The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-02
ALEXANnEWs cAREER.
How aud Why tho German Prince Rose
The World,

How aud Why tho German Prince Rose In
The World,
Boston Transcript.
When Prince Alexander Of Battenburg,
at that time a young captain in the Prus-
sian Regiment Of Life Guards, went in
May, 1870, to announCe to Prince Bismarck
that the National Assembly OF Bulgaria
had iust elected him TO become hereditary
Prince OF that country, and requested the
great Chancellor to advise him what to do
Ia the matter, the latter, pattinR him on
the back, Counseled him to accept, add
inc. however, with peculiar smile,
NWhateyer happens, 1t will always have
been a pleasant little episode In your lii"
Alexander thereupon proceeded to Bulga"
ria and assumed the government OF the
country on the 2Sth Of June, 1870 The
principality OF Bulgaria was created
by the treaty oil Berlin, signed July
*, 1878. II was ordered by article
/ OF the treaty that Bulgaria EhouId
bo "constituted an autonomous tri-
butafy prlncipality under the suzeraln.
ty OF his imperial majesty, the Sultan"
Article 8 ordered, "The Prince OF Bulgaria
shall be freely elected by the population
and confirmed by the Sublime Porte, with
Lhs consent Of the Powers, No member Of
any Of the reigning houses OF the great
European powers can be elected Prince OF
Bulgaria" Prince Alexander fulfilled the
last mentioned requirement. lie is the
son by a morganatiC marriage oil Prince
Alexander Of Hesse, the brother Of the
late Empress OF Russia. The fact OF his
being selected was due to the high favor
in which both he and his brother stood
with the late Gear. The young man, how.
ever, found II absolutely impossible to
govern the country according 10 the con-
slitution elaborated by tho Russian Prince
Dondouroll. KoraakotI, which WAS not only
totally unsuited for so newly hedged a
nation, but moreover placed the whole
power in the hands Of the Russian dIp!o.
matte envoy at Sofia. Frequent quur-
rels occurred between the latter
and the Prince, who resented the
perpetual interference, and in 1881, a few
months after the death Of his kluL friend
and patron, the late Gear, he initiated the
example Of Napoleon III. and made his
frat coup d'etat. The constitution waa
suspended, and the Prince invested him.
self with extraordinary legislative powers
for period OF seven years. Naturally the
new Gar, who has never been partial to
Prince Alexander, was furious, and In
structed tho Russian officials in. the Bal
garian service to take their orders directly
from the Russian Envoy. AS both the
Minister Of War aud the Minister Of
Justice were Russian generals, and as,
moreover, all Of the superior officers in the
Bulgarian army belonged 10 the Same ma
lionality, this could not DO tolerated, more
especially as the officers In some cages felt
themselves encouraged to exceed the in.
struCtions they had received on the
subject. Prince Alexander put an end
TO the matter by diminishing the whole Of
the Russians In tho Bulgarian service,
replacing them by natives and by Ger.
mans, As soon as he had got rid OF
them he Invested himself Of tue
extraordinary powers which he had
assumed In 1881, and In September, 1883,
restored the constitution to the nation.
All the efforts OF Russia now tended to
create feelings OF diaaGeCGion among the
people against him. 1t Is insidiously
pointed out to the natives by the numer.
Gus secret Russian agents thlt as long as
Prince Alexander was Oh the throne Bull
garia would never become united TO East.
ern Roumelia, which formerly belonged
to It. A conspiracy was set on foot to
cause revolution in Bulgaria and East
ern Roumelia simultaneously, which would
give Russia the pretext for marching into
tho prlnCipality and uniting the two pro-
YinCes under the governorphip Of some
prince devoted, body and soul, TO Russia.
Prince Alexander, getting wind OF the
project, nipped 1t in the bud by another
coup d'etat, and placing at the head OF the
instruction stirred up In Roumelia by
the Russians for purposes Of their own,
used It 10 his own advantage. Pro.
claiming himself Prince Of the newly
United Bulgaria, he Cleverly avoided any
prete1t for immediate Russian interfe.
renee by renewing his allegiance, both on
behalf OF his old and OF his new domin.
ions, to his suzerain, the Sultan, whose
true vassal he declared himself to be. The
Porte, together with Great Britain, there.
fore supported him in the matter, and
after much opposition and vindiCttvG hos.
tility Of q personal kind displayed by RuB.
ella, a conference Of the great powers as.
sembled at Constantinople for the pur'
pose accepted the new state OF things as q
fail dcconpi, warning, however, Prince
| Alexander, grlndmotherly fashion, mot
10 do II again" The adjoining kingdom
Of Servia, jealous and alarmed at thil
sudden aggrandizOment Of Bulgaria
and supported by the iallacloul
promises Of Austria, ,,thereupon do
handed from Prince Alexander I
portion Of his territory in order to equal
lie the balance Of power between the
two countries. On the latter declining
war ensuOd. 1t was, however, speedily
ended by Prince Alexander driving The
invading Servlan army out Of Bulgaria II
the most ignominious fashion, King Milan
barely escaping imprisonment and proving
himself guilty Of great CowardlCe.. Tht
Russian intrigues appear now 10 have
been finally crowned with success, the
new ministry being composed Of men no
torlously devoted 10 Russia. The "spi
Sode" alluded 10 by Prince Bismarck Il
therefore OF an end, and for Prince Alex.
ander's sake II Is 10 be hoped that he hal
succeeded In saving something out Of thu