New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-16
HOLLANDS DYING KING.
PERSONAL AND POLITICAL CONSIDERA-


PERSONAL AND POLITICAL cONsIDERA-
TONS
,yrur An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE
Amsterdam, November l.;
King William III has reached the enc OF nis
career After long struggle against encroachins
disease, he has succumbed. A long time oaok us
was really incapable, physically and men'aiy'
reign. But he and his well-paid doctors inss'c1
on keeping up show of strength. NO" .nes Ssa'
do % no longer, and the miserable wreck OF nu-
nan,tv "a relocated TO some place behind the
scenes, to end his days He is now at his favori'e
chateau Of Loo. He has often expressed wish 70
die there, whenever he must die. That wish VIII
be gratiled The degenerate descendant OF WIZ
lam the Silent will never again leave Loo IN nie'
It must be confessed that public grief az THIS
sng-foreseen event is not excessive. lnere w in-
deed little regret expressed, but much satisiacuoN
Dutchmen as q rule are not proud OF their KING
His many scandals have made his RECORD an
Offensive one lie Is. moreover. little known 10
the bulk Of che people, save through the unsavory
chapters Of his earlier history. The one thing
that most people is the possibility OF serious
political changes. One such change, indeed Is IN
evitable. namely, the loss of Luxembourg. The
Salic law. that curious relic OF mediaevalism' III
still in force there, preventing Queen Emma from
succeeding to the Grand Duoal crown. Luxembourg
and Holland must therefore part and the former
become an independent state under the sovereignty
of the next male heir, Duke Adolf Of Nassau.
There il danger, however, that the Grand Duchy
Of Luxembourg will not long be allowed to inquire
as q separate :. dominion. Both Germany ana
France have long coveted it. Years ago. it is saad
Prince Bismarck perfected plans for sizing 1t i'm
mediately upon the death of the King OF Holland
Prince Bismarck is now out Of power. and other
policies prevail at Berlin But there Is no daup1
that very strong effort will be made. by very
strong snd influential party in Germany, to annex
the Grand Duchy to that Empire France would
of course, protest. Whether she would go SO 1ar
as to resist by force Of arms is prOblematic but
certainly the possession of Luxembourg would oe Oh
enormous strategical advantage to Germany ana
serious menace to France and Belgium.
Queen Emma, who becomes Regent is one OF the
most admirable figures in the royal life of Europe
She was born only thirty-two years ago, Princess
of waldeck-P yrmont, and sister of the Duchess OF
Albany Political and social ambition alone can ex-
plain why this charming young woman consented
to wed the senle wreck that King William even
then was. But whatever her motive, she has made
him q singularly affectonate and devoted WIFE,
Through all his illness, which has been marked by
many repulsive features she has been falth1ul
nurse, often sitting at his bedside day and night
until the physicians had literally to force her away
to rest. She has been, too, model mother, giving
the closest personal attention to the education ana
training of Princess Wilhelmina. These facts have
greatly endeared her to the people of Holland, ana
il is safe to say that there is no more popular
sovereign in Europe than she. Nor are her VIZ
tues only domestic. She has been close student
Of politics, both at home and abroad and mas
breadth of mind and soundness of Judgment tnat
many statesman might envy. She WILL as Regent,
be no mere fgure-head but An active and po'en'
factor In the government of the State and In the
diplomacy of Europe OF Princess Wilhelmina,
the her-apparent, it is only to be said that she is
pretty and intelligent child of little more than
ten years.
There are really good many things to be set
down to the credit of King William iii, among the
many more disgraceful and scandalous features OF
his life. He always has had the welfare OF his
country much at heart, in both home and foreign
affairs and he has really done much to promote
that welfare. 1t was he, for example,
who drained the Sea of Harlem,
stupendous undertaking. He fostered educa-
ton. the arts and sciences, and did at least as
much for such interests as airy Of his contempt
rary sovereigns Despite his pleasure-loving life
and spendthrift ways he Gid not squander pubic
moneys nor increase the taxes OF the people On
the cont rary he hai,itually and voluntarily re-
turned half of his civil list to the treasury his
second marriage, also, was an act OF goodwill 10
tile nation for it was done solely for the purpose
Of providing a successor to the throne. The TWO
sons who were born to his first wife did not turn
out sell. The younger, Prince William was an
amiable and high-minded youth. but he died OF
consumption. The elder, the Prince of Orange,
who was commonly known as "Citron' hVea
largely in Paris, and was probably the most
uniquely and thoroughly dcbauched frince Oh the
century. , s;ool nm
thusiast He had much natural talent for that eX-
0uiste art, and was favorite pupil Of the famous
Malibran. All his life he maintained q deep In
terest in musical matters, delightlng IN nothing
more than in getting up great musical 1essivai;
many liberal subsidies, also, to various academies
of music But In other matters he was not hgniy
educated and never took much personal lntereSt ID
literary pursuits On that score he differed widely
from his first wife She was highly intellectual
woman, and aimed to make the Dutch court the
devoted himself more to making il the home OF
loose morals and prof1igate pleasures There are
not few apologies who declare that Al was
largely his unfortunate marriage that drove Nun
to those scandaous excuses that shocked Europe
She was plain, almost ugly in appearance, ana her
tastes were almost Numerically opposed TO his MOI
was there tho least love between them, on either
aide. So his married life one long scandal ana II
was only when he became w1dower that ne turned
his best thoughts and most earnest purpose TO The
welfare Of his people. he Is now seventy,tnree
years old His mind is all gone, never to be re,
covered His physical health is also wrecked, and
The doctors soy he is not likely to last long