The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-05-12
A ROYAL VETERAN.
Emperor Williams Love Story and
His After-Marriage.
Sacrificing His Own Feelings and Wedding
In Accordance With the Wishes of
His Father-A Monarch Wor-
SHIPPED BY His People.


On the 22d of March Emperor Will
liam entered his nineticth year. Think
of it! Few monarchs in all history's
march have sat upon the throne at such
an age. The heroes who stood at his
side when fighting the Little Corsican"
and listened to the peans of Waterloo
are few and scattering-the majority
long since in their graves. Those times
seem so indistinct and remote. The
French revolution and the continental
wars have been followed by events Of
such grandeur that one who beheld them
assumes, in our fancy, the dignity of a
patriarch of the days primeval. Far
was the thought in that youth, when
Prussia's future seemed SO clouded and
dim, that he would once dictate terms of
peace to successor of the mighty Bon
aparte. Twenty-Five years have come
and gone since his accession to the
throne. The rumors-so rife a few
months ago-that the anniversary would
bring his resignation have proved 'tidie
creatures of fancy" The Crown
Prince, now grandfather, awaited
it with bated breath; but in vain.
Dire changes had succeeded. Bis
marck would have followed his master,
as has long been his wish; 'Moltke,
probably, too. The interests at stake
for Germany were great, and the En-
peror remained. The scars and deeds
of a half-dozen wars, the long, eventful
life, a kindness and gentility which few
Kings have had, explain the devotion
which is his. His every excursion is a
pilgrimage of homage. | have stood on
the Linden as his simple carriage
whirled by, drawn by the black stall
lions, outriders and footmen absent,
when the entire pavements seemed an
army obeying the command of front. +"
Every head was uncovered. Daily as
the guard marches to the modest palace
behind the monument of Frederick the
Great the Emperor appears at the his
toric east window to view the assem-
bled throng. The coolest day of winter
or the hottest of summer does not pre-
vent him. Hundreds are there-yes,
the broad avenue is lined and black
with the surging mass. Officers proud
of their chief, foreigners eager for a
glance at royalty, and the laborer glad
to tell he has seen his King. When the
hero-one can not forbear calling him
thus-rises from his working-desk be-
hind the half-drawn curtain and ap-
proaches the window the air reverber-
ates again and again with hurrahs and
applause. His blue eyes kindle with
pleasure at these marks of devotion.
1t has long been the manner Of the
Hohenzolerns to mix with their sub
jects, and nothing contributes so to
their popularity. How many soldiers
and scavcngers relate their inter.
views with Our FRITZ The poor
man does not feel the difference
between himself and Monarch when
given SO many opportunities to look al
him and see him at work; and he loves
him more. These outbursts of enthusi.
asm have strange effects upon one born
"across the sea" where homage is ex.
otto to our institutions and traditions
Yet one falls into it naturally, and fronts
and cheers as Justify as the devoutes
Prussian. ........
An incident of the Emperor's youth
known but recently by the public fol
the first time, has been freely com
mented upon of late. Treitsehke pre-
sented it his German history-the pas
sage which ] translate below:
The marriage of the Crown Primo
remaining childless, one was compelle
to reckon with the possibility of tn
crowns eventually falling upon Primo
William. In his second son the kim
had that pleasure dearest to ever
father of finding Il second sef-'a chi
from the old block. As faithful and in
telleetual as himself, but infinitely NOR
cheerful and decisive, the knight
young Prince soon became the army
pride-a born marshal, strict and kind
qualities which touch the soldier heart
Officers and men would 60 through fir
to serve him. Because of the unwar
like nature of the Crown Prince, vii
liam had been thoroughly trained as
soldier. His devotion to his duties wa
untiring; he commanded at once tn
brandenbnrg corps and a 'garde' dl
vision. Little was known of his politi
cal tendencies up to this time save hi
firm belief in the divine right of tn
hohenzollerns. He considered hlmsel
his fathers second subject. He live
and moved in the traditions of the wa
Tor freedom, evincing for the heroes Q
those days unbounded admiration
None stood higher in his estimation
than the aged York; the poisone
tongue of envy prattled uselessly agains
h'm. Like his father. he considered tn
ague of the Eastern Powers the suret
OF peace among nations, and, like hin
preferred the Russians to the Austrian:
With the former he had received hi
baptism Of fire. and since accompany
ing his favorite sister Charlotte on he
Wedding journey .lither had RENAME