Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-03-05

marrying which has set in among roy
alties seems to be likely to end
only when the available parties have
been all disposed of. Queen Wilhel-
nina had no sooner settled down in
her iovecote that the Princess of Aus
tria made herself a Valentine for
Prince Charles. What the outcome of
this latest wedding will be from a do.
mestic point of view remains to be
seen, but politically it seems likely on
ly to add to the complications which
already beset the present Spanish dy-
nasty.
The Infanta herself must feel some
what relieved now that her fate has
been decided. For young woman of
20 the Maria-de-las Mercedes has been
the victim of so many plots on the
part of royal match makers that she
probably welcomes her present fate as
a possible escape from worse evils.
1t has been largely on account of her
insistence that she would not be made
absolutely the tool of political neces.
sity that the princess was not earlier
married. Her predecessor in the title,
who was her fathers sister, was mar
ried at the age of sixteen, just prior to
the expulsion of her mother, Queen Is
abella, from Spain. She became the
brid of Count Gilgenti, since deceased.
The Count was a son of King Ferdi
nand II of Naples, a brother of the
Count of Caserta and an uncle of
Prince Charles. The present match is
said to have been of Aunt" Isabella's
making. Although the marriage was
Objectionable on the score of consan-
guinity, it was not SO much so as
would have been the union proposed
for Mercedes with her uncle, the Arch
Duke Eugene of Austria with whom
an alliance for her was once proposed
for state purposes.
1t would be absurd to say that Prince
Charles will ever be popular at the
Spanish court for his father was one of
the most bloodthirsty of the revolu-
tionary generals who fought under
Don Carlos during the last two Carlist
wars. The old rebels titles are kim
of Naples, King of two Sicilies and
King of Jerusalem, but he is very poor
from his long residence at Cannes
since his Punishment is considered
more or less of a foreigner. No one
doubts that the marriage of the Infan-
to to Prince Charles is more or less a
diplomats and conventional deal to si-
lence the Carlists.
Another match on the same order
will be that which is alleged to hays
been arranged between the Grand
Duke Michael and Princess Victoria OF
England, the only unmarried daughter
of King Edward. The Importance of
uniting the royal families of England
and Russia by the strongest possible
ties cannot be overestimated, for such
marriages go far to cement the friend
ship between the two countries and
prevent the possibility of a conflict be-
tween them, The Grand Duke Michael
is younger brother of the Car and heir
presumptive to the throne, so that the
Importance of the match will readily
be seen.
All depends on the consummation of
this match upon the attitude which the
Car may consider it proper to take.
Under the laws of the Greek, or Rus
sian church, marriages between first
cousins are forbidden. The rule is
practically an ironclad one and has al
ready prevented the marriage of the
Grand Duke to Princess Helene. the
lively daughter of the Grand Duke Via
dimlni, with whom he was first infatu-
ted. The reason which the Car gave
for refusing his permission in this
case was that as spiritual head of the
church he was compelled to take such
stand, particularly since his broth
er as his successor would also become
head Of the church and thus become
the subject of grave scandal for doing
himself what he would have to refuse
his subjects the right to do.
The relationship between Princess
Victoria and the grand duke comes
through him, being the son of the dow
ager empress of Russia. who is sister
of Queen Alexandra of England, the
mother of the princess.
Car Nicholas has the prerogative of
granting dispensation for the match
if he considers that the alliance would
be of imperative value to his people
and the result will doubtless depend
largely upon his own convictions and
the advice of his counsellors upon so
grave matter.
If these royal combinations are con-
tinued the possibilities of the threaten
ed great European war will become
more and more remote. The crown