The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-22
The Recognition Of Peter.

The Recognition Of Peter.
AS If to show his defiance of outside
sentiment touching the late assassinations !
at Belgrade, King Peter has promoted
three army Officers who were identified
with the butchery in the palace on June
10. The provisional foreign minister,
Ljubonur Kalievics, in support of the
king, and Of the military coup, declares
that "the upheaval Of June 10 was the
work of a large number of officers and the
consequences Of the revolution were sane
toned by the whole army and the whole
people," and he denounced Great Britain
for breaking off diplomatic relations with
Servia. So far as recognition of Peter is
concerned, this is the situation:
Russia has recognized the king, concur
rently demanding that he proceed to pun
ish the assassins Of the late royal family;
Great Britain, France, Italy and the
Netherlands refuse recognition unless
some disposition is shown by the king
to punish the men who set him up in
business. Our own government has in
structed it's diplomatic representative, /.
Mr.. jackson, not to present his credent-
ials at present and has taken prac tically
the position Of the powers mentioned
Germany has not yet Indicated her inten-
lions. TO this attitude of five great gov
ernments demanding punishment Of the
assassns (Russia alone SO demanding
concurrently with recognition), the bene-
ficiary of the assassinations ostentatiously
promotes three of the co-conspirators, one
Of whom opened the palace gates to the
assassins.
This is something more than a Servan
domestic question. 1t concerns the gov
ernments of the whole civilized world.
Powers who recognize King Peter, who
writes himself down as recognizant of
wholesale massacre as a, legitimate pro-
seal of their approval. They lend them
selves to every unhallowed deed of the
worlds regicides. They are encoura ging
the foulest deeds Of the guild Of political
murderers. Machiavelli formulated the
doctrine that the good of the state was
every citizen and ruler, to which all other
considerations must always yield. On
this doctrine was based the doctrine of
political assassination, embodying the
mischievous teaching that the end justi-
fies the means. Between Machiavellt
and the casuists, men fell into the habit
Of considering their own policies as ex-
| clusively promoting the good of the
state,' and, out Of this erroneous theory,
the belief was diffused that political as
sassination Is a legitimate weapon, to be
used by citizens dissatisfied with political
| rulers who desire to be rid Of their polit-
ical enemies. Acting upon this hideous
doctrine the Venetian Council Of Ten kept
professional prisoners in their service to
destroy those they had marked for assas-
sination. Every political assassin In his
! tory has acted on the principle that he
was acting for "the good of the state.'
The Servian colonies wrought their bloody
deed twelve days ago under pretense of
acting "for the good Of the state" The
Nihiists Of = Russia assassinated Alex
|
ander II. on the same ground. Guiteau
shot Garfield "for the good of the state
as he conceived it, and Leon Ctolgosz
assassinated Mckinley for the same rea-
son. SHAKESPEARE embodies this idea in the
speech he puts in Brutus' mouth:
Let us be sacrifcers, but not butchers
| Alas!
! Caesar must bleed for it! And, gentle
| friends,
Let's kill him boldly, not wrathfully-
! This shall make
| Our purpose necessary and not envious,
Which, SO appearing to the common eyes
we shall be called burgers, not murderers
The Servian butchers to-day announce
themselves as burgers" and declare that
they have used a. perfectly legitimate
weapon in changing the dynasty. The
/ doctrine is pernicious and uncivilized and
civilized governments who recognize the
fruits Of the act Of the Servian assassin:
are encouraging the whole brood of an.
archists and regicides.
ss3sssEft ssf
Mr.; William G.. Gregg did a very com,
| - -.