The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-10-31


piled TO the sovereign. who stood above
them, demanded that the Metropolitan
avert the danger threatened for the Servian
state and dynasty by dissolving his Maj
esty's marriage with Queen Natalie.
The gravity Of the Metropolitan's act in
declaring dissolution of Queen Natalie's
marriage will be appreciated throughout
the world. No such ecclesiastical procedure
has been recorded since Napoleons divorce
from Josephine.
1t is hardly four months since Queen
Natalie wrote thus TO the Metropolitan. who
is absolute head OF the Servian Church:
The King writes 10 me saying that he has
taken steps TO secure a divorce. Neither the
canon nor the civil law permits divorce
without real causes. Not Knowing of any
in our case. l. for my part. shall never con-
sent TO IL. L trust in Gods Justice.
The Metropolitan did not deign 10 reply.
SO the Queen telegraphed:
The journals tonight pretend that / am
divorced. Kindly inform me how divorce
can be pronounced while l. Queen Natalie.
one of the interested parties, have not re-
ceived any citation whatever. Up to the
present day l have not a single paper
about it,"
The Metropolitan briefly replied
His Eminence the Bishop OF Nisch will
present you with "A reply TO your telegram
And the Queen answered:
Il must inform you that | shall not re-
ceive the Bishop OF Nisch before l know be-
fore what ecclesiastical court demand for
"a divorce has been brought. Having abso-
lutely nothing 10 reproach myself with am
not afraid of the light and | will accept
nothing clandestine. Do not forget that at
your age the hour cannot be far of when
you must appear before our Sovereign
Judge. and do not burden your soul with
another sim"
To this the Metropolitan replied
4. u.
sented TO the SYNOD. the competent au-
thority of the independent autocephalous
Seryian Church..
And the Queen sent her last despairing
message:
The Holy Synod not being qualified to
concern itself with divorce. protest en-
ergeticaly against this iniquty and lille
gality.
These letters will go into history They
trace every step in the conspiracy between
King Milan OF Servia and the Metropolitan
Theodosius. The third party to the plot
was NJ Cristitch. President of the Council.
who in the following words announced the
forthcoming divorce 10 the Queen:
i have the honor TO inform your Majesty
that his Majesty, our august master. has
deigned to communicate to his Council OF
Ministers the step which he has thought
well 10 take.
And when Natalie. with a cry OF anguish.
called for her son. Cristitch replied:
Il have the honor to inform your Majesty
that his Majesty the King has conilded 70
Gen. Protitch the mission to take his High
ness. the heir apparent to Belgrade, and
that full official powers have been given 10
the General"
Robbed of her son. the Queens mis-
fortunes reached their climax. Refused aid
from Austria. expelled by Prince Bismarck
from Berlin. she has wandered from capital
to capital. the most unhappy Queen in
Europe.
The King was only heir apparent when he
married her. She was exceptionally beau
tiful, the daughter Of Col. Rechko. a Rus
sian. and of Princess Pulchcrie Stoudza.
She is 20 years old and was married at 10.
She Is related TO no European royal family.
Her nearest relations are her two younger
sisters. one of whom is Nine. Eugene
Ghika. Her aunt, Princess Constantine
Mourousy. has been mother TO the three
sisters and has been the Queens constant
friend and adviser.
King Milan is n confirmed voluptuary.
With his health he has lost his nerve. He
sees conspiracies everywhere. HE is in
capable OF self-restraint." said Count Her
bert Bismarck. We must appease him at
all hazards" After the war between Servia
and Bulgaria King Milan. worsted at every
point. leaned on Austria for support. The
Queen. surrounded by Russians. looked for
sympathy 10 st. Petersburg. She is deeply
religious. besides being cultured. talented.
and an excellent linguist. She educated her
boy TO be different from his father. And IL
was when King Milan found that the lad
was Russian rather than German in his
tastes that he precipitated the conflict with
Queen Natalie.
In this conflict he has found ready aid
from his Prime Minister and from the Met
ropolitan. The condition of Servia is such
that the interference of any power in its at
fairs might provoke European war. Hence
the King has been suffered TO have his way.
But nobody in Europe doubts that the
divorce will ultimately cost him the throne
~ Co