The Cecil Whig., 1875-11-13
FREDERICK THE GREAT
AND WHY HE WAS CALLED so.
BY AMASA LORD.


cess that makes the military hero and that
many men are called great only because
they are great robbers and murderers. How
true the saying that " one murder makes a
william while millions make a hero" This
is seen especially in reading history OF
Prussia and the Franco Prussian duel by
the Rev. John S. c. Abbott. 1t contains
among other things brief memoir Of Fred
erick the Great. Partly in the language OF
Mr.. Abbott and partly in our own we pro-
career of this so-called great man in con-
nection with sanguinary battles, burning
cities and desolated homes, and to show
that it is career not to be initiated but
Stunned. If only such acts as he COM
mtted make men great, God grant that we
may always remain little and unknown.
The present kingdom of Prussia is less
than two hundred years old. At the COM
mencement of the eighteenth century, there
existed on the southern shores of the Bal
tic, the marquisate of Braudenburg, about
as large as the State of Massachusetts,, and
the small dukedom of Prussia. The Mar
quis of Brandenburg having come into pos
session of the duchy of Prussia, succeeded
in having the united provinces recognized
as kingdom, with himself as king, and
took the title of Frederick l. In 1714 he
died and was succeeded by his son, Freder-
ck William l. Previous to his accession
to the throne, Frederick William had mar
ried his cousin, daughter of George, Elec-
tor of Hanover, who subsequently became
George 1. of England. On the oath of JAN
uary, 1712, a son was born to them, who
afterwards became Frederick William H.,
or Frederick the Great-great not in wis
dom or goodness, but "great like Cesar,
stained with blood"
When Frederick was boy, "he was gen.
tie, affectionate fond of music and books
and clupg to his sister Wilhelmina with
almost feminine love-" But he afterwards
became cruel fiend. One reason for this
was, that his father was bloody tyrant,
and trained his son to initiate his conduct.
Frederick William 1. was very desirous that
hto Dull Whoui CdlCu ny GuO
Fritz, should develop warlike taste, deem
ing the disposition which he had exhibited
unmanly, and soon began to despise and
hate the child. Still he resolved to leave no
efforts untried to make soldier of his boy
When Fritz was six years old, his father
organized company of high born lads to
be placed under his command as colonel.
When he was seven, he was placed under
the care of tutors who were directed to
press forward his military education with
the most merciless rigor. Said his father
to them:
"You have, in the highest measure, to
make it your care to infuse into my son
true love for the soldier business and to
impress on him that there is nothing in
the world which can bring a prince renown
and honor like the sword; SO he would be
despised creature before all men, if he did
not love it and seek his sole glory therein"
When the boy had attained his fourteenth
year, his father appointed him captain of
one of the companies of the Potsdam Gren-
adler Guards, composed of giants, the short
est of whom were nearly seven feet high,
and the tallest nearly nine. When he was
about seventeen, he was taken on visit to
the court of the king of Poland, which, at
that time, was exceedingly dissolate. He
fell before the great temptations which he
there encountered, and it was fall from
which he never recovered. His moral ma
L..
his days. On his return to Potsdam, where
was one of the royal palaces, his dlssipated
habits clung to him and he chose for his
companions those who were in sympathy
with his newly acquired tastes and charac-
ter.
Frederick William l., the father of Fred
erick the Great, was tyrant not only over
his other subjects, but in his own family. |
He treated them not merely with abusive
language, but with personal violence
When the Crown Prince was eighteen years
of age, he openly flogged him and then,
adding mockery to his cruelty, said
"Had l been so treated by my father, l
would have blown my brains out. But
this fellow has no honor-he takes all that |
comes.''
Fritz, goaded to madness, attempted by
the aid of friend Lieut. Katte) to escape |
to England. He was arrested. The King,
in his rage, seized him by the collar, hus-
tied him about, tore out handfuls of his |
hair, and smote him on his face with his |
cane. He assumed that his son, being an
officer in the army, was deserter and mer-
tied death. He imprisoned him in a strong
fortress to await his trial. He assailed Will |
helmina with the utmost ferocity, because
she was in sympathy with her brother 81
hope" said he, "to have evidence to con-
vict the rascal Fritz and the wretch Will |
helmina, and to cut their heads off,
"Katte," he exclaimed, sis guilty of high |
treason. He shall die by the hands of the
headsman.''
A scaffold was erected in the yard of the
castle, where Fritz, then slender, fragile
boy Of eighteen, was imprisoned. Katie
was taken to the scafTold on the death cart.
Four grenadiers held Fritz to the window
to compel him to see his friend beheaded |
Fritz tainted as Katte's head rolled from
the scaffold A similar fate had been de-
signed for him by his father, but the EN-
peror Of Germany and the kings of Poland
and Sweden interfered and his life was
spared.
Such were the influences under which
the character of Frederick the Great was
formed. On the 9Th of January, 1888, he
was by moral compulsion married to Eliza
beth, daughter of the Duke of Brunswick.
She was beautiful, amiable, accomplished,
and Of irreproachable character. But the
Crown Prince was cold, severe and unov
ing With undisguised reluctance, he took
the hand of his innocent bride and ever
after treated her with the most cruel neg
lect.
On the 21st of May, 174O, the career of
the cruel Frederick William l. was ended
by death, and Frederick H., or Frederick
the Great, became king in his place. when