The New York herald., 1878-11-19
Tn. circl. or King killers.

portGnce In view of the announce
ment by our special correspondent that di-
rect evidence has been secured con-
Meeting the assassin with the secret organi-
zation known as the International II, rs now
seems probable, there is widespread plot
to take the lives Of the leading sovereigns of
Europe, the hour for ignoring the work
ings Of the secret societies is past
The insidious Vaccinations Of the
king killers. must BE- met with MI
the energy Of desperation. A spirit of as-
sassination is abroad. It's agents work in
secret. Russia has felt their power Ger
many is in a condition verging on terror.
The archives Of the Spanish police
may show that the same power is
known in the Peninsula. Ii Moncasi
was connected with the International
Canovas del Castillo is too polite
to disclose the fact and give the
organization public recognition in Spain.
Difference in name among the societies
means little, if they have a common pur-
puse and whether the hatred Of the peo-
pie for monarchy be called Nihil-
ism, Socialism or Internationalism, it
seems pretty clear that one of its
objects is to rid the world of kings. Con-
meet the cities Of Leipsic, Dresden. Tara
gona and Naples, and wo have the
circle of king killers complete
With two would-bo regicides recently
put out of the way in Germany, and with
another in such relations with justice In
Spain that his life is likely to be very short,
it might be thought that Giovanni Passa-
nahte, who .'does not like kings" must
have been in very desperate mood to
choose the particular way he did to make
an exhibition CT that dislike, as an attempt
to kill the King is treason in all countries
that have kings and as treason is punish
able with death, and the sort of sentiment
that sometimes RENTS that penalty is not in
fashion in Europe this year, this 'poorly
clad" Neapolitan has given his own life in
order to indulge his dislike for kings by
slightly scratching m amiable member Of the
fraternity. But though the disproportion
between the purpose md its danger sug-
gests desperate mood the comparative
harmlessness of the assassin's assault gives
altogether another impression. Indeed, if
We imagine this pitiful creature poking
at the King with dagger fastened
to pole, while Minister Carroll en-
deayors TO sssnetch him baldheaded," and
partly succeeds, and the royal Humbert
thumps his dull pate with drawn sword
till q captain Of cuirassiers seizes him by
the throat and drags him away. We have o
picture of quaint tragedy in which the
tables are tarcically turned on the man who
supposed he was playing the great star part
of tyrannicide. Humtert, it is clear by
the chronicle. narrowly escaped the acqui-
sition Of peculiar tame that would have
been all his own. He might have been the
first king, in modern times certainly, TO
slay with his own hand in the open streets
the man who came 10 slay him. Such an
end of the attempt would have given the
story q refreshing variety. It would not
hurt the character Of king to have it
recognized that the sword he wears even
on state occasions is not baub!e, but Q
real edged tool,
Royalty, in view Of the frequency OF the
attempts at regicide, bids fair to acquire o
new function which may balance in the
scale of changes several Of those it
hos lost in the progress of the en-
croachments made by the parliament
tary system. If kings are to become
the targets at which are to be aimed all the
blows excited by popular discontents, and
by the sense OF wrong that every shallow
witted fellow feels some time or another.
then at least kingship will once more ac-
quire some of the dignity that belonged to
it in the days when it was a dangerous
Office to be the first man in the State. In
some of the good old times there was the
ory of kingship not unlike that which pre-
walls with the Passanan.es and Moncasis
and H6dels Of these times. For several
years together at one period in the Scandi-
nayian history the harvests failed and the
fisheries failed, and the wars went wrongly,
and things generally were at skies
and. sevens. Those pious people i'm.
,nediately !, recognized that the ma
ton had sinned in some dreadful
way and that it must make expiation.
But how? Representatively, of course.
And who SO fit to represent it on . great
occasion as its King? So they caught His
Majesty and made great fire and roasted
him. Next year the harvests were all right.
Perhaps IN unconscious reminiscence of
that heory fingers in the thoughts of the
people. and crops out here and there as the
troubles are felt. If this is the explanation
Of H5del, Moncasi, Passanante and the rest
it will be well for majesty not to permit
itself to drop into periunctory calm. II
must keep q terribly sharp lookout to pre-
vent all sorts of abuses, and especially not
to let the people be cheated. 1t must not
let them be poor either, and if there are
any who "don't like kings" they must be
reasoned with and convinced. II kings do
not care to perform functions Of this nature
a. "A