New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-17
MENTORS OF ROYALTY.
NOTES ON THE TUTORS OF SovEREIGNS.


of the finest new ironcad cruisers Of the Imperial
feet with the name of Pobicdonotsoff 1t is the
first occasion on which a former professor has
ever thus been hOnored for past services by an
Imperial and Royal pupil; and il the custom Is To
become general it will be we'll for the parents Of
future sovereigns to exercise some care with re-
gard TO the names Of the preceptors whom they
select for the purpose Of supervising the educa-
ton of their sons For the tutor of Emperer
William rejoces in the somewhat ridiculous name
of Hintzpeter while the reverend father en-.
trusted with the teaching of tire Prince
of Wales bears the exceedingly suggestive
name Of Birch. II is difficult to conceive the
notion of stately and huge ironcad figuring az
the lIintzpeter," even a gunboat cLristened
Birch, unless perhaps the latter were kept on the
West African coast for the purpose of administer
ing periodical castigaton to unruly native chiefs
The Cars action in thus honoring VI. Pobiedo-
notsof may serve to draw public attention to @
class of men who, after shaping and directing the
mind and the character of the future rulers Of
the earth, are left to vegctate in Obscurity un.
notced, unknown and forgotten by the nation
which is indebted to them above all others either
for good for a bad sovereign
Few people, comparatively speaking, either re-
member or are aware of the fact that NJ Pobiedo-
notsof, the much feared President Of the Holy
Synod. had in years gone by his present autocrat
and master under his direction and stern control
| as a pupil from whom the strctest kind Of obedi-
! ence exacted. Professor 1Tintzpcter's name
is but little known outside Government circles at
Berlin, and not one German in every ten could
tell you offhand who il that directed Emperor
Williams education Even still greater ignorance
prevails with regard to Admiral Count
Bombelles, Bishop Ronay and Professor
| Brehm, who were entrusted with the
education of the late Crown Prince Rudolph.
while the name of Canon Birch, the Prince Of
Wales's tutor, is forgotten even at the British
Court itself. Nor are Mgr. Merry del Vale. the
tutor of the little King Of Spain Privy Councillor
Dokitch. tutor of the boy sovereign Of Servia.
nor Professor RULER, tutor Of the young Khedive
of Egypt, likely to be any more fortunate as far
as fame and popular recognition of their services
| are concerned.
And vet each of these men has left his impress
| upon his pupil. Thus the Cars intolerance on
| the score of religion, his panslavism and his abb
| hOrrence of liberalism in every shape and form
| are entirely attributable TO the teaching Of NJ
Pobiedonotsoff. The sentiments of professor and
| pupil these subjects altogether identical,
and if we feel tempted TO blame the President Of
| the Holy Synod for not intoxicating the mind Of
| his Imperial charge with more broad, enlightened
| and progressive ideas, should bear in mind
| that IL is to hlm ABOVE everybody else tn1i lle
Gar is indebted for his sterling honesty his I'M
swervng honor and integrity of purpose, for his
adherence of everything that savors of cor
ruption or unfair dealing Narrow minded and
bigoted the Gar may he, but he will occupy an
honorable and respected place in the history Of
| the world, as the most honest-I would almost
say the only honest-monarch who has ever held
| sway in Russia. And for this the Muscovite
| Empire is indebted TO VI. Pobiedonotsolf.
In the same way, many Of the paradoXical and
contradictory features of Emperor VILLAINS charac-
ter are traceable the influence and teachings Of
his tutor Professor Hnzreter The latter is Just
| full of extraordinary contrasts his imperial
| pupil; and the strange mixture of medieval ana
despotic ideas concerning the Divine Right OF
| Kings, combined with a liberalism advanced
that it vergcs socialism, manifested by the
young monarch are developed to even still greater
| degree in his former teacher. The professor, al
though impregnating the mind of his pupil with
doctrines of equality and insisting that the Prince
should, for the first time in Prussian history. take
| his place as ordinary scholar the benches of
the public school at Casse beside boys of the most
humble conditions in life, would on the other hand
| tolerate familiarity or even condecension on
| the part of the royal lad toward interiors. In
deed he even went far to force the Prince TO
wash his hands carefully whenever he had so far
forgotten himself as TO shake hands with any one
| of subordinate or mental rank
Another trait of character which Emperor Will
| liam has derived altogether from DR.. Hintzpeter
is the firm conviction that difficulties. no matter
| how vast and intricate, always capable of being
settled and satisfactorily arranged by means OF
eloquent phrases and good intentions. 1t is TO
| Professor Hintzpeter that the world is indebted
! for Emperor Williams anxiety 70 figure sort
of universal arbitrator and general settler of every
question problem that is in dispute.
| Professor Hintzpeters appearance, | may add.
is not particularly prcpossessing. Indeed it is one
of those which invites caricaturc He is anky.
ungainly, lantern jawed, and looks like a
who has never been young. and who has
not yet attained either the respectablty or
the venerbility of old age His manners are
| ungracous and even repelant But when
| he once becomes interested in dis
cussion he seems to undergo entire Transforms
| ton. 1t is no longer the same man. lie gives
one at that moment the impression Of being nothing
| but mere bundle of SETTLING nerves, the vibra-
| lions of which seem to extend and influence all
those who are within range of his voice.
The late Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria like
wise showed in many ways the lasting effects OF
| the influence exercised upon his character ~ MS
teachers The pronounced tastes for natural studies
which won for the Inflated Archdukc the reputa,
| ton of being one of the foremost biologists and
ornltlologlSts OF Europe were uuc u Tue N"Nh.
| ings of his tutor, Professor Brehm. The many
| noble and lovable phases of his nature were
attributable the fostering care and guidance Of
| that most charming and supplemented OF pre-
| latcs Monsignor Ronay; while the particular lie.
fecs OF the Princes character, which constituted
the shadow of his life and which resulted in his
| death may be traced to Admiral Count Bombelles.
The selection of the latter mentor of the
Archduke was about the very worst choice that
| could have been made, and was due to favor and
| court intrigue rather than 10 any merit on the
mart of the Admiral He was the Of Count
| Henri Bombees, who was the tutor of the present
Emperor of Austria, and was The nephew of Count
Paul Bombelles, who was the third husband OF the
widow of Napoleon !, the Empress Marie louise
Of France. Exceedingly talented and accomplished
in every possible way. his notions of morality
were loose in the extreme: and such he WAS
the last person who should have been chosen to fill