The Delta independent., 1888-12-11
The Danish Court.

The present year is one of great re-
loicing among several of the crowned
heads and their families. Kings COM
memorate their coming to power.
princes celebrate their silver weddings
and II whole crop of royal offspring is
made happy by the betrothals arranged
by shrewd and august parents. The
scho of tho festivities at Athens will
have scarcely died away before King
Georges father and mother will begin
10 celebrate the twcnty-fifth anniver-
Dary of King Christian ks accession
10 the throne of Denmark. 1t is not
impossible that on this joyous occasion
other engagements of the grandchIl-
dren of the Danish princely family
nay he announced. Some of the Eng
lish royal grandchildren have reached
mnrriageable ago. the parents of the
Grand Duke Nicholas. heir to the Rus
,ian throne. are looking over the list
Of suitable priucesses, and rumor says
that Prince George, of Greece, has been
saptivaled by the bright eyes of the
Princess Marguerite. daughter Of the
Duke of Charters. No relgning house
N Europe has mado SO many good
matches" for It's children as has the
Danish royal family. The kings eld-
sst son. Christian. is married to the
Princess Louise. of Sweden; Alexandra
Is Princess of Wales and future Queen
,f England; George is King of Greece;
Dagmar is Empress of Russia; Thyra
b Duchess of Cumberland and wife of
the pretender TO the Hanoverian crown;
Valdemar, married to the Princess
Marie of Chartres. is possible future
King of Bulgaria.
These alliances undoubtedly serve
10 soften King Christians regret for
the German spoliation of 1864 and to
compensate him for the interior diff
.ulties OF his reign-diffict,lties, lot me
add, that are entirely of his own max
mg. Although he owes his crown as
much to popular choice as to any
right of monarchical succession, King
Christian has governed Denmark like
! despot and has taken no account OF
the fact that he is a constitutional SOW
sreign. For him the Folkething. or
House of;Representatives, hardly exists;
he has generally selected his ministers
from the minority in the Landsthing.
Dr. Senate, has decreed laws in opposi-
lion to the votes of the Chamber elect
I'd by universal suffrage, and, in brief.
has ruled Denmark with high hand.
The present Estrup ministry has been
N power fourteen years and has been
defeated more than twenty times. but
It has always refused to resign. Know
ing that 1t is sustained by the King and
the arisiocratic Landstbing, which is
composed almost exclusively of land
owners and officials appointed by the
sovereign, the Estrup cabinet has con-
.inued to arbitrarily reject the liber-
lies demanded by the majority and to
Impose taxes and laws that are faith
fully executed by servile administra-
hon In most countries such state
Of affairs would long ago have brought
about II revolution, but the Danish
poasantry do not seem to be ripe for
political revolt and prefer being op-
pressed by the numerous class OF opu-
lent, noble and prejudioed property
holders which gravitates around the
20 al court and forms the centre OF
poliiicaI life Besides. the leaders OF
the opposition are so divided among
themselves that they are powerless to
direct popular movement which
would Iorce the Estrup m nistry out OF
Office and compel tho King to se sou
METRE or SC denettre, following the
expressive formula launched at Presi-
dent MacMakon by NJ. Gambetta.
If. ut the coming celebration. King
Christian is unable to say to his sub
jecls wbnt tho king of Holland said to
his people on like occasion-.that he
had always protected the rights and
liI,crfies of all his subjecfs-he can
81 that he has been an exemplary
aud father. Born In 1918.