French or any other. Having started in this vein the discussion turned on
the mighty and noble deeds Russia was going to do now. Just as it once
freed Europe from the yoke of Napoleon so will it now liberate her from the
militarism and barbarism of William and give freedom to all the world, to
all nationalities, races, and creeds. The light of the world is to
come from Russia. The crowd meant it. The soldiers were in earnest and
patriotic--the praise showered upon them and the responsibility placed upon
them seemed to uplift them--the man with the hoe became a free citizen and
behaved as such. On Wednesday, March 14, the soldiers posted bulletins
in different parts of the city calling on their comrades to abstain from
liquor and violence and to prevent others from committing lawless deeds.
Not satisfied with mere words small companies of militia visited the places
where drinks were sold and emptied the barrels and bottles into the gutter.
For days the Astoria Hotel looked and smelled like a wrecked saloon after
Carrie Nation and her associates had stoned it.

For some time the whereabouts and intentions of the Tsar were unknown and
numerous rumors were afloat. Some said that he had committed suicide, that
he was in the city, that he was on the way, that he was under arrest, that
he had fled the country. Another interesting question was the form of the
new government, should it be a republic or a constitutional monarchy. Many
of the educated classes and members of the Duma advocated a constitutional
monarchy of the English type, while others, particularly the socialistic
groups, favored a republic, a democratic republic; whatever they meant by
that is not clear. Needless to say the great mass of people did not know
the difference between one kind of government and another but they shouted
as loudly as those who knew. One soldier demanded a republic like that of
England, another insisted on a republic with a tsar at the head, the wife
of the porter of the house where I lived cried as if her heart would break
because "they wanted a republic," and some of the peasant women in the