The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-03-15

llms6lI 10UO INSANITY Ou Oct0U6T Cos 1901 tuC
present Emperor accepted the Regency Of the
Kingdom for the term of three months from
the hands of the Landtag. This tefn was after
ward twice renewed, and as the Kings cond1-
ton remained the same, or rather ne was
found to be hopelessly insane from the effects
OF hard drinking Prince Willia nn,o WAS may assS
After two years retirement poor Champagne
Fritz" breathed his last, and his brother as
cended the throne as William of Prussia. He
was now 81 years of age, a tall, majestic hand-
some old man with iron-gray hair and whls-
keTs. Time and experience had effaced much
that was hard and relentless in his nature and
had impaired all air of beneyolence that captl-
waited from the start His coronation at konlgs-
berg, October 10 1861, was attended with much
pOmp and ceremony, and IN his coronation
speech he alluded very clearly to the "Divine
right" through which he accepted the high dig
nifty large painting in the Berlin Schloss
comm emorates the event and shows how truly
magnificent it was. The King is seen standing
before the altar in the centre of the old Cathe-
dral. surrounded by the grandees of Prussia,
the foreign diplomats and the Generals and
Ministers. He wears a rich uniform and from
his powerful shoulders falls IN rich folds
royal mantle of ermine and red satin. From
pillow of gold he has taken the beJeweied
crown a, d is placing it on his head with his
own hands, as if to indicate that he has re-
ceived IL from heaven and not from the people.
King William 8 long struggle in carrying out
the army reform scheme began with the year
1859. when the Parliament refused to vote the
extra appropriations military purposes
Bloc. Its demand for specifications was meth
a resignation of the Hohenzollern Ministry ana
the dissolution of the over House. At this
the scene man whose career has ever since
been indissolubly linked with that of his mas
gigantic intellect and stupendous foresight
Germany owes her present leading position
among nations Bismarck was a man after the
Kings own heart, man who, unlike Inc
short-sighte Parliament majority. saw ahead
of his times and knew that in no very far-of
future Prussia would have to measure strength
with Austria and France with Austria for SUI
premacy in Germany, and with France Tor
supremacy in Europe.
Ehaa of Nnl Gvr fCY.
the bone OF contention which eliminated IN
the struggle between Prussia and Austria so
long anticipated by King william and Bis
marck. A temporary agreement at Gastein
gave Schleswig to Prussia aud Hostein to
that the former double game and, secur-
ing he aid of the Frankfort Parliament, or
rather OF all the south German States. declared
war against its northern neighbor. King Will
liam's 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 Consti :
tntion. In the first part of June. 1886 the Prus-
sian Army began It's march forward, and IN a
rousing proclamation the King declared that
Prussia's object was to unite the German
states and establish Parliame Mt truly repre-
Senting the whole nation.
On the morning of July the great battle of
Sadowa began, which was to decide the tate of
100000 human beings were engaged in mortal
combat with each other The King, mounted
on a dery charger, accompanied by Bismarck
and MOtke. rode through the ranks during the
hottest of the fight, encouraging the soldiers
and assuring them of the Crown Princes
speedy arrival. The hours sped by. however.
and still no Prince came, and like Wellington
at Waterloo the aged monarch cast many
look of anguish in the direction whence
enforce ments were expected At last, toward
in the afternoon, the sound OF cannon in the
dis lance brought JOY to the old mans heartand
gave renewed courage to his troops. The
Crown Prince had arrived, and the setting sun
saw the Austrian army confused mass of
fugitives. The fighting oyer, the Prussians
surrounded their monarch, and in the twilight
of the evening 10000 voices joined in Luther's
grand old hymn 'Nun Danket ALE Gott.'
| The campaign of 1868 gave Prussia the long
! desired supremacy Germany. What the
war of 1901 acco mpl sh ID is known to all. and
| even summary of Il e events of that almost
contemporaneOi period which ended in the
/ downfall of Marc leon Ill and the procla
| Of the German EN- ire would be superfluous.
| In Berlin he has been familiar figure ever
since 1870 and one of the first sights stranger
| is made to see is the old monarch standing at
| the traditional corner window on the ground
! floor of his Berlin palace. where he receives
on lockers With graceful smiles and gestures.
/ His afternoon ride to the Thiergarten is
other daily event of Berlin life. While ON one
of these rides in 1878 he was fired at and missed
| By socialist named Hoedal, but few days
after another Socialist, DR.. Nohiling, tried the
same experiment with better success, for he
severely wounded his victim.
THE EMPEROR s SUCCESSOR.
An imperial decree which was signed on
provides for the representation of the Emperor
and King by Prince William in the discharge of
current government affairs.
Prince illiam, the eldest son of the Crown