The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-20
THE GUARDS OF KINGS
How European Monarchs Keep
the ASsassins at Bay.
FOREIGNERS ALWAYS IN DEMAND
Turks Protect the Czar-The Pope's
Swiss Guards and Their Uniform,
Designed by Michael Angelo.

prominent feature OF the histories of the
nations of the Old World. There is scarcely
a single monarch on record whose life has
not been made the subject of an attack
while very large proportion of these
amounted of the Lord" have met with vio-
lent deaths. 1t is noteworthy that in al
most every case the regicides have been
men and women belonging to the same
race and nationality as the object of their
murderous intentions. It is probably due
to this popularity that emperors, kings and
reigning princes have invariably en-
trusted the guardianship of their sacred
person to body guards and personal at
tendants of foreign nationality, whose
presence constitutes standing proof of
the small reliance placed by the rulers of
the Old World upon the professions of de-
votion and loyalty of their subjects. The
latter, of course, regard the foreign mer-
cenaries-for it is impossible to call them
by any other name-with jealousy, i'll will
and suspicion, and the strangers are there
fore debarred from confidential or intI-
mate relations with the people OF their
royal employer. Being thus isolated,
without any preiudices, except in retain
ing their pay and post, they prove, as a
rule, faithful through self-interest to the
only person who is at all likely to make
them sure of both the one and the other.
OF course, it is in countries where the
despotism of the ruler is the most oppres-
sive and the population in consequence
the most disconnected, that foreigners are
in the greatest demand at court. Thus
Emperor Alexander has special BODY
guard of Mahommedan Tcherkers orTurko-
men who are scarcely able TO utter single
word of Russian, and who regard the Mus
covItes as the traditional and hereditary
foes of their race. Moreover, he is invari-
ably accompanied, Swallowed and sur
rounded by a corps of Corsican secret
police under the command of young Celer-
tin Pietri, nephew of the well-known pre-
feet of police of Napoleon III, when the
second French empire was in its glory.
These men, who number forty, are entirely
recruited from the old Corsican secret po-
lice, of whom the "Man of Sedan" was so
fond, and who on several memorable occa-
slons saved him from either being assassin
ated or kidnapped. The principal object of
their engagement by the car is to keep
watch upon the vast personnel of the
imperial household and to prevent nihil-
lists from obtaining a footing in any capac-
it is no exaggeration to assert that there
is not a single Russian member of the
autocrat's encourage, no matter whether
prince or scullion, who is not under more
or less close and constant surveillance
by these lynx-eyed Corsicans. 1 may
add that they are supposed to keep par
ticularly watchful eye on the palace kitch-
ems with view of checking the introduce
ton of poison into any of the food des-
tined for the imperial table. The per-
sonal servants of the car, the czarina and
of their children, such as Wallets, nurses,
maids, etc., are all either English or Danes,
the number of the former being in pre-
ponderence.
The sultan's personal bodyguard has re-
Gently undergone radical transforms
ton. Until about year ago it was COM
posed almost exclusively of Arnauts and
of Albanians, but Abdul Hamid having
found reasons to distrust their fidelity,
has filled their places by fanatical Can
diotes, Bosnians and Magyar renegades.
Crete, Bosnia and Hungary are the tradl-
tional and hereditary foes of the sublime
porte, and the history of Eastern Europe
contains almost on every page records OF
the sanguinary conflicts with the unspeak-
able Turk. The name by which the sui
tan's body guards are known is that of the
''janissaries," who must not, however, be
COMPOUNDED with the infamous corps OF
that name which was destroyed to the
last man by Sultan Mahmoud III;
That, too. was originally composed
of men of foreign nationality, most
ly Greek and Bulgarian renegades
whose children became so thoroughly as
simulated with their Turkish surroundings
and so susceptible to Turkish influences
that when called upon to take their
fathers places in the ranks OF the body
guard, they altogether converted it into
native instead of foreign regiment. The
result was that the latter allowed itself to
become involved in all kinds of national
conspiracies against the person of the SOW
erign, who at length put an end TO its
treason by causing the members thereof,
as well as their families, to be mastered
to the number OF So 900 souls in one day.
The pope is the only European sovereign
who continues to recruit his bodyguard in
Switzerland, and everybody who has Wis.,
tied the Vatican will recall to mind the
picturesque and multi-colored uniforms of
the Swiss guards of his holiness, which
were designed by no less an artist than
Michael Angelo himself. 1t was but the
other day that they celebrated the sixth
centenary of the foundation of the corps.
Up to few decades ago there were quite
large number of other European potentates
who followed the pontiH's example and
kept in their pay Swiss bodyguards.
Among the last who retained them was
the king of Naples. who lost his throne in
1852, and it was solely due to the fidelity
and bravery of his Switzers that his con-
sort, Queen Sophie, was enabled 10 make
so heroic defense of the str Jnghold of
Gaeta against the Garibaldian army.
The first and second kings Of Holland.
after the restoration of the House of
Orange to the Dutch throne in 1915. like
wise surrounded themselves with Swiss
bodyguards, and so did the last Bourbon
kings of France.
Every student of French history will re-
call tot mind the gallant stand made by
the Swiss guards of Louis XVI. in the
courtyard of the Tuileries, and the de-
struction of the entire corps before the
palace. Louis XVIII. and King Charles
y. of France each had his Swiss bodvguard
and although Napoleon III. placed his
chief reliance in Corsicans, yet he had a
very large number of William Tells coun-
trymen occupying confidential positions
in the imperial household.
Bernadotte, the French born king of
Sweden, not only had regiment of Swift
ers TO guard his palaces, but, moreover, en-
trusted many of the most important posi-
tons at his court TO Bernese and Argoyian
patricians preierring to rely on their de-
yotlon rather than on the more than cues
tionable loyalty of his Scandinavian sub
jects. And although do not believe that
there are any SWISS in the service of King
Christian OF Denmark, yet | am able TO
refer to Shakespeare as my authority for
the fact that they formerly figured ut the
court OF Copenhagen, for Hamlet's step
father is made 10 exclaim, Where are nv
Swltzers? Let them guard the door"