The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-17
HOLDING THEIR JOBS.
sovereisns. as a Rule, Do Not AbdI.
cate Unless They Have to.


From the New York Press.
A rumor promptly denied, that the Cz,-
was about to abdicate, calls attention to
the fact that the voluntary abdication Of
reigning monarch is extremely rare
Cars have been put out of the wav
Cars have been murdered, but no Ca.
have ever abdicated. The Grand Dul,
Constantine, next brother and heir of Al.
exander l. gave up his right to the throp,
in the reign of Alexander in CONSCIENCE.
either of his marriage with a woman nor
of royal rank, or of his conscious une,1t,e
ability for the throne. and the younger
| brother, Nicholas l, succeeded; bur tbi,
was not an abdication.
Indeed, the whole of the voluntary ahl,-
cations IN modern history might almost h.
| counted on the fingers of one hand. Frz9
lish records afford no instance of an ah5i.
cation, though English monarchs hsvs
been deposed often enough The neares+
approach to an abdication in English ria
tory was Richard CromwelIs resienatfo,
of the protectorship.
In France there never was a yoluntarv
abdication. Napoleon I signed abdication.
In 1914 and 1915, under the pressure ~
foreign invasion. Charles X and To,,i,
Philippe did the same thing in 1880 and 1S4S
respectively, under the pressure of revo,
luton. All these abdica tons were rnads
in favor of the heirs; but all were reject
ed, ana ali the would-be Indicators had
to leave the country.
NO King of Prussia ever abdicated
The first voluntary abdication was that
Of the Emperor Charles V. King of Snain
the Netherlands, ETC., in 1850, when be
was % years old. In his case i'll health
was a predisposing cause, and he survive
ed his abdicauon only three years.
In 1904, Christina, Queen of Sweden.
daughter If h.
'neh aged Is, abdicated the throne which
she mad occupied since the age of c. Her
mlsgovernment through favorites had
caused a good deal of discomfort; but her
abdlcaton may be termed voluntary. She
went abroad afterward. She returned and
made futile effort to regain the throne
IN 1861; when this failed she again went
abroad, and died at the age of 50 in 1889.
Inc House of Savoy affords four exams
PIES OF abdicatiOn within a century and
ihree- quarters, one of which may be re-
garded as voluntary Victor Amaders II.
resigned Without compulsion the Sandman
throne IN 1850, in favor of his son. He
tried in the following year to regain il.
ne lahed' and died IN prison, in 1872 His
great grandson, Charles Emanuel " abb
dlcated in 1902, on The seizure of his do
mimons by the French. He ended his DAYS
as jesuit. His brother, Victor Emanuel
l. regalned the throne in 1914, and resign
ed ii In 1921, in consequence of a mi itary
revolt. Las ~, King Charles Albert grand
Iather OF the present King of Italy abdi.
cated IN 1919, on the day on which he lost
the battle of Novara. He died four months
after in his fifty-first year.
In Poland there were three cases of alb.
Creation those of August II, in 1907; o.
Stanlslas Leszcinski, in 1885, and of Ponia,
toWskl in 1895; but all three wen
brought about by foreign Intervention.
Philip V, King of Spain, abdicated
taVor OF bis son, in 1924. melancholy AID
inactive disposition being his only motto.
Inc son died almost Immediately and te
iather resumed the government and noI-
Many heid it until his death, in 16.
Chafles ", King of Spain, abdcatedin
Iouo' under compulsion of Napoleon. Afer
ISl1 he did not return to Spain, but livd
al Rome until his death, in 1919.
Louis, brother of Napoleon L. abdicad
the lhrone Of Holland Tor ran away frm
~ IN 1870 in consequence not of person.
danger, but of the constant interferens
OF his imperial brother, who at once az
neXed Holland 10 France. William l. Kin
OF the Netherlands. great-grandfather
me young reigning Queen. abdicated
lo4O, In consequence of the great pOpula
dissatisfaction with his public and pr
Vate life.
These are practically all the abdication
before the great year 1S4S when throne
Tell ike packs of cards before the reyoiu
uonary movement The Emperor of Aus.
trla abdicated then, as did the King OF
Bavaria. and several minor potentates ia
Germany. The reconstrucl ion of the King
dom of ltafy, in 1S59-60 also brought about
many enforced ahdications.
The TACT that there are only about five
cases Of real voluntary abdications in he
last three hundred and fifty years shows
that there is something about supreme
power that makes men stick to 1t as long
as they can; and we may be sure that the
car viii not resign until he has mora
serious reasons than any that have been
alleged.