The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-09

SetMang On March II or the same year
| he opened the Rsichstag Of the new
empire as Berlin Since that time
he has been the most powerful monarch of
| Europe, and has been conceded almost univers-
ally personal greatness that was never as
crned to him until he had passed three score
| years. TWO OF the events of his later life that
have attracted public attention throughout the
world we're the twenty fifth anniversary OF his
accession. Jan. 2, 1856, and his ninetieth birth
day. March =, 1887 He leaves two children.
Frederick William Nicholas Charles, who snc-
/ ceeds him, and Louisa Grand Duchess OF Baden.
The Emperor William reared in an at
mosphere of war. Born when Napoleon was
| winning his first great successes from Austria.
he had assumed the duties of manhood before
| the great Corsican finally banished to St.
| part in the struggles of the time that she has
/ been termed .the tuteary saint of Pruseian
| greatness and German unity She was the
| daughter OF the Duke of Mecklenburg-S -Streitz,
| born March To- 1776, and brought up under the
care OF her grandmother, the Margarine Of
Heese-Darmstadt She was remarkably beauti-
ful and intelligent. Goethe, who saw her
at seventeen declared that he had never seen a
more beautiful or charming creature. When
the Grown Prince Frederick William met her at
Frankfofton-th the Main, he fell in love with her
at once He proposed for her hand and was
cepted They were married or Dec. "A. I793
During Napoleon's campaign of 1906 arainsv
Austria She urged an alliance by Prussia 90 re-
sist the encroachments of France but the King
thought Is cautious to remain neutral, and did
40 only Co find himself the next victim Actu-
ated by fear OF losing his newly ACQUIRED pro-
vince of Hanover, he Joined = coalition against
France and within a few months the Prussan
armies were crushed at Jena and Anerstadt.
The remainder of the campaign was merely a
triumphal march to Berlin.
The royal family of Prussia were ne longer
safe in their capital King Frederick had
capped from Jena with fragment OF his army.
and within a few days Queen Louise aud her
children We're fleeing towards Koenigsbere The
road was deserted. relays few, and houses
were to be only trare intervals. The carriage
which Was conveying the fortunes of Prussia
was moving at full speed. and was the advance
n AT aNr tad fpnF lin FN
the Poland frontier. One of the springs gave
way and the Queen who dreaded the curses Of
the people, had not the strength to drag herself
TO the next relay station. She seated herself on
the roadside, and then the woman whom Napo-
leon said was the only man in the family"
went In the haste of the departure the pro-
visions had been forgotten; there was not
morsel Of food in the vehicle Then, in order to
calm the impatience of her little ones the
Queen sang one OF those old songs. the refrains
of which make children laugh when they are
crying. wheat field close at hand aGd
she sent the tive oldest boys into it to gather
some of the blEe corn flowers, and with these
she made Treatbs for the long hair of those
little blonde heads and which was tied up behind
in courtly queues. The sous of that good
Queen never forgot this scene and the 6lna
flower of the wheat field has ever remained the
emblem most beloved by the monarch who died
yesterday. A bouquet of these flowers, renewed
daily, always stood on table in. his study.
But more striking event occurred here. Feel
ing the sorrows of her country more keenly
than her own. the Queen made her two older
boys kneel and swear TO avenge the ruin oftheir
house, of Prussia, and Of Germany.
At KeniRsberg. on New Years dav. 1907. the
young Prince ushered into formal military
existence IL is a traditional custom of the Ho-
henzollerns for the princes TO enter the army on
their tenth birthdays. but the exgences of the
time forbade delay. ION your birthday re-
marked his father, 'there will be no opportuni-
ty of regularly appointing you, for you must 90
to Mernei. / therefore at once appninb Won an
officer in my army On the table was uni
form of lieutenant in the Guards and the Prince
was dressed in IL and taken to his regiment
But the commission was not dated until his
birthday. the 22d OF March, 1907. There was
brief breathing time at Koenigs berg before the
French troops were marching 10 that direction.
Queen Louise was confined to her bee with ty-
phoid fever. but she declared that she had rath-
die than fall into the hands of the French,
and her weeping attendants bore her TO trav-
cling carriage At the palace door, exnectin9 to
see her alive more. The flight accompa-
MED By terrible hardships. The first night was
spent in wretched log house. without doors
windows. where now and then q blast of wind
covered with snow tine couch on which the Queen
rested. Seemingly by miracle the family came
safely through to Memel.
At tbs conclusion of the war, when the hard
terms OF the peace of Tilsit were dictated by
Napoleon, Queen Louise, urged by her husband
ana Car Alexander, made personal appeal to
the French Emperor for the preservation of the
Prussian kingdom in its integrity. but in vain.
Prussia was deprived OF half her territory: B=r-
lin was permanently occupied by French gar
r1son, and the royal family were virtually
lied to K9nigsberg Here Louise aided in
forwarding the civil and military reforms that
eventually freed the continent from Napoleon,
but she did not live to SEQ his overthrow. On
July 10. 1910, she died of disease Of the heart.
Her remains were entombed in the beautiful
sarcophaeus at Charlottenburg, where after
wards was placed the wonderful statute of her,
by Rauch, which attracts to the place continually
the great army OF continental tourists. The
affection cf William for his mother very
strong On his return from Paris. after thelfrst
abdication of Napoleon his first act was to lay
her tomb laurel wreath a tribute OF Ger
many TO the soul that inspired her armies.
Throughout his life the anniversary of her death
was day of mourning to him, and one feature
of its observance was to carry flowers to Char
lottenburg to lay above her ashes.
Less than two years after the sad event came
the hour for which the Queen has so often
prayed, the hour of Prussias deliverance. Ma.
poieons legions had melted away amid the
SHOWS OF Russia. and the Germans az one man
arose TO complete his ruin. Prince Williams
health was poor at the commencement of the
campaign that his royal father forbade his join
ing Blucher's forces, and he thus remained alb
cent from the bloody battles OF Baut zen, LutZen
and Leipsic year later. however, saw HIM
engaged in the front rank OF the allied forces
invading France. Al the hotly contested battle
of Bar-sur-Aube, Prince William, acting as ad-
jutant TO his royal father, was detailed TO carry
instructions to one of the regiments under FIRE.
He acquitted himself manfully of this task,
passing unhurt through veritable shower Of
bullets. and his return to headquarters re-
ceived the decoration OF the Iron Cross. TEis
little cross was always TO be seen dangling from
his breast. and he wac probably prouder of it
than of all the many glitterinR decorations
since bestowed upon him by brother monarchs.
AttAOAsh 4Napoiroh p1EioELHcu WOuuerH OI SlTab-
egy In that campaign. repeatedly checking the
invader. the latter's numerical superiority got
the better of him at last. and Prince William
experienced the satisfaction of entering Paris as
a CAPTAIN in the Prussian army. His handsome
face and soldiery bearing made him prominent
figure in the martial array and an object of ad-
miration the part of the fairer sex, whom
Bluchers coarseness aud brutality had disgusted.
The young Prince returned 10 Berlin with the
eros of the army, and after confirmed
in the Lutheran Church. His religions, semi
mystic nature found vent in the following dec
laration of thanksgiving with a grateful
heart be wrote, 81 recognize it a great bless
ing that God has allowed me 80 be born in high
station of life; because in it possess a better
opportunity to cultivate my intellect and my
SOUL and because / can do better work
and accomplish more good. rejoice with all
humilty and far from thinking that God
has desired 90 prefer me TO others, and am like