Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-04-20
A Republican Prince.
From the New York Times.


A little history has appeared in Lon
don which seems to puzzle the English
papers a good deal 1t purports to be
1.-THE Story of the Fall of Prince Flor
estan of Monaco; by Himself" The
trihing difficulty that no sach Prince ap-
pears in the copious catalogue OF the
Almanach de Gotha has somewhat stag
gered persons who were otherwise pre-
pared to accept this production as a
piece of veracious history. If not true,
however, it is, as the Italians say, very
neatly invented, The Principally Of
Monoco-while the smallest kingdom in
existenee-about mile squares one
of the oldest known TO history. II ap-
pears as the port of Liguria somewhere
about 500 B. c.. and so early a traveller
as Strabo, found it noted as the seat Of
great temple dedicated to Hercules the
Solitary. The Roman legions left their
mark around the strongly y-fortifed rock
Of Monaco, and the Mussulman power
held long after the crescent had been
banished from every other spot on the
northern shore Of the Mediterranean.
Gibalen Grmaldi who cleaned out
what had become nest of Moorish pi-
rates, and restored Monaco to Christian
ity, was himself Of piratical family.
He continued the profession of bucca-
neering after he had laid the founda-
tions of royal house, and showed his
descendants a model of brutal and ty-
ranical rule which they were not slow to
initiate. Nevertheless, the Grimaldis
intermarried with ducal and royal stock
of both France and Italy, and furnished
many representatives renowned in the
council and on the feld-eminent
statesmen, churchmen and soldiers.
With a trihing interruption at the time
of the first French revolution, the line
of the Grimaldis lasted for nine hundred
years. The latest Prince of Monaco
known to cotemporary history is Homo
rius IV., who received from Napoleon
III. four million of francs in lieu of the
communes of Roccabrune and Mentone,
which had first revolted against his rule,
and then been annexed to France under
the treaty of Villfranca. Still later
only two years ago-the world heard
something about conjugal dissensions,
which found their way into the Italian
Courts, between the same Prince and
his consort, Mary Victoria, nee Duchess
of Hamilton. These disputes had ref
erence to the custody of young Prince
who was then living under the protec-
tion of his mothers cousin, the Grand
Duchess Marie, the sister Of the Empe-
ror of Russia.
Thus far authentic history The story
told by the historical burlesque, or what
ever else it is, which has just been pub
lished, is as follows In January of the
present year, the reigning sovereign of
Monaco, Florestan l., died, and his
cousin was Unexpectedly summoned to
reign in his stead as Florestan ii. The
latter had not been brought up with
prineely aspirations. On the contrary,
during his education, first at Eton and
then at Cambridge, he had imbibed re-
publican principles of the most uncom-
promising character. He was q devoted
admirer of Mazzini he had given of
his spare cash to aid in paying Mr..
Bradlaughs election expenses he sub
scribed to the Anti-game Law Associa-
ton, the Birmingham Education League
and the Woman's Suffrage Association.
On receipt Of the news of the accident
al death of his cousin. Prince Florestan
packed his travelling bag, and departed
for his ancestral domains. The army of
Monaco, thirty-nine strong-one being
in hospital with a wart on his thumb
was drawn up to give him fitting re-
ception. This was attended by two
drummers and the entire civil service of
the realm, numbering four persons.
Some reports of the revolutionary char
acter of the opinions of the Prince ap-
pear to have preceded him. He hasten
ed, however, to calm to minds of dis
turbed Cabinet by assuring them that he
was merely a free thinker a follower
of Strauss, rather than Of DR.. Cum
ming" and that the Catholic faith had
therefore nothing to fear from him.
But, after a day Of power, the original
instincts Of Prince Florestan proved too
strong for him. His republican studies
had not led him into the paths Of Butler
ism, and hence he was driven to con-
clude that the State must be rotten some
where when there were l,600 offices to