Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-09

| az Austria and France. Napoleon I'LL had for
with view 10 securing the concession OF the left
bank OF the Rhine In return for which he was help
Prussia gobbe up the small southern states Fred
erick VIII am had rejected the proposal and NapO-
| leon was now seeking 10 attain his ends through
the regent The two rulers met at Baden Baden In
1850 and every inducement imaginable, including
a treaty OF alliance against Austria, which country
had become fearful Of Prussias's growing influence
1ns n ,er sne 70 Prnoe
! all In vain. The regent proudly declared that
| while he stood at the head OF the government not
one strip OF German soil, however narrow, should
be turned over To the foreigner. Returning to Ber-
lin the prince, VINO anticipated future trouble with
France In consequence OF his refusal. drafted a new
| army law for the thorough REORGANIZATION of the
| military forces OF the Kingdom ana the raising
OF its peace effective from 80, 600 to 2l3O00 men
Before entering upon the dffficulties which Prince
! William encountered IN carrying out his pet pro-
ject IL should be stated that afler two years re-
| tirement poor champagne Fritz" breathed his
last and his brother assembled the throne William
]. OF Prussia. lie was now siXty-four years of age
a tail majestic. handsome old man, with iron-gray
hair and WHISPERS Time and experience had
! effaced much that was hard and relentless in his
| nature and had impaired an air or benevOence
! that captiy rated from the start.
HIS CORONATION
at Kongsberg, october is. 1861, was attended
| with much pomp and ceremony. King williams
| long struggle in carrying out the army reform
| scheme began with the year 1862, when the par
lament refused TO vote the extra appropriations
| Tor military purposes bloc. It's demand for
specifications was met by resignut ion OF the Ho-
henzolern ministry and the dissolution of the
! lower house. Al this stage in King Williams
| reign there entered on the scene a man whose
career has ever since been indisSoluby linked with
that OF his MASTER. We mean otto Won Bismarck
to whose gigantic intellect and stupendo,lS fore
sight Germany owes her present leading position
among nations. Bismarck was man alter the
| kings own heart, man who unlike the short
| sighted parliament majority saw ahead OF his times
and knew that In no very far-off future Prussia
would have 10 measure strength with Austria and
France, with Austria for supremacy In Germany,
! and with France Tor supremacy in Europe. Peo-
pie In appreciating the results achieved by Bis
lnirck are perhaps too apt 10 belitte Emperor
Williams share therein. That Is serious mis-
take, however, for the emperOr's greatness lies
precisely In the fact OF hts having selected the
proper instruments for the execution ot his pro-
Jects, and having once selected them, stood by
them through all the conflicts they had TO endure
+ IL was after short sOj0urn In Paris whittier he
had gone to make q special political study, that
Bismarck, in September. 1862, received the port
folio OF prime minister of Prussia, and set work
ia earnest TO carry out the kings program In order
/ to obtain the required majority, Ire commenced
! coQuetting with Lasalle and the social democracy,
but, falling In these EFFORTS. abandoned that party
altogether and returned TO the ultra conservatives
| His conservative, not to say absolutist policy
aroused general Indignation, and the landtag hav-
| ing demanded his resignation, dissolution was
ordered by the king. The new elections however,
made matters only worse for Bismarck, the anti
government majority being 260 against only 81.
| THE DANISH IMBROGILO.
| While the Prusslan government and landtag
were thus at loggerheads, Austria, still jealous OF
| Prussia's growing influence commenced negotia-
| tons with view to reforming the system OF the
| German confederation, While leaving Prussia en-
tirely out OF the question. Bismarck at once pro-
tested against such action, and gave Austria to
understand that any scheme OF the kind would lead
to breach Prussia considering herself entitled TO
| equal rights In the confederation with Austria.
Close upon these events Frederick VII king Dem
mark, died. This potentate, by intermarriage had
become the ruler OF the German duchieS OF ScnIeS-
! wig-Holstein and Lauenberg. His successor, the
present king, though belonging TO another line.
