The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-03-17

KAISER WILHELM nration, he was given
a seat and a voice in the Council OF State.
In 1910, and after the accession OF his child
less brother, Frederick William the Fourth,
to the throne, tho subject Of this sketch be-
came known as the heir apparent and
Prince of Prussia. About tho same time
he was appointed Governor OF Pomerania,
and two years later, during the absence OF
his brother in England, the conduct OF the
civil as well as the military affairs OF the
Kingdom was intrusted to him.
In March, 1913, when the insurrection
broke out in Berlin, he withdrew for awhile
| to England in order to escape the popular
odium then fastened upon him OF being an
| absolutist. In the summer of the follow
| ing wear he returned to Prussia and COM
manded the army which was sent to put
| down the insurrection in Baden and the Pal
atinate a task which, difficult as 1T proved,
he accomplished in six weeks 1t was
while on his way from Niedus 1ngelheim
to Baden, June 12, 1s49, that an unsuccess-
| full attempt was made to assassinate him.
In October of the same year he was ap-
pointed Military Governor in Westphalia
and on the Rhine, with his headquarters at
Coblentz, also Governor of the federal
Fortress Mayence or Mentz About the
| same time, too, he was made Grand Master
of the Free Masons, in which order he,
during his whole life, took the liveliest in
.ercst.
Meanwhile, his unswerving loyalty te
his brother, the King, as well as his rec
ognized ability as q counselor, was such
that on all important matters his opinions
were sought, and not lnfrequently his ad
vice taken, or his suggestions adopted. lr
1857, when the King was taken i'll, Prince
William acted in his stead; in October
1853, he was formally installed as Regent
and was finally crowned King January 2
1861 Prior to his ascending the throne
Prince William had been recognized as th'
silent head of the party which was striving
to effect the union of Germany, and accord
ingly in him were centered the fondes
hopes of every German patriot. How com
pletcly those hopes were realized, the his
, tory of his reign will tell. His policy iron
the outset while far from satisfying tn
, extreme Liberals of his subjects, ye
, showed the grandness of the mans aim
!, and ideas, and indicated plainly the reform
,, he contemplated bringing about. July u
:. 1861, the student, Oslxar Becker, q Liberals
extremely fanatical in his views, made
futile attempt to assassinate the King
!. while he was walking on the Promenad
~ at Baden Baden. He urged, as an excus
= for the deed, the utter incapacity of viii
!, lam to effect the union Of Germany, tn
y accomplishment of which, however, ma
y y now be pointed to as one of the notable act
Of long and splendid reign.
Il In 1862 he placed Bismarck at the head {
u his Cabinet, as Minister of Foreign Affair
and two years later, after procuring til
II cooperation of Austria in the Schleswil
r Holstein war, achieved % splendid victor
n for Prussia. His sagacity in selecting alb
D. statesmen and skilled Generals, was onl
equaled by his unyielding support, sustain
IS ing them against all opposition His u
bounded confidence in Bismarck, as we
W as in Won Room and Moltke, was fully COZ
re firmed by the rapid and brilliant successt
II attending his forces in the war again
Austria. This war, in which he persona
10 ly took an active part, eXtinguished Au
lg tria as German Power, and placed him
the head of the new North German confe
g. Grafton with Schleswig- Holstein, Hanove
Hesse- Cassel, Nassau and Frankfort add'
It. to his Prussan dominions.
On the oath of February, 1867, he open
at the Constituent Reichstag, and on July
a. of the same year made Bismarck Chanc'
lg lor.
nv In June, 1867, in company with his mop
ew, Alexander the Second, of Russia
ma visited Paris, and while sojourning in tn
~ city was received as the honored guest
st Napoleon the Third, then on the throne
be France. From that time on, the friend
ho relations between Prussia and Russia we
~ strengthened, especially as the two Cha
cellors Bismarck and Gortschakof were
h.. much III accord, US were their respecti
NO Sovereigns. AS will be seen later on, Il
~, mutual feeling between the two Powers "
no small factor in the ultimate victory ov
France, and in the final realization Cf G.
ne man unity. 1t has been claimed by so
las writers that King William, in his deterl
ry nation to have his dynasty maintain
o- position as the protector OF the Protests
ie- faith, that he therefore sought to crush {
Catholicism. The facts are, it appea
uo that his efforts were not directed agail
ar the freedom, nor the existence OF
Catholic Church, but only against dol
de- nant party in that Church, which sought
$50 stife popular education, forbid Il
lar thought, and with the consequences n
Ter essarily following, seriously effect the b
as piness and welfare Of his people
les The candidacy Of Prince Leopold,
Hohenzollern, for the throne of Spain, 6
,el. the Kings objections against further
terview with the French Ambassador
h.n his court, Count Benedetti, became
up pretext upon which the french 9oVe
IKE ment declared war against RUSSIA,
though the real reasons lay in the fact t
Napoleon was far from satisfied with
,el. results Of the war of 1866, while he .
viewed the rapidly-growing power OF
many with jealousy and alarm The So
German States at once joined the No
German confederation against France,
ers der the lead Of Prussia, and, rs is I
Az we'll known, the war, 30 far rs the forT
hot Powers were concerned, was only
n"V caaaion Of hrillinnt Victories. King W