lled Grand Ducal party of which he is
supposed to be the leader, is a recently invented fiction. When in
difficulties the Emperor may consult individually some of his near
relatives, but there is no coherent group to which the term party could
properly be applied.

As soon as the Autocratic Power has decided on a definite line of
action, it is to be hoped that a strong man will be found to take the
direction of affairs. In Russia, as in other autocratically governed
countries, strong men in the political sense of the term are extremely
rare, and when they do appear as a lusus naturae they generally take
their colour from their surroundings, and are of the authoritative,
dictatorial type. During recent years only two strong men have come to
the front in the Russian official world. The one was M. Plehve, who
was nothing if not authoritative and dictatorial, and who is no longer
available for experiments in repression or constitutionalism. The other
is M. Witte. As an administrator under an autocratic regime he has
displayed immense ability and energy, but it does not follow that he is
a statesman capable of piloting the ship into calm waters, and he is not
likely to have an opportunity of making the attempt, for he does not--to
state the case mildly--possess the full confidence of his august master.

Even if a strong man, enjoying fully the Imperial confidence, could be
found, the problem would not be thereby completely and satisfactorily
solved, because an autocrat, who is the Lord's Anointed, cannot delegate
his authority to a simple mortal without losing something of the
semi-religious halo and the prestige on which his authority rests.
While a roi faineant may fulfil effectively all the essential duties of
sovereignty, an autocrate faineant is an absurdity.

In these circumstances, it is idle to speculate as to the future. All
we can do is to await patiently the development of events, and in all
probability it is the unexpected that will happen.

The reader doubtless feels that I am offering a very lame and impotent
conclusion, and I must confess that I am conscious of this feeling
myself, but I think I may fairly plead extenuating circumstances.
Happily for my peace of mind I am a mere observer who is not called upon
to invent a means of extricating Russia from her difficult position.
For that arduous task there are already brave volunteers enough in
the field. All I have to do is to explain as clearly as I can th