Thereforeitwasthatitbecamenecessarytoextemporizeforthissoldieratrainingwhichshouldfithimforthedutiesofthepositionsounexpectedlyopenedtohim;andthemanchosenashistutorwasaprofessoratMoscow，distinguishedasajuristandtheologian，——amanofremarkableforceofcharacter，anddevotedtoRussianideasasdistinguishedfromthoseofWesternEurope:
ConstantinePobedonostzeff。
Duringthedarkandstormydaystowardtheendofhiscareer，AlexanderIIhadcalledinashismainadviserGeneralLoris—Melikoff，amanofArmeniandescent，inwhomwasmingledwiththeshrewdcharacteristicsofhisraceasinceredesiretogivetoRussiaapolicyanddevelopmentinaccordancewithmodernideas。
Theresulttheworldknowswell。TheEmperor，havingtakentheadviceofthisandothercouncilors，——deeplypatrioticmenlikeMiloutine，Samarine，andTcherkassky，——hadfreedtheserfswithinhisempire（twentymillionsinall）;hadsanctionedavastschemebywhichtheyweretoarriveatthepossessionoflandedproperty;hadestablishedlocalself—governmentinthevariousprovincesofhisempire;hadimprovedthecourtsoflaw;hadintroducedWesternideasintolegalprocedure;hadgreatlymitigatedtheseveritiesformerlyexercisedtowardtheJews;andhadmadeallreadytopromulgateaconstitutiononhisapproachingbirthday。
Butthisdidnotsatisfythenihilisticsect。Whatmoretheywanteditishardtosay。ItismorethandoubtfulwhetherRussiaeventhenhadarrivedatastageofcivilizationwhentheinstitutionswhichAlexanderIIhadalreadyconcededcouldbeadoptedwithprofit;buttheleadersoftheanarchicmovement，withtheirvaguelongingsforfruitonthedaythetreewasplanted，decreedtheEmperor’sdeath——theassassinationofthegreatestbenefactorthatRussiahaseverknown，oneofthegreatestthathumanityhasknown。Itwas，perhaps，themostfearfulcrimeevercommittedagainstlibertyandfreedom;foritblastedthehopesandaspirationsofoverahundredmillionsofpeople，anddoubtlessformanygenerations。
OnthisthesturdyyoungguardsmanbecametheEmperorAlexanderIII。ItisrelatedbymenconversantwithRussianaffairsthat，atthefirstmeetingoftheimperialcouncilors，Loris—Melikoiff，believingthattheyoungsovereignwouldbeledbyfilialreverencetocontinuetheliberalpolicytowhichthefatherhaddevotedhislife，madeaspeechtakingthisforgranted，andthatthemajorityofthosepresent，includingtheEmperor，seemedinaccordwithhim;whensuddenlytherearoseatall，gaunt，scholarlyman，whoatfirstverysimply，butfinallyveryeloquently，presentedadifferentview。Accordingtothechroniclersoftheperiod，PobedonostzefftoldtheEmperorthatallso—calledliberalmeasures，includingtheconstitution，wereadelusion;that，thoughsuchthingsmightbesuitedtoWesternEurope，theywerenotsuitedtoRussia;thattheconstitutionofthatempirehadbeen，fromtimeimmemorial，thewilloftheautocrat，directedbyhisownsenseofresponsibilitytotheAlmighty;thatnootherconstitutionwaspossibleinRussia;thatthisalonewasfittedtothetraditions，thelaws，theideasofthehundredandtwentymillionsofvariousracesundertheRussianscepter;thatinotherpartsoftheworldconstitutionalliberty，socalled，hadalreadyshownitselfanabsurdity;thatsocialism，anarchism，andnihilism，withtheirplotsandbombs，wereappearinginallquarters;thatmurderwasplottedagainstrulersofnationseverywhere，thebestofpresidentshavingbeenassassinatedintheverycountrywherefreeinstitutionsweresupposedtohavetakenthemostcompletehold;thattheprincipleofauthorityinhumangovernmentwastobesaved;andthatthisprincipleexistedasaneffectiveforceonlyinRussia。
