The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-20
ROYAL PILGRIMAGES.
PRINCES WHO HAVE JOURNEY.
ED TO JERUSALEM.
"Zionis1n" That Is Prompted by
Other Sentiments Than Those
of Piety.

Precisely in the same manner that the
eyes and thoughts of every Mohamme-
dan, no matter whether he dwells in
the most remote provinces of China, the
impenetrable jungles of Java, the
mountain Businesses of India and Cen
trail Asia or ON the banks of those
mighty rivers the Niger and the Nile in
Africa, are centered upon the Holy City
of Mecca, so do Christians of every de-
nomination, and Jews as well, find in
Jerusalem point Of common interest
and of mysterious fascination. This
desire, more or less strongly defined.
but latent in almost every breast, TO
tread the soil of what Is known as the
Holy Land, and to wander through the
streets Of Jerusalem, hallowed by SO
many sacred associations, develops into
a species of irrepressible longing, for
which no more suitable name can be
found than that of ''Zionism,' and upon
no people has "Zionism" secured firm
er hold than upon those who are known
as the Amounted of the Lord'-that is
TO say, the monarchs and the princes
and princesses of the blood OF the Old
World.
Prominent among them is the EN-
peror of Germany, who has announced
his intention of spending next Easter
at Jerusalem with the Empress, and
who has already given orders to the
Berlin Department of the Navy to hold
in readiness his yacht, the Hohenzol-
lern, and the dispatch boat Geffion for
the trip. He proposes to take advan-
tage of his presence in the Holy City
TO preside over the ceremony of conSe-
Grafton of a new Lutheran church, built
on site given by the Sultan to the late
Emperor Frederick while he was still
Crown Prince, on the occasion of his
visit TO the Holy Land. The church in
question is erected on the foundations
of an ancient edifice of the same char
acter dating from the CruSades. The
imperial couple, after spending Holy
and Easter weeks at Jerusalem, Will
visit the tombs of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob at Hebron, over which a mosque
has been erected. No Christian or He
brew has ever been permitted to cross
the threshold of this mosque or to view
these tombs, with the solitary eXcep-
ton of the Prince of Wales when he
young man, in the company OF Dean
Stanley of Westminster. 1t may be
taken for granted that the present Sui
tan, who owes SO much to the friendly
support and championship of his cause
by the German Emperor, will extend to
the latter the same courtesies and facil-
tiles in the matter of visiting Hebron as
We're conceded five-and-thirty years
ago to the future King of England.
After leaving Jerusalem the Kaiser
and his consort propose to journey ov-
erand via Mount Sinai to Egypt, in re-
Spouse to an invitation from the khe-
dive, and the resources of the Turkish
Government will be taxed to the ut
most to prevent any untoward incident
happening to the imperial pilgrims.
SUCH as, for instance, attack and cap
ture by marauding Bedouin tribes. 1t
is difficult to conceive the consterna-
ton which would ensue were the Ger
man Emperor and Empress to be car
ried off by some such tribes as these
into the interior of Arabia, and held
for ransom. The allegiance Of these
tribes to the Sultan is purely nominal,
and in their rocky Businesses, which
can be reached only by weeks Of camel
back travel through waterless deserts.
or punishment.
QUEEN VICTORIA AND THE HOLY
LAND.
1t is no secret in English court circles
that it has been the one dream OF
Queen Victoria's life to undertake q
pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and at
one moment during the early years Of
her widowhood she was on the point
of proceeding thither with her friend
and spiritual adviser, the late Dean
Stanley, as cicerone. But the time FOR
any sucl tour has long since passed
by, and her majesty is too far advanced
in years and too infirm to be able 10
put into execution a project which She
has nuttured in her heart since the
days Of her early gilhood. True, thare
are all sorts Of facilities to-day for
getting 10 Jerusalem which We're not
in existence twenty and thirty years
ago There is railroad equipped with
comfortable railroad cars that runs
from Jafa to Jerusalem, and it is pos
sible to reach Bethlehem and other
places of interest in the vicinity by
means of tramway, the pilgrimage of
these present times presenting a strik-
ing contrast to those of former ages.
when the faithful of every rank and
class from kings to peasants, We're
compelled to trudge YEARLY over the
sun-parched desert of sand and stones
that lies between the sea coast and the
Zion of Christians and Hebrews.
While no one need feel surprised that
Emperor William should desire to UNI
dertake The trip to Palestine, yet there
are many who regret that his Zion
ISM should have led him to permit his
Wife to accompany him on the journey,
and among superstitious people much
apprehension is felt and expressed in
connection with the project. For it is
a strange popularity that hardly any
royal couple have ever visited Jerusa-
lem together without being shortly af
terward overtaken by misfortune. Only
eighteen months ago the visit of the
Archduke and Archduchess Charles
Louis Of Austria was followed by the
second brother of the Emperor Francis
Joseph, stood next in line of succession
to the throne, and who, until that time,
had enjoyed perfect health. Another
imperial couple whose pilgrimage was
followed by still more disastrous results
were the Crown Prince and Crown Prin-
cess Of Austria. The quarrel which
eliminated in Rudolph's shocking death
at Meyer.ing followed Immediately on
their return to Vienna from Palestine /;
while the stay in Jerusalem of Emperor
Williams eldest sister, Charlotte. VINO
was accompanied by her husband,
Prince Bernhardt of SAKE Meiningen.
and attended by Baron and Baroness
Won Kotze, had as it's natural Sc
quence what is now known at Berlin