Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-10

AN ENvIABLE EASTERN POTENTATE.
| Prince Nicholas of Montenegro and
His People.
T. w. Leigh In the Pail Mall Magazine.
Cettinge. the Montenegrin capital, is, as
every one knows. the smallest metropolis
| in Europe and resembles village in the
| Scottish highlands in reduced circun-
stances, Inore than anything else. 1t con-
tains about / 500 inha bitaEts, and possesses
few objects of architectural interest There
is a miniature palace an ancient convent, a
tower upon which, until recent years, the
| deaapitated heads of Turks were exposed
to view, an empty mrseum, a singuiarly in
ferior inn, and a prison. The prisoners are
generally on view outside this building.
smoking and conversng with their friends;
some of them are heavily manacled, but
many are unincumbered and apparently
unguarded. However, they seldom or never
attempt to escape, and appear on the Whole
not discontinued with their lot
Within n very small space are situated
the palace. the inn. the public offices and
the residences of the foreign representa-
tives Possibly in order to vary their some
what monotonouS existence, the latter inter-
change the most elaborate formahties; ana,
though living close to one another, never
meet without ordinations of Joyful sur
prise, separate without expressions OF
the highest mutual esteem. For my part
/ used to effusivcly shake hands with each
of my acquaIn tances at least dozen times
in the course of the day.
With the laudable intention of deriving
some mental profit from my visit, called
one day upon the minister of finance. This
gentleman, habited in a gorgeous costume
of white and green, / found making up the
national accounts, with a loaded revolver
by his side. Finance, as a rule, is not
fascinating study; but the Montenegro
system is engaging by reason Of its delight
full simplicity. The country is divided Int
various districts Under captains these
captains collect the taxes and send their
respective contributions into the capital
once a year on horseback The minister of
finance locks the whole amount up in big
box the prince then appropriates what
ever sum he considers necessary, and the
remainder goes to Pay the salaries OF OFF,
Gals and to meet the ordinary expenses of
government. What more practical ar
rangement could be devised?
The whole revenue of Montenegro, includ-
ing an annual Russian subsidy, which is be-
lieved to amount to about 5000, Is only
about 60, 900 year; and 1t is stated that on
one occasion. when the prince round IL
| necessary to withdraw a large proportion
| for travelling expenses abroad. the cash re-
naming in the national treasury did not
exceed EDO.
l visited also the MOI teLesrin supreme
court of justice-a bare room where stall
three judges, who try everything, from an
assault case to an action for divorce. There
are counsel, no clerks and no solicitors
in the whole country. did learn that
the absence CT these perSonages is ever felt
or regretted. Most persC rs Of q practical
| disposition who are involved in legal dill
culties prefer to be dealt with by the prince,
who occasionally sits under tree outside
his palace and administers paternal justice
with an even hand. Prince Nicholas, in
deed, is the most interesting institution in
Montenegro, and it would be almost impos-
siple to discover any person so well adapted
for the part which he plays. For my part
look upon the cars only friend as one
of the most enviable potentates in exist
| ence. True, his territory is cxigrous, but
| then one wants to TAX e 1t from him; he
| is not rich, but his expenses are small, and
| the court could probably be run comfort
| ably upon LOCO year; his big neighbors
| the emperor of Austria ard the sultan, cul-
tivate his friendship in consequence of the
| trouble which he is capable of infiicting
upon them; he benefits by every rearrange-
ment of the map of Europe; he has no house
of commons or representative institutions
of any kind to reckon with; is his own
prime minister, commander-in-chie and lord
chancellor; and there exists no irreverent
! press to criticise his actions. In word.
he is master in his own house. What more
can the heart of man desire?
Prince Nicholas is a fine, handsome man,
| of well-preserved middle age and dignified
| presence, whose stalwart proportions are
well set off by the national costume Edu-
| Gated in Paris, he speaks excellent French
| and has admirable mann ers. That he pos
sesses exceptional political skill is shown
not only by the perfect peace and order
which prevail throughout his realm and by
| the large accesSions of territory which
| Montenegro has obtained of late years. but
| also by his relations with his neighbors.
| The Sclavs in the surrounding count ries
| look to him their natural leader; the
car lends him money and his protection:
| the Austrian government treats him with
| profound respect: while his natural enemy,
| the sultan, anxious for propitiation at any
price, laViShes upon him gifts of the most
costly description, from jewels and palaces
| on the Bosphorus to boxes of cigarettes
Just before my visit q complete equipment
for squadron Of cavalry. with instructors
| into the bargain, had arrived as a present
| from Constan tinople. the sultan being ap-
| parently quite Indifferent to the fact that
| his gift would inevitably be used against
himself
Prince Nicholas, however. is not merely
| a politician, but cultivates literary and ar
| tistic tastes, writes poetry, inspires sub
ject3 for pain tiers and sculptors, and COM
poses tragedies, which meet with much sue
| cess when given at Cettinge. Who, indeed
ever heard of an autoCrat proving an artis-
| tic or literary failure?
Life at the Montenegro court like every
| thing else in the country is free and I'M
constrained. In the summer time, when the
| great heat Of the day is over, the prince
| and his family betake themselves to the
palace garden, and receive the diplomatic
| corps and the principal native personages
| A casual remark Of mine at one of the
| gatherings enabled Us to witness a display
| Of Prince Nicholas physical powers Hav-
| ing dispatched an official Of high rank to
| fetch a huge stone, he proceeded to hurl 1t
| about In almost professional style, and then
commanded the assembled company to do
| the same. Instantly ministers, officers Of
| high rank and the foreign representatives
| were all busily engaged in attempting the
| feat, with more or less success; and 1. OBJ
| served, without surprise, that the only per-
| son VINO had the Ill grace to surpass the
| rulers throw was the envoy of republic
Amongst his other accomplishments
| Prince Nicholas is a notably good shot and
| described to me how in former years he was
| In the habit of shooting cigarettes from his
| subjects lips at a distance of nearly a hun
| dred yards.
but that" he added negligently, 'is
| nothing to what I can do with a cannon
| during the Turkish war annihilated whole
companies" With little encouragement
| I believe he would have exercised his skill
by shooting apples off the heads Of his
| ministers.
| But it is to be feared that the prosperity
| Of Montenegro Is scarcely well assured at
the present moment. Since the RuSSo-Turk-