Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-17
sERviA.
Past and Present History and Condition Of
the Kingdom.


Past and Present History and Condition Of
tho Kingdom.
The Sclavonic race which now plays
50 important role in the drama of the
nineteenth century first appeared on
the stage of Europe in the sixth century,
whom they made their first incursion
into the Roman Empire, and after be-
sieging Byzantium made league with
the Emperors of the East. The new
enemy which thus menaced the Empire
came from Scythia, and, following the
Byzantine policy, the strangers were
conciliated rather than fought, and the
Kingdom of Servia conceded to them.
The Sclavs were and are lighting race.
They spread themselves over the south
and east of Europe, and they number
at the present day fully hundred mil
lion souls. Curiously enough, there is
but one purely Sclavic reigning family,
that of Mecklenburg, for the RomanOffs
are German and the family of King
Milan may or not be anything, for he
is but three generations from Danu-
bian swineherd. Ancient Servia COM
prised Sclavonia. Croatia, Servia, Bos-
MIA and Dalmatia, Bulgaria and Mace
donia. 1t was erected under Stephen
into an Empire, the imperial double
eagle was blazoned upon its banners
and strong feudal nobility grew up in
the land. At the fatal battle of Kassa-
va the Sultan Amurath destroyed the
nd NO
successor, BajaZet, overran the coun-
try, making it subject to the Porte.
In 1904, under the lead of Kara
George, or Black George, bandit and
marauder, the Servians made desper-
ate struggle for liberty. only to be
crushed finally in 1913. Milosch
Oberonovitch took up the fight and in
1929 he was recognized by the Sultan
as Prince of Servia. The present King
is a grandson of the brother OF
Milosch. He was born in Jassy in 1854.
He was educated in Paris and called to
the throne upon the assassination of
his cousin. Prince Michael, in Bel
grade, in 1868. Milan married in 1875
the daughter of Russian Colonel
named Keschko. Milan is by no
means firmly planted upon the Servian
throne. There is Il strong pretender in
the person of karageorgeowitch, the
grandson of Kara George, who has a
strong following in the state.
The Servian Legislature consists Of
two houses, the Senate. for whom
members are named by the King, and
the Skoupschina, which contains one
member for every two thousand voters.
Its powers are the same as those of the
House of Representatives.
The necessities of the case have
forced Servia to pay special attention
to its army, and there is probably not
a better armed and disciplined force of
its size in Europe. The military school
at Belgrade has continental reputa-
ton, and the forces Of the kingdom
are made up of good sclavic stock, ably
Differed.
Servia has few large towns. Bel
grade is the largest and the most fa-
nous, not by reason of its commerce
dous fighting of which it has been the
scene for four centuries past. The best
blood Of Europe washed the ramparts
of "high Belgrade" during the six
teenth. seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries. 1t was for years the high
water mark of the Turkish flood. Few
cities in the civilized world have under
gone so many sieges, or can point to
so many heroic defences. A singular
feature of the social state of Servia is
seen in the character of their villages,
which arealways stretched over 4 large
tract, and never nestled close together
as in other countries. Villages con-
sisting of forty houses occupy terri
tory ten miles square. Agriculture is
in very primitive condition. and So
ciety is based upon the patriarchal idea.
The people build their own houses,
make their own furniture and weave
their own clothes. The great majority
of the population are members Of the
Greek Church, although they acknowl-
edge leadership neither in the Patri-
arch of Constantinopl. nor in the Rus
sian Church. They follow the ancient
rites, and the ceremonies resemble
closely those of the Jewish Church. In
the cathedral at Belgrade this similar
ity is noticed more closely than else
where. Hebrew music is used, and a
scarlet veil covers the holy of holes,
while the priests affect the costumes
and boards of the Oriental Church.
st. Louis Republican,.