ly safety was to be found in courage
and energy. He accordingly made preparation for the administration of
the oath of allegiance to the army. "I shall soon," said he, "be an
emperor or a corpse." On the morning when the oath was to be
administered, and when it was evident that the insurrection would
break out, he said, "If I am emperor only for an hour, I will show
that I am worthy of it."

The morning of the 25th of December dawned upon St. Petersburg in
tumult. Bands of soldiers were parading the streets shouting,
"Constantine for ever." The insurrection had assumed the most
formidable aspect, for many who were not republicans, were led to
believe that Nicholas was attempting to usurp the crown which, of
right, belonged to Constantine. Two generals, who had attempted to
quell the movement, had already been massacred, and vast mobs, led by
the well-armed regiments, were, from all quarters of the city,
pressing toward the imperial palace. Nicholas, who was then
twenty-nine years of age, met the crisis with the energy of Napoleon.
Placing himself at the head of a small body of faithful guards, he
rode to encounter his rebellious subjects in the stern strife of war.
Instead of meeting a mob of unarmed men, he found marshaled against
him the best disciplined troops in his army.

A terrible conflict ensued, in which blood flowed in torrents. The
emperor, heading his own troops, exposed himself, equally with them,
to all perils. As soon as it was evident that he would be compelled to
fire upon his subjects, he sent word to his wife of the cruel
necessity. She was in the palace, surrounded by the most distinguished
ladies of the court, tremblingly awaiting the issue. When the thunder
of the artillery commenced in the streets, she threw herself upon her
knees, and, weeping bitterly, continued in prayer until she was
informed that the revolt was crushed, and that her husband was safe.
The number slain is not known. That it might be concealed, the bodies
were immediately thrust through holes cut in the ice of the Neva.

Though the friends of liberty can not but regret that free principles
have obtained so slender a foothold in Russia, it is manifest that
this attempt could lead only to anarchy. The masses of the nobles were
thoroughly corrupt, and the masses of the people ignorant and debased.
The Russian word for constitution, _constitutsya_, has a feminine
termination. Many of the people, it is reported, who were shouting,