San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-08-30
sAxE-CoBURG AND GOTTA.
What England Gains by the Sue
cession of Her Prince to That
Historic Duchy.

Historic Duchy.
To the Daily LIGHT.
In central Germany there is
limited monarchial duchy known
as that of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
It's extent covers about 7l6 English
square miles and is picturesque
and fertile. 1t has population of
about 100000 people. Its annual
revenue is about 5000, 900, of which
the reigning Duke receives about
$4,000 as his salary. He has just
died and was officially designated
as Ernest Augustus Charles John
Leopold Alexander Edward, Duke
of SaXony, Prince of SaXe.Coburg
and Gotha, Duke of Zuerich Cleve,
Berg, Engern and Westphalia,
Landgrave of Thueringen and Mar
grave of Nielsen. Most of these
titles are now mere honorary, but
that of SaXe-Coburg and Gotha re-
mains and the reigning Duke is a
petty yet an influential sovereign.
At the time of his death this
duke of many names and titles
was in the 10Th year of his age,
and the 10Th years of his reign and
was wise and cultured monarch.
He was always an enthusiastic
advocate of the the union of the
German Empire even though by
that unity his duchy lost it's in
dependence and became one of
many states. 1t was to his wise
council and influence with Francis
Joseph, Emperor of Austria, that
the Austrians owe much of the lib
erty granted by that monarch to
his subjects, His name wasyselected
by the European powers as King
of Greece, but he declined the
honor, pre!erring to live among
his own people. He was also an ac-
complished musician and. COM
posed many operas that are popu-
lar in Germany. Ernest II, as he
was called for brevity's sake, was
very popular among his people,
and apparently discovered his pop
ularity.
The heir presumptive of the
title, estates, etc, was the late
Dukes brother, Prince Albert, the
consort of Queen Victoria, of Eng
land. He died in 1861, and ordi-
narily the heirships would have
fallen to the Prince of Wales. For
state reasons that prince abdicated
his rights, in favor of the next
heir, the Duke of Edinburgh, who
was, in 1855, declared a Prince of
SaXe-Coburg and GOtha, and heir
presumptive to the throne, to which
he now succeeds.
The duchies of SaXOny and Sake
Coburg and Gotha are among the
oldest, most historical and most
influential in Germany, dating
from the fifth century in the
Christian era, being allied by mar
riage to the royal houses of Eng
land, Russia, Belgium, Germany,
Italy, Greece, Austria, Portugal
and France, also with the princely
houses of MISUNDERSTANDING
gen, CZartOsky, Dietrichsen-Pros-
kaw Leslie, Hohenlohe Langen-
bOurg, Observation-Disclosures
berg-AugustCnberg, SaXe-Meinin-
gen. eldberghausen, Waldeck, KO-
harry, Napoleon Buonaparte, Ba-
varia, MensdOrf-Pouilly, Wurtem-
berg> Hanover, Leinengen and
others.
Wittekind, the first duke of
SaXOny, fought against Emperor
Charlemagne of France, in a. ID.
7S9. Theodore was count of We'll
tin and of Lansberg A. ID. 1854 and
by marriage became MargraVe of
Nielsen. Frederic, the Warlike,
was made electOr of SaXOny and
arch marshal of the Roman empire
in 1922. Ernest became Duke of
SaXe-Gotha in 1886 and subsequent
ly Duke of Saalfield. Prince Fer
dinand was regent of Portugal and
his son was king as Pedro V. Leo
pOld, member of this family, was
made king of the Belgians and
married the Princess Charlotte of
Wales. Another Of the race, the
Princess Mary, for her second hus-
band had Edward, Duke of Kent,
who became the mother of Queen
Victoria of England, who married
her cousin, Prince Albert of Sake
COburg and GOtha, and who had
among other children the Prince of
Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Carlotta, an unfortunate daughter
of this house, was married to Max
imillian, the Inflated Austrian,
who was emperor of Mexico and
persisted in a revolution against
his autocracy.
The new duke is married to the