The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-03-15

eANNNS'Ae-a
less brother. Frederick william the Fourth,
to the throne, the subject of this sketch be
came known us the heir apparent and
Prince of Prussia. About the 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, lSiS, when the insurrection
broke out in Berlin, he withdrew for awhile
TO England in order 10 escape the popular
odium then fastened upon him of being an
absolutist In the summer of the follow
ing year he returned TO Prussia and COM
manded the army which was sent TO put
down the instruction in Baden AMI the Pal
atinate, task which, difficult us il proved,
he accomplished in six weeks 1t was
while on his way from Niedus Ingelheim
10 Baden, June l2, 1919, that an unsuccess-
full attempt was made to assassinate him.
In October of the same year he was APP
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
terest
Meanwhile, his answering loyalty TO
his brother, the King, as well as his rec
ognized ability as a counselor, was such
that on all important matters his opinions
were sought, and not infrequently his adj
vice taken, or his suggestions adopted In
1857, when the King was taken i'll, Prince
William acted in his stead; in October,
1855, he was formally installed as Regent,
and was finally crowned King January 2,
1851 Prior to his ascending the throne
Prince William had been recognized as the
silent head Of the party which was striving
70 effect the union of Germany, and accord
ingly in him were conferred the fondest
hopes of every German patriot. How com
pletely those hopes were realized, the his
tory of his reign will tell. His policy from
the outset, while far from satisfying the
extreme Liberals of his subjects, yet
showed the grandness Of the mans aims
and ideas, and indicated plainly the reforms
he contemplated bringing about July IA,
1861, the student, Oskar Becker, a Liberalist
extremely fanatical in his views, made a
futile attempt TO assassinate the King,
while he was walking on the Promenade
at Baden Baden. He urged, as an excuse
for the deed, the utter incapacity of Will
ldIH 70 tucCt luC uiAOn VI bhO
accomplishment of which, however, may
now be pointed to as one Of the notable acts
Of long and splendid reign.
In 1862 he placed Bismarck at the head of
his Cabinet, as Minister of Foreign Affairs,
and two years later, after procuring the
cooperation OF Austria in the Schleswig
Holstein war, achieved splendid victory
for Prussia His sagacity in selecting able
statesmen and skilled Generals, was only
equaled by his unyielding support, sustain
ing them against all opposition. His I'M
bounded confidence in Bismarck as well
as in Won Room and Moltke, was fully con-
firmed by the rapid and brilliant successes
attending his forces in the war against
Austria This war, in which he personal
ly took an active part, extinguished Aus
tria rs a German Power, and placed him at
the head of the new North German confed-
Grafton with Schleswig- Holstein, Hanover,
Hesse- Cassel, Nassau and Frankfort added
to his Prussian dominions.
On the oath Of February, 1861, he opened
the Constituent Reichstag, and on July /
OF the same year made. Bismarck Chaneel-
lor
In June, 1861, in company with his neph-
ew. Alexander the Second, of Russia he
visited Paris, and while sojourning in that
city was received as the honored guest Of
Napoleon the Third, then on the throne Of
France From that time on, the friendly
relations between Prussia and Russia were
strengthened, especially as the two Chan
cellors Bismarck and Gortschakoff were as
much IN accord, as were their respective
Sovereigns AS will be seen later on, this
mutual feeling between the two Powers was
no small factor in the ultimate victory over
France, and in the final realization Of Ger
man unity. II has been claimed by some
writers that King William, in his determi'
nation to have his dynasty maintain its
position as the protector of the Protestant
faith, that he therefore sought TO crush out
Catholicism. The facts are, it appears,
that his efforts were not directed against
the freedom, nor the existence Of the
Catholic Church, but only against a domi-
nant party in that Church, which sought to
stife popular education, forbid free
thought, and with the consequences nee
essarily following seriously effect the hap
piness and welfare of his people.
The candidacy OF Prince Leopold, OF
Hohenzollern, for the throne of Spain, and
the Kings objections against further in
terview with the French Ambassador at
his court, Count Benedict, became the
pretext upon which the French Govern
ment declared war against Prussia; al
though the real reasons lay in the fact that
Napoleon was far from satisfied with the
results Of the war Of 1855, while he also
viewed the rapidly-growing power Of Ger
many with jealousy and alarm. The South
German States at once joined the North
German confederation against France, I'M
der the lead Of Prussiii, and, as is now
well known, the war, so far as the former
Powers were concerned, was only sue
cession Of brilliant victories. King Will
lam. accompanied by Bismarck, Won Room
and Moltke, was In the field with the Ger
man armies from the beginning until the
close Of the contest, receiving at Sedan
September 2, 1870 the surrender of Hapo
leon. On the 18th of October he made hi,
headquarters at Versailles in the palace o.
the former French Kings, and it was here
on the 18th Of January, 1871, that he was
proclaimed Emperor OF Germany.
After signing the prelminaries OF peace
February 26, he took occasion 10 express +
the Emperor Of Russia his warines
thanks, and also to assure him that Ger
many would not soon forget the service h
had rendered by maintaining his stric'
neutrality during the progress OF tn
war between that country and France
The treaty was ratified March and 2; tn
Emperor William left Versailles on tn
7th,. entered Berlin on the 10th, and ON tn
2lst Of the month he formally opened tn
first Roichstag of the new empire IN
dcfinitiye peace with France was signed q
Frankfort May 10, and on June appeare
the Emperor's proclamation incorporatln
Alsace-L Lorraine with the empire Augni
n, 1870, he unyalcd Bandels colossal innI
umcnt Of the national hero Armlhius, o
lhs summit Of me orotcnburg near Do
uald.