The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-10
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
He Lacked but Few Days of Being
9l Years Old

Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig, William l.
was born March %, 1897. He was the son
of Frederick William Ill and the cele-
brated Queen Louisa. In early life he ac-
companied the armies which overthrew
NapoleonI. After the accession of his child
less brother, Frederick w., in 1640, he
became known as heir apparent and Prince
of Prussia. He was invested with high
office and sat in the first United Diet in 1917.
Chiefly on account of his fondness for the
army he was regarded as an absolutist in
1S48, and withdrew to England until June,
when the excitement in Berlin having
subsided he took seat as
Deputy in the national assembly. On July
II, 1S49, an unsuccessful attempt was made
upon his life at Neider-Ingelheim while he
was on the way to Baden to take command
of the Prussian forces. He put down the
Republican insurrection in few weeks
Subsequently he was stationed at Coblentz
as Military Governor on the Rhine and in
Westphalia, and also became Governor of
the Federal fortress at Metz and Grand
Master of the Free Masons. On
important occasions he was called
to Berlin to confer on state
affairs aud his loyal nature was soon gem
orally recognized. His brother being disa-
bled by illness in 1857, he acted in his stead,
and in October, 1858, was formally installed
as regent, and he succeeded him as King
Jan. 2, 1861.
In July another abortive but graver at
tempt was made on his life at Baden-Baden
by the student Oskar Becker, who charged
him with incapacity to effect the union of
Germany, the accomplishment of which,
however, became the salient feature of his
reign
With the assistance of Won Room he paved
the way for victory by the reorganization
of the army, and in 1862 he placed Bismarck
at the head Of the Cabinet as Minister of
Foreign Affairs. After procuring, in 1864
the cooperation of Austria in the
Schleswig- -Holstein war he achieved great
victory for Prussia, and the convention of
Gastein, Aug. 4, 1865, assigned Schleswig
temporarily to him, and Launenburg per-
manently.
His sagacity in selecting able ministers and
generals was equaled only by his firmness
in sustaining them against all opposition
and his confidence in Bismarck a.. well as in
Won Room and MOltke, was fully confirmed
by the rapid and brilliant success of the war
of 1866, in conjunction with Italy, against
Austria, in which he personally took
an active part, and which extin-
guished Austria as German
power, and placed him at the head of the
new North German confederation with
Schleswig- -Holstein, Hanover Hesse-C Cassel
Nassau and Frankfort added to his Prussian
dominions On Feb. "A, 1867, he opened a
constituent Reichstag, and on July l he
made Bismarck Chancellor. In the preced-
ing month he and his nephew, the Emperor
Alexander ii. of Russia, had visited Ma
pollen III. on the occasion of the Paris Ex-
position. The friendly relations between
Prussia and Russia were subsequently
strengthened the two Chancel-
lorS, Bismarck and Gortschakoff
being in as much accord as the two mon
archs, and this good understanding was of
the greatest moment in the ultimate victory
over France and the attainment of German
unity. The King also took every opportu-
nifty to vindicate the historic position of his
dynasty as protector of the Protestant faith.
The candidature of Prince Leopold, of
Hohenzollern, for the Spanish throne and
the Kings objections, with further inter
views with the French Ambassador, Count
Benedetti, who had repeatedly importuned
him at Ems in July, 1870, became the pre-
text for the French declaration of war
against Prussia.
The South German States at once Joined
the North German Confederation against
France under the lead of Prussia, and the
war was a series of prodigious victories.
William, accompanied by Bismarck, Won
Room and Moltke was with the German
armies from the beginning to the end of the
contest, and received at Sedan Sept. 3 the
surrender of Napoleon III. On Oct 5 he
fixed his headquarters in the palace of the
former French Kings at Versailles, and here
on Jan. IS, 1871, he was proclaimed EN-
peror of Germany. After signing
the preliminaries Of peace, Feb. 26, ne
intimated to the Emperor of Russia
that Germany would never forget the SER
vice rendered by his strict neutrality. The
treaty was ratified on March | and 2 and
the Emperor left Versailles March T. He
entered Berlin on March Is ana on March
21 opened the first Reichstag Of the new
empire. The detinitive peace with France
was signed at Frankfort May 10, and on
June 8 appeared the Emperor's proclama-
tion incorporating Alsace-Lorraine with
the empire.
Early in 1875 he joined the Emperors of
Austria and Russia IN the project of reforms
suggested to Turkey for her revolted prov
inces. Monuments in his honor have been
erected all over the German Empire.
BY his wife, the Empress Augusta, he has
one son, the Crown Prince, who is now suf-
fering from cancer in his throat, and one
daughter, the Princess Louisa, who mar
ried, in 1856, the Grand Duke Frederick, of
Baden. Since the close of the Franco
Prussian wary Germany has enjoyed mar
velous prosperity, and the Emperor was the
IDOL OF Jhe people.
He had been steadily failing for year or
more, but he had managed TO show himself
to the people almost every day. He had an
iron constitution, and Notwithstanding his
great age he attended 10 all the duties Of
his position with wonderful regularity and
promptness.
There is no doubt that the conviction that
the Crown Prince was suffering from a dis
ease from which he COULD not recover, and
which might terminate fatally within a
short time, fastened his death. He will
have great place in history.
Greece TO Mourn Six Weeks.
ArHrNs March q .-Ihn G,rnnlr cnlirt will