Thisspeechissaidtohavecarriedallbeforeit。AsitsimmediateresultcametheretirementofLoris—Melikoff，followedbyhisdeathnotlongafterward;theentranceofPobedonostzeffamongthemostcherishedcouncilorsoftheEmperor;thesuppressionoftheconstitution;thediscouragementofeveryliberaltendency;andthatfanaticalreactionwhichhasbeeninfullforceeversince。
ThiswasthemanwhomIespeciallydesiredtoseeandtounderstand;andthereforeitwasthatIwasverygladtoreceivefromtheStateDepartmentinstructionstoconsultwithhimregardingsomeratherdelicatemattersneedingadjustmentbetweentheGreekChurchandourauthoritiesinAlaska，andalsoinrelationtotherepresentationofRussiaattheChicagoExposition。
Ifoundhim，asoneofthegreatministersofthecrown，residinginaministerialpalace，butstillretaining，inlargemeasure，hisoldqualityofprofessor。Abouthimwasabeautifullibrary，witheveryevidenceofaloveforartandliterature。Ihadgoneintohispresencewithmanyfeelingsofdoubt。AgainstnooneinRussiahadchargessobitterbeenmadeinmyhearing:itwasuniversallyinsistedthathewasresponsibleforthepersecutionoftheRomanCatholicsinPoland，oftheLutheransintheBalticprovincesandinFinland，oftheStundistsinCentralRussia，andofthedissentingsectseverywhere。HehadbeenspokenofintheEnglishreviewsasthe"Torquemadaofthenineteenthcentury，"
andthisepithetseemedtobegenerallyacceptedasfitting。
Ifoundhimascholarly，kindlyman，readytodiscussthebusinesswhichIbroughtbeforehim，andshowingawideinterestinpublicaffairs。Therewerefew，ifany，doctrines，eitherpoliticalortheological，whichweheldincommon，butheseemedinclinedtomeetthewishesofourgovernmentasfullyandfairlyashecould;andthuswasbegunoneofthemostinterestingacquaintancesIhaveevermade。
HisusualtimeofreceivinghisfriendswasonSundayeveningbetweennineandtwelve;andverymanysucheveningsIpassedinhisstudy，discussingwithhim，overglassesoffragrantRussiantea，everysortofquestionwiththeutmostfreedom。
Isoonfoundthathisreasonsforthatcourseofactiontowhichtheworldsogenerallyobjectsarenotsosuperficialastheyareusuallythought。Therepressivepolicywhichhehassoearnestlyadoptedisbasednotmerelyuponhisviewsasatheologian，butuponhisconvictionsasastatesman。While，asaRusso—Greekchurchman，heregardstheestablishedchurchoftheempireastheformofChristianitymostprimitiveandpure;andwhileheseesinitsritual，initsart，andinallthecharacteristicsofitsworshipthenearestapproachtohisideals，helooksatitalsofromthepointofviewofastatesman——asthegreatestcementingpowerofthevastempirethroughwhichitisspread。
Thisbeingthecase，henaturallyopposesallotherreligiousbodiesinRussiaasnotmerelyinflictinginjuryuponChristianity，butastendingtothepoliticaldisintegrationoftheempire。Never，inanyofourconversations，didIhearhimspeakaharshwordofanyotherchurchorofanyreligiousideasopposedtohisown;butitwasclearthatheregardedProtestantsanddissidentsectsgenerallyasbutagentsintheprogressofdisintegrationwhich，inWesternEurope，seemedapproachingacrisis，andthatheconsideredtheRomanCatholicChurchinPolandaspracticallyapoliticalmachinemanagedbyahierarchyindeadlyhostilitytotheRussianEmpireandtoRussianinfluenceeverywhere。
