New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-25
MORGANATIC MARRIAGES.
MEDIEVAL PRIVILEGE JUST ABOL-
ISUED BY A HIGH TRIBUNAL.
THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN EMPEROR WILL
lam AND COUNT ERNEST OF LlPPE,
AND THE FAR-REACHING RESULTS


OF ITS SETTLEMENT.
Little by little the sovereign houses Of the OLE
World are being Invested Of those medl'eVa
prerogativcs that were all very well when th'
people were willing 10 admit the eXtravagan
claims of mundane royalty to cousinship VIII
the Almighty, but which are Thoroughly out o
keeping with the enlightened and progressN'
spirit Of the present age One OF the most pre-
posterous of all these extraordinary privileges
has been that of morganatic marriage, lor1
Of matrimonial alliance but little undeTs'ooo IL
the United States. Based upon the prihcipi'
that an ordinary union was Impossible pet"ce'
the member Of a reigning family and person u
minor rank belonging either to the nopiii'y vi u
the pcople. IL has beea considered binding onl!
on the inferior of the two parties. but not OH 'h
super,or who enthusiastically and legally ha
been held Fl &c to contract another union Wlthou
first getting rid of the morganatc partner Th'
latter has been debarred from sharing the socia
status. title or privileges of the higher born
the two and the issue Of the union has been usu
ally subjected to similar disadvantages. o
course the existence of an institution or thi
character implied a sort of obligation upon mem
hors Of sovereign or mcdiatized houses not t.
contract any but morganatic marriages WIFI
poonle of a lower grade of society, and TINS ma
no doubt sufTiced to prevent many union De
tvoen an American heiress and an impccuniou
German Prince.
Morganatic marriages may be considered u
have had their day. Their death kne!l has beer
sounded bv the Judgment just rendered III I'M
JinnoDetmold succession controversy by
sneciallv organized tribunal, presided over by th'
venerable King of Saxony dean of all the SOW
ereicns comprised in the federation known as th'
German Empirc According to the decision
This court-the highest in the land, the DEGREES
of which, by previous arrangement. are bindlns
unon all the States of the Empirc-morGahau'
unions on the part of parents or OF more reho''
ancestors are no longer 10 constitute any oar u
the succession to the throne. This beng TN
case it naturally follows that they cease TO eh'ai
any disqualifying consequences in all other par
ticulars which are naturally of minor import
anca and that they become identical with ordi
nary marriages.
THE LIPPE-DETMOLD REGENCY.
Tho CONTROVERSY. which has been exciting al
immense amount of interest throughout Europe
NAV he said to have originated with Empero
William. and in the following manner: TWO
Years ago Waldemar, then the reisning Prince
Of Lippe-D etmold being in failing health, bodil!
lunatic brother Alexander was induced by TIT
Emperor to draw up will. according to whci
the regency of the throne during its occupanc!
by the insane Prince Alexander was to be vested
not in the hands of Count Ernest of Lippe, tn
nearest agnate and closest relative, but in thos
of much more remote kinsman namely. Prince
Adolphus of Lippe- Schaumburg. who, however
ENJOYS the advantage of being the most sub
highly favored
the brothers-in-law of the Kaiser. Prince
Waldemar moreover. expressed the hope In nj
precious Will. which he had not the vestige of {
right to make that the regency would only b'
preparatory to the succession of Prince Adelphu
TO the throne on the death Of the present insane
Prince.
On the strength Of this will, soon as eve
Prince Waldemar breathed his last. Adophu
took I'D his residence at the palace. seized the
reins Of the government and caused the princi
palitv to be occupied by strong detachment O
Prussian troops Of his brother-in-law. Emperor
William the presence of the soldiers effectualll
quelling all projects of resistance on the part o
the indignant population. Indeed. he actually
closed the doors Of the palace in the face Of Coun
Ernest OF Lippe and his two sons the neares
surviving kinsmen of the dead ruler when they
arrived to attend the funeral. and would not &C
cord them any place among the royal and prince
" procession of mourners-conduct which eX
cited so much public resentment that the Legis
lature of the principally, through its president
requested the universally respected and popular
Count and his two sons to walk at the head OF
the Parliamentary representatives and to s
among them in the church where the services
were celebrated.
Count Ernest of i-ippe as any one who eX
amines the pages of the "Almanach de Gotha'
will perceive, stands in point OF relationship
nearest 70 the present demented Prince and as