Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-02-16
THE NEW EMPEROR.
Where Shall be be GrowRed2 At Worms,
Berlin, Frankfort, Nuremberg or
Ai~x-ls-ChapeIle

The air Of Germany is thick with
rumOrs of the coming coronation.
Where shall it be held? is the theme
OF universal discussion. Already all
who conceive they possess any sort Of
vested interest IN the matter have
been quietly bestiTring themselves,
and there are now six cities in the
field contending for the Inauguration
of the new KaiserdOm. Their claims,
says the London Times, may be very
briefly reviewed.
First in antiquity comes Worms,
the seat and the residence Of the ear
lest recorded cOnquerOrs of Rhine
land, the Burgundian dynasty "a. d.
434); next Of the earliest Frankish
line of s~Overeigns; later a favOrite re-
sort of Charlemagne and his success
sore; a free imperial city, member
Of the Rhine BuHd in 1855, with a
population in the time of B~arbarOssa
Of seventy thousand, now fallen to
eleven thousand. Worms has an i'm
mortal renOWn in Germany for its
famous Diet Of 1921, when Luther
fearlessly cast down the gauntlet Of
the Reformation.
Next comes Aix-Ia-C hapelIe, the
birthplace of Charlemagne. Before
the high altar of the majestic Dom,
which he had erected, the mighty
Emperor crowned his son, and from
his death hencefOrWard, from A. D.
Sl4 to 1881, no less than thirty-One
EmperOrs were crowned here. Here
too, until 1898, in the sacristy, were
treasured many Of the imperial robes
and regalia.
Next in antiquity of its claims
comes FrankfOrt-On-the-Main where,
from the glorious era of Barbarossa.
the election of the head of the HOLY
Roman Empire has, with few inter
ruptiCns, been held. By the Golden
Bull OF Charles ". Q3f9-I37S). the
ceremony of the imperial c0rOnatiOns
was infinitely described. The election
was to be held at Frankfort, and al
most all existing records, celemOnials
and illustrations of the imperial cOrO-
nations center in Frankfort, from
Richard Of Cornwall downward.
Nuremberg has been a favOrite
abode time out of mind of the most
famous Of the German EmperOrs: the
5Uabian line of the Demonstrations,
Rudolph of HapsbUrg, Ludwig the
Bavarian, Macmillan l., all shOWered
privileges on the glorious old city.
From 1924 to the Reformation the in
sigma of Charlemagne and the later
EmperOrs were treasured here. A
number Of Diets were also held here.
Nuremberg is the chief existing rep
resentatiye Of the later Middle Ages
and Renaissance. Regensberg-or, as
we choose TO call it, RatisbOn-is the
best type of the earlier. 1t is the CITY
of the Imperial Diets, held here from
1868 10 1906; here, too, were Rudolph
III. and Ferdinand III. elected.
Here are five ancient cities, all, IN
less belied, at this moment actively
preierring their historic claims. Ber-
lin contests them. Only Spires, the
burial place Of the ancient emperors.
is wanting TO come forward to COM
plete the classic number seven.
Worms, wise in its generation, has
sought to prOpitiate the new Emper-
Or's right and left hands, Bismarck
and MOltke, by comforting upon them
honorary citizenship. Frankfort has
been tagging, but during his recent
visit to Versailles with the deputa-
ton to offer the revived dignity of
Emperor, the Baron Won ROths-
child took the opportunity of press
ing the claims Of Frankfort, and re-
a hint that, as a preIimi-
nary, an address from the magistracy
of Frankfort was requisite. This APP
pears TO have been promptly acted
upon, but sub rosa, for tO-d8y's Frank
fort papers notify that they learn the
address was forwarded before New
Years Day. No decision as vet seems
to have been arrived at, and all that
can be got from the higher diplomatic
powers is a mysterious Burleigh-like |
Of the head, importing, We
shall see what we shall see" There
is no hurry, and many grave cOnsid-
eratiOns are involved in its solution.
1t is understood, however, that the
huctuates between Berlin and
Frankfort.
The claims Of Aix-la Chapelle are
venerable, but Frankfort may urge
that hers have more practical force. |
Beyond its Dom, the former has but
niue AEHAAAS ia AH aAlEAELAN EALllIEEa. 4
they have been replaced by modern
factories. The partisans of Frankfort
contend that there all is unchanged.
II can show the palace founded by the
of Charlemagne and the ROmer
Hall. built in I405 for the ceremonies /
and festivities Of the Emperor and
Prince electors the Cathedral, /
with its side chapel, for the
Election. built by the pro-
nulgator of the Golden Bull.
It has also the Gallery Of POr-
rats Of the f~fty-nine emperOrs from
yharIemagne to Francis IL, contrib
lted by the princes and cities Of the
Fatherland. It has, too, if the Dom, /
low undergoing repair from its recent
.Unflagrati0n, should not be used, the
ofty circular church of St. Paul, ia
he open square adjoining the ROmer
Hall, the seat of that historic parlia-
nent Of 1913 which passed away
such stormy memories, an adj
nirable edifce for spectacular effect.
Which city shall be chosen viii de-
pend upon the view taken by the
.Overeign and his advisers.
AS a central point for the meeting of
he German princes, Frankfort is per-
the most convenient city in Prus.
ian territory, standing upon the
Main, the middle boundary line Of
North and South Germany. If the
Empire is not To sink rapidly into a
lOnentity, il will be well that the Ger
nan people should see the faces Of
heir new EnperOrs, and no occasion
.ver so fitting as the Inauguration oil
heir dignity. Starting at AK la
jhapelle, Cologne, Mayence, Worms,
ipires, S%trasburg, Ratisbon and Nu-
emberg could be visited, until the
Majestic procession, swelling as it
moves along, should end At Frankfort.
The ancient progresses of the Empe-
'Ors from their residence to Frankfort
md thence down the Rhine 10 Aix-la-
Jhapelle, occupied more time and en-
iOuntered greater difficulties.