In those first days of his reign, when he enforced loyalty with
grape-shot and halter, Nicholas dared much and stood firm; but his
character soon showed another side. Fearless as he was before bright
bayonets, he was an utter coward before bright ideas. He laughed at the
flash of cannon, but he trembled at the flash of a new living thought.
Whenever, then, he attempted a great thing for his nation, he was sure
to be scared back from its completion by fear of revolution. And so,
today, he who looks through Russia for Nicholas's works finds a number
of great things he had done, but each is single, insulated, not preceded
logically, not followed effectively. Take, as an example of this, his
railway-building.
His own pride and Russian interest demanded railways. He scanned the
world with that keen eye of his, saw that American energy was the best
supplement to Russian capital; his will darted quickly, struck afar, and
Americans came to build his road from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
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