Ambassador Meyer to the Secretary of State.
St. Petersburg, May 10, 1906.
Sir: I have the honor to report that this morning at 10 a.m. His Majesty the Emperor, accompanied by the Empress and Dowager Empress, arrived in St. Petersburg, having embarked on the royal yacht at Peterhof. At the Nicolas Bridge the royal party entered a steam launch and proceeded directly to the landing in front of the Winter Palace on the banks of the Neva.
The ceremonies in the Winter Palace went off without a hitch and were a wonderful display. All the Russians were instructed to assemble in the grand salon at 1 o’clock and the diplomats in a special room at 1.15. At half past 1 we were notified by the master of ceremonies to form in line, the Turkish and French ambassadors leading, next the Italian and American, then the German and Spanish, the Austrian and English ambassadors being absent. The ministers were formed in line according to their rank. We formally proceeded through several great halls, the Russian members of the court drawn up on the right and hundreds of ladies on the left, all the latter in the Russian costume with the attractive headgear, known as the “kokoshnik,” and all dresses décolletée en rigueur. The throne is in the great hall of St. George, and the diplomats were stationed on a raised stand on the right of the throne, but to the left of the entrance.
In the throne room of the Winter Palace there was an assemblage of people different from any that has ever taken place in the history of Russia. On the left of the throne, taking up the entire left side of the hall, were the members of the Douma, in every conceivable costume, the peasants in rough clothes and long boots, merchants and tradespeople in frock coats, lawyers in dress suits, priests in long garb and almost equally long hair, and even a Catholic bishop in violet robes.
On the opposite side of the hall were officers in braided uniforms, courtiers covered with decorations, generals, members of the staff, and members of the Imperial Council of Russia.
At a quarter of 2 one heard in the distance the national anthem, played by the trumpeters, growing gradually louder as the Emperor and his courtiers approached. Finally the doors were thrown open, and first came richly attired court servants, then two masters of ceremonies carrying wands of office, two grand masters of ceremonies each bearing an imperial golden eagle, followed by others carrying the sword of state, the seal of state, the imperial banner, the globe, the scepter, and finally the crown glittering with beautiful jewels. Directly behind the Crown came 12 palace grenadiers, wearing uniforms of a century ago. Immediately after came His Imperial Majesty with the Empress Alexandra on his left and the Empress Dowager on his right. The Grand Dukes Michael and Vladimir and the remainder of the imperial family followed in order of precedence. Halfway down the hall the Emperor stopped and kissed the cross in the hands of the high priest, and then the religious ceremony commenced with chanting and choir. That finished, the Emperor proceeded alone to the throne, where he seated himself, while the two [Page 1258] empresses walked to the right of the throne and remained standing. The grand dukes and grand duchesses assembled further to the right, but not on the steps of the throne.
In watching the deputies I was surprised to note that many of them did not even return the bows of His Majesty, some giving an awkward nod, others staring him coldly in the face, showing no enthusiasm, and even almost sullen indifference. As he rose again from the throne there was an absolute stillness. He then proceeded in a firm voice to read his address. When he finished there was a tremendous outbreak of applause, but limited almost entirely to the right side of the hall, the deputies remaining quiet. As he descended from the throne and the members of the royal household formed in line according to their rank the applause and shouting on the right continued and increased, but the marked silence on the left was ever noticeable. The Emperor carried himself with dignity under the trying ordeal and should receive credit for what he said in his address to the members of the Douma.
Judging merely from appearances, it was difficult to recognize any marked ability or distinguishing trait among the members of the Douma which would specially fit them for the great task that is before them, but the contrast between those on the left and those on the right was the greatest that one could possibly imagine, one being a real representation of different classes of this great Empire and the other of what the autocracy and bureaucracy has been.
The peasants have come here for the reforming or even the repealing of the laws of property, in order that they may gain by a division of the land. It is said that they desire to go so far as to introduce laws forbidding the landowners to possess more than a certain amount of land. When land is thus given up it is to be divided among the peasants of the district and paid for at a certain price.
On the other hand, the Democratic party has been making a great many promises which it will be unable to fulfill. Whether an eventual conflict can be avoided between the Crown and the Douma remains to be seen, but, with the overwhelming majority of the constitutional Democrats in the lower house, it would appear wise for the Czar to select a cabinet at once from their number, in order that they should be held responsible to the people for the acts of the Douma.
I have, etc.,