Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-21
SOMETHING ABOUT sERvIA.
The King and the People Who Have Set
the East Ablaxe.


the East Ablaze.
The Sclavouie race which now PLAYS so
important role in the drama OF the nine
tsenth century first appeared on the stage
of Europe in the sixth century, when
they made their first incursion into the
Roman empire, and after besleging BY
zantium made a league with the en-
perors 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
Seryia conceded to them. The Sclavs
We're and are lighting race. They spread
themselves over the south and east of
Europe, and they number at the present
day fully 100000 souls. Curiously
enough there is but one
purely Sclavic reigning family, that
of Mecklenburg, for the Romanofls are
German, and the family of King Milan
may or not be anything, for he is but three
generations from Danubian swineherd.
Ancient Seryia comprised Sclavonia,
Croatia, Servia, Bosnia and Dalmatia,
Bulgaria and Macedonia. 1t was erected
under stephen into an empire, the imperial
double eagle was emblazOned upon its
banners aud q strong feudal nobility grew
up in the land. At the fatal battle of
kassava the Sultan Amurath destroyed
the Servian power in 1880, and his sue
cessor, Bajazet. overran the country,
making 1t subject TO the Porte.
In 1904, under the lead of Kara
George, or Black George, bandit
and maraudeT, the SerVians made a
desperate struggle for liberty, only to be
crushed finally in 1913. MiIosch OberonO-
witch took up the fight and in 1929 he was
recognized by the sultan as prince Of
Servia. The present king IS grandson
OF the brother of Milosch. He WAS born
in Jassv in 1854. He was educated in
Paris and called to the throne upon the
assassination of his cousin, Prince Mich
ael, in Belgrade, in 1868. Milan married
in 1875 the daughter of a Russian colonel
named KeschkO. Milan is by no means
firmly planted upon the Servian throne.
There is strong pretender in the person
of KarageOrgeowi the grandson of
Kara George, who has a;strong following
in the state
The Servian Legislature contests of two
houses, the Senate, for whom members are
named by the King, and the SEOupschina,
which contains one member for every
1000 voters. Its powers are the same as
those of the House of Representatives.
The necessities of the case have forced
SerVa to pay special attention to its
army, and there is probably not better
armed and disciplined force of its size in
Europe. The military school at Belgrade
has a continental reputation, and the
forces OF the kingdom are made up of good
sclaVic stock, ably differed.
Seryia has few large towns. BELGRADE
is the largest and most famous, not by
reason of its commerce or beauty, but be-
cause of the tremendous fighting of which
il has been the scene for four centuries
past. The best blood of Europe washed
the ramparts of "high Belgrade" during
the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth
centuries. 1t WAS for years the high water
mark of the Turkish food. Few cities in
the civilized world have undergone Sc
many sieges, or can point to so many
heroic defenses.
A singular feature of the social state o
SerVia is seen in the character of theii
villages, which are always stretched over
a large tract, and never nestled close
together as In other countries. Vii.
lagos consisting of forty houses occupy a
territory 10 miles square. Agriculture is
in very primitive condition, and society
is based upon the patrlarchal idea. The
people build their own houses, make Their
own furniture and weave their own
clothes. The great majority Of the pOpu.
lation are members OF the Greek church
although they acknowledge headshiI
neither in the Patriarch of Constantine
pie nor in the Russian church. They fol.
low the ancient rites, and the ceremonies
resemble closely those OF the Jewish
church. In the cathedral at Belgrade this
similarity is noticed more closely thar
elsewhere. Hebrew music is used, and q
scarlet veil covers the holy Of holes
while the priests affect the costumes and
boards of the Oriental church.