New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14
pRINCESSES BARRED OUT.
VOTING LADIES WHO HAVE NOT THE RIGHT
OF SUCCESSION TO THEIR AN
CESTORS THRONES.


sauc law which debars the fair from all
TIGHTS of succession to most OF the thrones of the
Ola World No one knows with any degree Of
certainty the origin of this law. although many
,beories and arguments have been advanced re-
gardng It: yet there is no law that has been the
couse Of so much bloodshed and desolation
throughout the last 500 years Nearly all the
historic wars that have taken place in Europe
since the days Of the first Crusade may be at
,r;buted 10 the existence Of this law and even in
the present century sanguinary struggles have
,oken place on its account Great Britain and
Russia are the only two countries where ii has
never secured any foothold. and neither the one
nation nor the other has ever had any reason to
,egret its sound sense in the matter. since the
sovaregns who have contributed most largely 10
the glory Of the country have been women
c,ain Portugal and Holland have within the
last hundred years erased the law from their
s,atute-book and have benefited by the change:
,bre since the reign of Maria Theresa and the
ceven Years War, il exists only in modified
form In Austria, and perhaps not at all in the
Kingdom Of Hungary But II is still in force in
denmark Sweden. in Prussia and all the other
Federal States of the German Empire. as well as
IN Belgium Italy. Rumania. Servia. Bulgaria
and Greece the national constitutions of which,
bejng Of more mushroom character and drawn
Nm bv enlightened statesmen of the present CEN
turv. might reasonably be expected TO be more
-, N date and free from. such narrow medieval
nreiudices and doctrines
7, IS precisely in the three countries which are
now ruled by women. namely. England. Holland
and Spain that the greatest degree of peace and
prosperity prevails the three royal widows dis
nlovjrg far more common sense. enlightened
craftsmanship and political sagacity than any
tbO circ
stances il must be matter of regret that the
sauc law should debar a number Of beautiful
charming and clever prncesses from succeeding
70 thrones. Thus there is the pretty Princess
Pauline Of Wurtemberg. in her eighteenth
wear the only child of the present King, and
Young girl whom II Is no exaggeration to de-
s,ribe rs the national idol. Yet. nOtwithstand-
ing the fact that all the affection Of the people
&c centred in her she is compelled by the Sale
Iaw 10 stand aside and to permit her fathers
crown TO descend TO a distant cousin, born and
bred not in Wurtemberg but in Austria, and
who in addition TO being regarded as foreigner.
has the supreme disadvantage in the eyes OF the
1r+berans and Protestants constituting the vast
majority Of the nation # being a Catholic.
We're II not for their fear that Emperor William
might avail himself OF any attempt to modify
their Constitution in respect to the Salic law
still further TO encroach upon that national
indenendence Of which the sturdy Wurtemberg-
ers are so intensely jealous. they would not hest
tate moment to insist on the repeal Of the
statute 50 as TO admit Of the succession or
Princess Pauline. The present Queen OF Wurtenl-
berg although her stepmother, Is devoted 70
ser and is her inseparable companion and mas
much as Her Majesty is far and away the love-
Hest Queen in Europe, the two are a winsome
pair
.,,,oupb King Oscar Is one Of the most en-
Nshtened and accomplished Of men, endowed
with character that can only be described
as unblemished he has not proved a s1ccessful
ruler. being at the present moment on the horns
Of a verv awkward dilemma. compelled to choose
between the alternative of rejecting the just de-
mands Of his Norwegian subjects. who openly
threaten 10 proclaim a repIblic at Chrstania In
the event Of his proving obdurate or Of offending
his Swedish subjects to the extent Of causing
An ,nsurrection al Stockholm should he accede
10 Norway's pretensions; the situation being still
further complicated by the pronounced sym
pathies Of the Car and ~ Russia for the Nor
weg,ans and Of the equally strong prediction
OF Emperor William and his Germans Tor the
Swedes The fact IS that King Oscar. In spite
OF ali his talents and his PROJECTIONS. moral and
otherwise IS entirely lacking in that personal
magnetism and II may be permitted TO coin
the expression that public tact which dis
tng,Iished his homey genial and by no means
30 Intellectual cider brother. King Charles XIV.
The latter had only one daughter Princess
Louise who inherited his qualities. and who. In
spite % her plainness, was just rs much the idol
Of both Norwegans and Swedes as Princess
Pauline Of Wirtemberg IS AZ stuttgart over
six feet high and far from being endowed with
intellect above the average. she possesses the
best temper in the world. an ineXhaustible fund
Of merriment and good humor and heart as
biz as her laugh. which has been compared to
that OF horse. Had she been permitted 20
succeed her father as Queen Regent Of Sweden
and Norway II IS doubtful whether the present
conhic, IN the sister KINGDOM would ever have
arrived at the acute stage. and certainly the
loyalty to the throne on both sides Of the horde"
would not have reached its present low ebb But
being debarred from her fathers throne by the
Sale law she married the Crown Prince OF
Denmark carving ont Of the country Of her
birth all the vast wealth which she had In
herited partly from her father and partly. too
from her Dutch granduncc. which is estimated
at $4,000 900 From time to time she visits her
native land her arrival on each occasion con-
shutting a cause for national rejoicing. In
deed 50 popular Is she In Norway as well as
Sweden that the press Of the former country
has been openly discussing the ACCESSIBILITY OF
offering the Norwegian crown TO her second
son. Prince Charles Of Denmark. IN the event
Of definite separation from Sweden taking
place
II is 10 the Salic law that the Kingdom Of
Hanover is indebted for the loss Of its indie
pendence and for its absorption by Prussia. with
all the disadvantages which that entails. econo-
mic, political and soca.. Had Queen Vic |
toria not been barred by this statute from sue
ceeding to the throne of Hanover at the time
when she assembled that Of Great Britain. there
Is no doubt that Hanover would have been en-
1oying TT the present moment the same CONNER
oial prosperity and manifold advantages which
have fallen TO the lot OF the English since the