Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1888 — THE EMPEROR DEAD. [ARTICLE]

THE EMPEROR DEAD.

The Long Career of the Venerable Bofdier is Closed. Brief Sketch of Hi* Eventful Career—Hie Lut Official of Potaible latr,|[a«i..li wrettlag Particular*. The Emperor died at 8:30, a. m. Friday, March 9th. Thursday afternoon noon he was unconscious,but rallied late in the night. With the coming of the sun hia spirit, took flight. During his unconsciousness in the afternoon bis death was announced in the newspapers and the Wildest excitement was created. At 9 p. m. an official bulletin announced that the Emperor still lived and the people were somewhat reassured. The Emperor swooned at 5 o’clock, and remained unconscious until 6. Afterwards he slept for an hour. The Emperor wts perfectly conscious at 2 o’clock, when he sent for Prince Bismarck, with whom he conversed for twenty minutes. Prince Bismarck re assured by the Emperor’s dhplay of vitality, then drove to the Reichstag, and presided at the Council of Ministers, which was followed by a meeting of the Bundesrath, whence he returned direct to the palace at 5 o’clock. It was then that the Emperor had the worst attack, and thb whole family was summoned to his bedside. The ringing of the church bells to announce the administering of the sacrement led the publie to believe that the end had come.

’ It is stated that just before the swoon the Emperor was talking with the Grand Duchess of Baden, and that be suddenly fell backward in a faint upon the bed. All efforts to revive him were in vain, and even the doctors for a time thought he was dead. The Grand Duchess of Baden kept up an animated telegraphic correspondence with the Crown Prince all day. In the afternoon Prince William’s children, dressed in white, drove past the palace and looked anxiously at the window for the Emperor. The crowd was deeply affected. The last official act of the Emperor was signing of the order to prorogue the Reichstag on the morning of the Bth, otherwise Prince William would have assumed signing functions. Tne question on every lip is, Will Frederick William succeed to the throne? It appears that, according to Geiman law, a prince who is affected with an incurable disease is ineligible to the throne, and if the Crown Prince has a cancer, as the German doctors aver, the succession may pass over to Prince William, his son. The imperial decree, made last November, deputing the pow ers of Regent to the latie *•, would seem to suggest such a conclusion. Persons who are closely allied to the German embassy here assert that Bismarck has long determined that Frederick William should not reign on the German throne, and it is a well-known fact that the Iron Chancellor and the Crown Princess do not agree. The Prince sides with bis wife against Bismarck, who entertains a cordial dislike for both. The persistency with which the Crown Princess retained Dr. Mackenzie in attendance upon her husband has increased the friction. Nevertheless, if Frederick Willia a is able to reach Berlm, and his condition then permits, he may be proclaimed Emperior in spite of Bismarck, for he has a great hold upon the affections of Jiis countrymen.

It is officially announced that Prince William will be crowned and will assume the title of Frederick III. It is expend that one of his Majesty’s (Prince 111. Wiliiam’s,{irst steps will be the granting of amnesty to political offenders. The papers contain what are reported to be the last words spoken by the Emperor. They are: "Alexander has promised me that he will not make war against us.” It is reported that the Emperor also said: “I am convinced that we ought not to go to war with Russia, toward whom the most friendly attidude ought to be adopted.” Count Von Moltke at the closing scene was deeply moved; and at last wept bitterly, but when he subsequently appeared in the Reichstag he was composed, being only a shade graver than usual. The Reichstag sitting was an event of historical importance, never likely to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. Prince Bismarck controlled his feelings only by violent efforts. He was only able to force out a few words at a time. Sometimes he could hardly speak at all and was obliged to make long pauses to suppress tears, which he tried to hide by lifting his portfolio or a glass of water. The Crown Prince becomes Emperor without any formality beyond the ordinary. The new monarch will not perform any act of government until his predecessor is buried, or until he has taken the oath so support the constitution. BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS LIFE. William I. King of Prussia, and since 1871 Emperor of Germany, was born March 22,1797, the second son of King Frederick William III. and Queen Louise, a Princess of Mecklenberg. He early developed great qualities as a soldier. He was given the position of a subaltern January 1,1807, and at Christmas of the same year was made a second Lieutenant. He was promoted to a first Lieutenancy in June, 1813, and in the following November was made a Captain and ordered to the front. On the first of January, 1814, seven years after his