Indiscussinghisownchurch，heneverhesitatedtospeakplainlyofitsevidentshortcomings。Unquestionably，oneofthewishesnearesthisheartistoreformtheabuseswhichhavegrownupamongitsclergy，especiallyintheirpersonalhabits。Here，too，isareasonforanyrepressivepolicywhichhemayhaveexercisedagainstotherreligiousbodies。EverythingthatdetractsfromtheestablishedRusso—GreekChurchdetractsfromtherevenuesofitsclergy，and，asthesearepitifullysmall，aidstokeepthepriestsandtheirfamiliesinthelowconditionfromwhichheissoearnestlyendeavoringtoraisethem。AsregardstheseverepolicyinauguratedbyAlexanderIIIagainsttheJewsoftheempire，whichPobedonostzeff，morethananyotherman，issupposedtohaveinspired，heseemedtohavenoharshfeelingsagainstIsraelitesassuch;buthisconductseemedbaseduponatheorywhich，invariousconversations，hepresentedwithmuchforce:namely，thatRussia，havingwithinitsbordersmoreJewsthanexistinalltheworldbesides，andhavingsufferedgreatlyfromtheseasfromanorganizationreallyincapableofassimilationwiththebodypolitic，mustpursuearepressivepolicytowardthemandisolatetheminordertoprotectitsruralpopulation。
WhilehewasverycivilinhisexpressionsregardingtheUnitedStates，heclearlyconsideredallWesterncivilizationafailure。
Heseemedtoanticipate，beforelong，acollapseinthesystemsandinstitutionsofWesternEurope。Tohimsocialismandanarchism，withalltheyimply，werebutsymptomsofawide—spreadpoliticalandsocialdisease——indicationsofanapproachingcatastrophedestinedtoendacivilizationwhich，havingrejectedorthodoxy，hadcastasideauthority，giventheforceoflawtothewhimsiesofilliteratemajorities，andaccepted，asthevoiceofGod，thevoiceofunthinkingmobs，blindtotheirowninterestsandutterlyincapableofworkingouttheirowngood。ItwasevidentthatheregardedRussiaasrepresentingamongthenationstheideaofHeaven—givenandchurch—anointedauthority，astheempiredestinedtosavetheprincipleofdivinerightandtheruleofthefittest。
RevolutionaryeffortsinRussiahediscussedcalmly。ReferringtoLoris—Melikoff，therepresentativeoftheprinciplesmoststronglyopposedtohisown，nowordofcensureescapedhim。Theonlyevidenceofdeepfeelingonthissubjectheevershowedinmypresencewaswhenhereferredtothewritingsofawell—knownRussianrefugeeinLondon，andsaid，"Heisamurderer。"
Astopublicinstruction，heevidentlyheldtotheideasothoroughlycarriedoutinRussia:namely，thattheupperclass，whichistoconductthebusinessofthestate，shouldbehighlyeducated，butthatthemassofthepeopleneednoeducationbeyondwhatwillkeepthemcontentedinthehumblestationtowhichithaspleasedGodtocallthem。AverycuriousexampleofhisconservatismInotedinhisremarksregardingthedroshkiesofSt。Petersburg。Thedroshky—driversareRussianpeasants，simpleand，asarule，pious;rarelyfailingtomakethesignofthecrossonpassingachurchorshrine，oratanyothermomentwhichseemstothemsolemn。Theyarepossiblypicturesque，butcertainlydirty，intheirclothingandinalltheirsurroundings。
Aconveyancemorewretchedthantheordinarystreet—droshkyofaRussiancitycouldhardlybeconceived，andmeasureshadbeenproposedforimprovingthissystem;buthecouldseenouseinthem。TheexistingsystemwasthoroughlyRussian，andthatwasenough。Itappealedtohisconservatism。Thedroshky—drivers，withtheirRussiancaps，theirlonghairandbeards，theirpicturesquecaftans，andtheirdeferentialdemeanor，satisfiedhisestheticsense。
Whatseemedtomeaclashbetweenhisorthodoxconservatismononeside，andhisRussianprideontheother，IdiscoveredonmyreturnfromavisittoMoscow，inwhichIhadsundrywalksandtalkswithTolstoi。Onmyalludingtothis，heshowedsomeinterest。Itwasclearthathewasseparatedbyawholeorbofthoughtfromthegreatnovelist，yetitwasnonethelessevidentthathetookprideinhim。HenaturallyconsideredTolstoiashopelesslywronginallhisfundamentalideas，andyetwashimselftoomuchofamanoflettersnottorecognizeinhisbrilliantcountrymanoneofthegloriesofRussia。
Butthemostcurious——indeed，themostamazing——revelationofthemanIfoundinhisloveforAmericanliterature。Heisawidereader;a...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：