New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-11
MEDIATI/ED PRINCES.


Emperor William and his Minister Of Finance. The
cX-rcvoluonary leader Miguel. have just pcrperaed
piece 81 democratic legislation which hae carried
CONSERVATION into the ranks OF iho', august ana
nmst1iou- families which figure In Part II Of that
wade m|um OF the European artist lcracy namely, IN"
Almanach de GOtha. Part II of The Almanach In
question Is devoted 10 the enumeration % wha Uc
known n the mcdlat,ed house, ot The now obsolete
Holy Roman Emplr, The heads ~ thos" houses.
some Of them dukes. snmN princes. while others are
only marquiscs counts. formerly enjoyed the rnk
and power OF petty sOverelgnX vassals, however. 30
HIS Apostolic Majesty the Emperor Of the Holy
Roman Empire at Vienna. The Napoleonic war
swept The majority Of these small States awny. and
the treaty Of Vienna ~ seal their disappearance
while many have since succumbed To the allab,orbng
power Of Prussia.
II felt. however. at the timr Of The Congress 81
Vienna that these possessed petty sovercns required
sort Of compensation for the loss ~ thcIr do
mlnlon.. well balm for their wounded pride
Accordingly. they their hncal descendants were
invested with number Of eXiraortnarT privilege.
totally ont Of keeping with the dcmocn'c spiri oi
the present century. Among other immuntics which
they have hitherto enjoyed has been exemption from
all taxation. well ~ from military service. and n
they do Of their own accord enter the army tie5 arc
entitled 10 a commission ~ officer at once Instead OF
having through the ordinary procedure In order
TO obtain It. Up 10 The wear 1873 they we're not
aineuable 10 the ordinary tribunals Of the land.
WREN engaged In legal disputes with pcr-ons VII" ala
not belong to thor caste. but only subject 10
a tribunal Of their peers specially organized for the o.
cason. Even 10 this day they not obliged ~ take
The ordinary form VI oath IN court, their mere word
being held sufficient This Is an immunity. blythe bye.
which is enjoyed In English law courts by members o.
IN" House Of Lords.
Another privilege Possessed by tho ncdiazcd
families is that Of contracting morganatic marriages
that is marriages which. though valid IN the eyea
Of the church. only binding upon the party thereto
who happens TO he Of inferior rank Thus II ROYAL
or modisiizcd prince. duke or count who effects
morganalc alliance with a lady Of infcIio; rank 10
his own is at perfect liberty. according to The Ideas
which prevail In Continental Europe 10 marry a
woman Of his rank during the lifetime OF MS
mOrgmlatic wife and without having tinker any steps
TO obtain cithe- religious or a legal separation from
her. 1t Is well known that ono OF the foreign born
members Of the British Royal family had a morgan
attic wife and family Of children Ia eAistencs near
Frankf Main al the time when he married
with much pOnp and ceremony to one OF tie most
amiable Of the Englsa prncessos and on the Con
tinent there scores of cases similar to his Own
We're Prince IscnLurg for instance. who Is
soournlng at Newport, to wed nm American girl. he
would, a. tho mrmbe- Of n ncdlatlzcd house. be
forced by his family regard his bride morganatic
since she Is neither Of royal mediatized rank. As
"A morganatc wife she would be debarrcd from bearing
his title sharing his social privilege Her children
would tahe he. name Instead OF their fathcr's, and
neither she they would at bis death b. admitted
TO have any claim upon his estates. Nor would sho
find any redress legal Otherwise. IN Europe,
the Prince suddenly take IT into his head abandon
her and to contract non morganaiic marriage with
a Princess OF Countess Of what European genealogical
authorities would regard belonging to his rank
OF course this duly sanctioned custom Of mcrganatc
marriages, which are contracted with the lef Instead
OF with the right hand constitutes an anomaly alto
gcher unworthy Of the present era of enlightenment
and civilization. 1t IS probable that IL" matter. be
ftrr lons, viii be dealt with by Emrcro: VILLAIN In
the democratic spirit that he has already mani
Tested with regard 10 the other extraordinary mInunl
ties and rights OF the mcdatizcd families. For realz
Ing that in constitutional state 1t Is prepOseroua 10
perpctuatc TO a privileged and wealthy class cxemp
lions from civic obligations and duties OF his ordinary
subjects he has by decree just published In the I'm
perlaI Gazette" at Berlin, abolished the Immunity
from taxation hitherto enjoyed by the mcdatized fam
lilies. Ilenceforth they VIII have 10 contribute their
quota like everybody else to the maintenance OF the
Government and OF the Empire
While CONSERVATION and dlsmay prevail among the
mediatizcd families, who foesce the gradual loss OF
all their privileges and their reduction to The sotus
Of ordinary ctzens their fate eXGtes but little sym
pay either al home or abroad They have done nothing
either in tho past the present 10 Increase the vel
have contributed notable occasions TO DISTRICT
It's growth. and have obtained an uncnviable dlstnc
feet which IN lsOG led them TO side with the French
invader against the Fntherland.
ArstocIacy, "a a privileged class exempt from the
ordinary laws and obligations OF the commonwealth,
constitute an anachfonism nowadays. In England
France, Italy. and even In Russia and spain, the
blity subject 10 the same siaAte> and TO the same
duties their ordinary cllowcitizcns. and may there"
fore regarded constituting part ard parcel Of
the democratic system which in more or less ven
form predomlnatcs in every civilized state Of the
world. Only I'm Germany and Austria does the arts
tocracy as privileged class sill subsist. Its days.
however, nre numbered, and before long will have
nA inf. he uasn
Ex-ATTACHE.