entry into the service, and at the age of 17, be rode by the. side of Marshal Blucher when the Prussian army invaded France. He came under fire fbr the first time at Bar-eur-Aube. > He was entrusted with the reconnoissance of the. battle field, and he did his duty with so much coolness that his father gave him. the Iron Crosi, and the Czar of Russia •he Cross of St. George, an order of which, at the time of his death, hd was the oldest living member. He twice entered Paris with the victors, the first time being in 1815. He won a Major’s commission at Waterloo. June 11, 1829, he was married to the Princess Augusta, daughter of the Grand Duke Charles Frederick, of Saxe Weimar. present Crown Prince was born, and in 1833 bis daughter Louise. Frederick William died in 1840 and his son William Ilf., became King, his brother becoming Crown Prince and heir presumptive. William was appointed Governor of P.jftferiiflta, And he was honored with the honorary leadership of several regiments. Prince William had made himself very unpopular with the people by his stern adherence to the principle that Kings were made by Grace of God and as superior being 3 could not be held responsible for any acts committed to any of their subjects. He was compelled to take refuge in England in order to escape popular indignation,but after an absence of several months he returned. Meanwhile the insurrection had assumed greater proportions, and the Prince was detailed to the southwestern part of Germany to effect its destruction. This occurred in 1849, after his election to the Prussian National Assembly. Within a few weeks he had succeeded in.crushing the movement endangering the Government, and many cruel measures were resorted to. The Prince on various occasions, acted with coldblooded heartlessness. Prince William had himself appointed M.litary Governor of the Rhine province and of Westphalia, with his residence fixed at Coblencß. He participated in the most important deliberations of the Prussian Cabinet, and in 1854 was appointed General of the infantry, with rank of Field Marshal and the pcsition of Governor of the Fortress of Mayence. Always a strong believer in Masonry, he was one of the staunchest supporters of the order, and at the time spoken of he acted as Grand Master of all the Prus slan lodges. Continued sickness had incapacitated the King from performing his official duties, and on the 23d of October, 1857, the Prince was designated by the Cabinet to act in his place. No change for the better taking place in the King’s physical and mental condition, Prince William - wa<f proclaimed Regent on the 26th of October, 1858. At the very beginning of his reign be showed signs of a spirit of liberality not dreamt of by the most fastidious and hopeful Constitutionalists. v

The death of Frederick William III occurred on the 1st of January, 1861, and William I ascended to the throne of Prussia. A few months sufficed in bringing about a rupture between the King, the Prussian Congress and the people. Dissatisfaction with the new Government became widespread and painfully man si, and the first of the many attempts on the life of the King was made on the 14th of July 1861, while William was stopping at Baden-Baden. Becker, the assassin, only succeeded in slightly wounding the King. The conflict, once begun in earnest, increased in size and finally culminated in the formation of a reactionary Cabinet. This happened in March, in 1882. Bismarck, at this time German Minister in Paris, was recalled and placed at the head of this Cabinet. Hia appearance caused great indignation among people, and threats were made ajainst the new Premier’s life. In the war with Denmark (1864) the army proved able and effective. As a natural result, the people were elated, and the King began to be popular. Popular sentiment relaxed to a degree. The Chamber did not favor the annexation of the two provinces, Schleswig and Holstein, which, as a political and most advantageous result of the war, were to he wrested from Denmark. Austria, Prussia’s ally, made a satisfactory settlement with King William’s Government as to the spoils, and Snally the Prussian Crown took possession of Schleswig and Holstein. The Prussian constitutional conflict still kept on, but the Austrian war loomed up in the die tance. May 6,1866, the King ordered the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies, and without further notice procured the means necessary to carry on the war from the Treasury, and mobilizing the army, war began in earnest. William in person took command of the army and led it oa to victory, The battle of Koeniggratz decided the fate of Austria, and after six days’ fighting the Prussian army had been victorious. Popular sentiment was now greatly influenced in the King’s favor, and the election for the Chamber of Deputies resulted in a Government majority. At the opening of the session William acknowledged having acted hastaly and without lawful support in taking money from the Treasury, On the strength of Napoleon III's jealousy a serious dispute occurred between France and the new “confederation” in tne spring of 1867 in regard to the Duchy of Luxemburg, but war was for the time

prevented. Even then Prussia was better prepared for a struggle than France was; but, taking time by the forelock, King William at once began tc| concentrate into his hands all the live forces of the fatherland, and to increase his army and navy. A huge war was clearly foreshadowed, and a powerful German empire was confidently looked forward to by Biemaickas a result. The foolish ambition of Napoleon Ilf. of France brought about ths conflict. William commanded his army in person. Paris capitulated January 30,1871. Since the war the Emperor has made a favorab'e impression and gained great popularity. After peace was declared and William had returned to Berlin there was a more difficult controversy at heme. Bitmirck’s policy bringing about a conflict with Rome which also engaged the Evangelical Church and tV.e Conservative party. William took a decided stand, guarding the rights of the State and Crown against the encroachment, not only of the church, hut also of that party which was generally conaißlered the main support of the Prussian throne. The Emperor prided h nnelf on beiDg “the father of the people,“and as a writer has said, “his paternal care and solicitude for his subjects are displayed alike in the assiduity with which he devotes his labors to matters of state and in the grave gentleness with which he responds to their salutations.” Of late years he had grown in popularity, and his birthdays were fete days in the Empire. ~~ " "~~ r