/ proceeded without further fOrmality 10 annex in
/ kingdom
| or course the act raised storm OF Indignation
throughout Germany, and the Frankfort national
| parliament ordered the Kingdoms OF Saxony and
Hanover to recOnquer the annexed districts ON be-
half OF the confederation. King William, who
! supremacy, Immediately sent an army over the
Danish frontier and Austria, not wishing to be be-
hind, followed with equally large force. The an
nexation OF SchleSwig-HOstein proved the bone
! Of contention which eliminated In the struggle
/ between Prussia and Austria so long anticipated
| by King William and Bismarck. A Temporary
| agreement at Gastein gave Schieswig 10 Prussia
and HolSten 10 Austria, but soon the latter power
recognized that the former was playing double
lament, or rather OF all the South German states
declared war against It's northern neiRhbor.
| THE WAR OF 1866.
King Williams policy throughout had found as
| many opponents at home as abroad. The landtag
refused the necessary war credits and the king
had to help himself In violation OF the constiTJ
tion In the first part or June 1866, the prussian
army began its march forward ana In rousing
I
Ject was to unite the German states and establish
| parliament truly representing the whole nation.
| ON July ID the states OF SaXony, Hanover and
Hessen were asked to join Prussia or disarm Their
| refusal was followed by immediate INVASION and
by the end OF the month their subjugat,on was
complete, Inc King OF Hanover indeed having been
forced 10 surrender with his army or 30 600 men
The Prussians were victorious over the Austrians
from the start NachOd, SkalitZ and Trantenau
were successfully stormed, and on June ~ the
army OF Prince Frederick Charles reached Sadowa.
village on the Elbe, where the bulk OF Field Mar
R-nan
100000 men strong. On June ~ the king his
CHIEF OF the general stan, the renowned Field Mar
s sll Moike and Bismarck Joined the army. The
King TOOK command in person. Although the
crown prince had not arrived King William de-
clded u commence the attack, in order to prevent
the enemy from taking the offensive.
THE SUPREMACY OF GERMANY WON
on the morning OF July the great battle began
which was to decide the fate OF the two nations
and for ten long hours almost 100000 human
beings were engaged in mortal combat with each
other. The King, mounted on a fiery CHARGER ac-
companied by Bismarck and MOltke, rode through
the ranks during the hottest OF the hight encolr-
aging his soldiers and assuring them OF the crown
ever, and stili no prince came, and, like Weiing-
ton at Waterloo, the aged monarch cast many q
look OF anguish Ia the direction whence reinforce
ments were expected. AT last, toward q in the
afternoon, the sound OF cannon In the distance
brought JOY u the Old mans heart and gave re-
newed courage ID his troops. The crown prince
had arrived and the setting sun saw the Austrian
army confused mass OF fugitives. The lighting
oNCI, tuc IEusSidHS SulTOuUueu monarch and
In the twilight OF the evening 200 900 voices Joined
In Luther's grand Old hymn, 'Nun Dauket Allie
GOtt."
The campaign OF 1886 gave Prussia the long.
desired supremacy in Germany. What the war Of
1907 accomplished is known to all, and even a
summary OF The events OF that almost cOmtPm-
poraneouS period which ended In the dowfall OF
Napoleon Ill. and the proclamation OF the German
empire would be supernuOus. The three SUCCESS
ful foreign wars OF his reign have endeared the
emperor 10 the hearts OF his people. In Berlin he
mas been familiar figure ever since 1870 and one
OF the nrst sights stranger Is made 10 see Is the
Old monarch standing at the traditional corner
window on the ground floor OF his Berlin palace
where he receives Oui0OkerS with graceful smiles
and gestures. His Afternoon ride TO the Tnier-
garten IS another daily event OF Berlin life While
on one OF these rides IN 1873 he Was fired at
and missed by q socialist named Hoedel, but a few
days after another Socialist, Dr. MODELLING, tried the
same experiment with better success. for he
severely wounded his victim
THE ENPERoRs HABITS.
Until the attempt on his life by Nobiiuc the
emperor went and came In Berlin without
restraint. The royal palace a small, plain house
of succeed brick, bnilt for him at the time OF his
marriage, was always his favOrite residence There
he could often be seen at the windows OF his study
room on the ground floor overlooking the street
No regiment ever passed that he did not lump uD
10 salute IL. AT times he would be Attracted by
nothing more singular than q skurry OF rain a
afternoons he would receive In the courtyard the
throng or wretched people who had petitions TO
make questioning each Shrewdly, but kindly and
simply. Then he would go out for a ride In an open
carriage, usually Unattended, a stroll through the
Thiergarten, Invariably ia uniform, strict In ex-