He was said to be of a weak, silken
fibre. The strength of the family was said to be concentrated in his
younger brother, Constantine. But soon came a day when the young Czar
revealed to Europe not merely kindliness, but strength. While his
father's corpse was still lying within his palace, he received the
diplomatic body. As the Emperor entered the audience-room he seemed
feeble, indeed, for such a crisis. That fearful legacy of war seemed to
weigh upon his heart; marks of plenteous tears were upon his face;
Nesselrode, though old and bent and shrunk in stature, seemed stronger
than his young master.
But as he began his speech it was seen that a strong man had mounted the
throne. With earnestness he declared that he sorrowed over the existing
war; but that, if the Holy Alliance had been broken, it was not through
the fault of Russia. With bitterness he turned toward the Austrian
minister, Esterhazy, and hinted at Russian services in 1848, and
Austrian ingratitude. Calmly then, not as one who spoke a part but as
one who announced a determination, he declared: "I am anxious for peace;
but if the terms at the approaching congress are incompatible with the
honor of my nation, I will put myself at the head of my faithful Russia
and die sooner than yield.
Pages:
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800