseparable from it, take a solemn oath before God to regard the welfare of our Empire as our only object. May Providence, which has selected us for so high a calling, be our guide and protector, that we may maintain Russia on the highest standard of power and glory, and in our person accomplish the incessant wishes and views of Peter, of Catharine, of Alexander, and of our father. May the zeal of our subjects assist us therein. We invoke and command the oath of allegiance to us, and to the heir to the throne, our son Nicholas Alexandrowitsch.” The new Sovereign of Russia is thirty-seven years of age, his figure tall and commanding, his features fine, with a Grecian profile, an expression of kindness, a step light and gracefully noble. Previous to his accession, he held the posts of Commander-in-Chief of the Corps de la Garde, and of the Grenadiers; presided over the Military School, and was Curator-in-Chief of the Military Hospital of Tchesmé, and holds the command of the Lancers, the Carabiniers of Erivan, &c.
He was initiated, at an early age, into the affairs of the Empire by the Emperor his father; he was present at all the councils; he was invested with situations which gave him frequent opportunities of rendering himself useful to the army, and pleasing to the youth of the schools. Whenever the Emperor Nicholas quitted the capital, he left the supreme direction of the Government to his son; in short, he had taken the utmost pains to prepare him to become his successor. The new Emperor is very popular in Russia—he is beloved and esteemed by the people. He will not exercise the great authority of his father, for he does not inherit either his hauteur or his inflexibility. He will rather please, as the Emperor Alexander I. did, by his mildness and his affability; and between the uncle and the nephew there is a very great similarity of character in numerous ways. The new Empress is also highly spoken of, and her elevated judgment and her conciliating manners are much extolled. It is thought she will exercise a salutary influence over the Emperor.
One of the last acts of the late Emperor of Russia was the recalling of Prince Menschikoff from the command he has held in the Crimea since the commencement of hostilities. He was chosen by the late Emperor as one of the principal members of the old Muscovite party in the state to proceed on the mission to the Porte, which gave the signal of the contest. He performed the mission with arrogance—unconciliating, and even uncouth in his manners—unacquainted with the forms of diplomatic intercourse or the political dangers he called into life—Prince Menschikoff succeeded in nothing but in rousing the spirit of the Divan to all the ardor of resistance, and in enlisting the sympathy of Europe on the side of his victim. In his capacity of Admiral, Head of the Fleet, and Minister of Marine, he continued with great energy to face the storm he had drawn down upon his country; and it must be acknowledged that he showed great energy and inexhaustible resource in the defence of Sebastopol. There is no example in history of defences and works of so extensive a character thrown up by a besieged garrison in presence of a powerful enemy; and the highest compliment which can be offered to Prince Menschikoff is the simple statement of fact, that on the 26th of September the place was almost open, and only defended by the vessels in the harbor; but that five months later, and in spite of continued attacks, the town was supposed by many persons impregnable to any direct assault.
Prince Gortschakoff, who was in command of the Russian forces in the Principalities, was appointed to take command in the Crimea, and Gen. Osten Sacken was appointed second in command.
Prince Gortschakoff is one of those who has attained his present eminent position by ascending, spoke by spoke, the “ladder of fame.”
The first that was known of him as a military man was his serving in a subordinate rank in the Artillery of the Imperial Guards. This was in the year 1828, he being then about thirty years of age. In 1829 he formed one of the staff of the Kratsowski Corps, and served with them in Silistria and at Shumla—he took part, together with Gen. Krassoffsky, in artillery operations connected with the beleaguerment of Silistria. After a siege of six weeks the garrison surrendered as prisoners of war. In 1831 Gortschakoff was required to take part in the war in Poland; and for his services in the campaign he was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant-General.
At Grochow, the Russians, under the command of Count Pahlen, had been compelled to retreat before the Poles, when, by the concentration of the artillery force under the command of Gortschakoff, the battle was turned in favor of the Russians. At Ostrolenka, also, he greatly distinguished himself. The Poles, after an obstinate resistance, were compelled to abandon the place. In September, 1831, the capital, Warsaw, capitulated. In 1843 he was promoted to the rank of General of Artillery. In 1846 he was appointed Military Governor of Warsaw. He took an important part in the Hungarian war of 1849. As soon as the occupation of the Danubian provinces was determined upon, the Prince was appointed to the chief command of the Imperial forces. When he entered Wallachia, he published a proclamation, to the effect that the Czar, his master, had no design of conquest, and that the independence of the inhabitants would, in every way, be protected. This promise was not fulfilled. Shortly after this, he issued the celebrated appeal to the fanaticism of the Russians, ending with the words—“Mort aux Pagans” (death to the infidels). As has been stated, the Prince has gradually attained his present high rank.
He is now Aide-de-Camp General, General of Artillery, and Chef d’Etat Major of the active army, and privileged to take part in the deliberations of the Councils of the Empire. He is also Military Governor of Warsaw, and the chief member of the Council of Administration of the Kingdom of Poland.
The diplomatic achievements of the Prince are numerous, but they are more characteristic than great. He is said to be more of a bully than a diplomatist, doubles his fists too often to wear the “white glove” well—he being one of the most petulant and factious of mankind, and at the same time one of the most obstinate and overbearing.