The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-12
The Servian Tragedy.

Lie OCIV1du A1dSVuJ'
The military coup at Belgrade the capt.
tai of Servia, yesterday, was not so much
in the interest Of good government as IN
the interest of the present claimant to
the servian throne, Prince Peter Kara
georgevitch, whose family are descended
from George Petrovitoh who. one hundred
years ago. led a revolution and, after
severe struggle, drove the Turks out OF
Servia and kept them out for a few years,
but was compelled to, flee to Austria,
whence he returned in 1917 to find Mtlosh
Obernovitch in his place as Servian leader
AGAINST the Turks. This patriot had
George Petrovitch foully assassinated and
continued the struggle for servian indie
ipendence, which was attained, and In
1880, thru the efforts Of Philip Cristics
CLOSE friend Of the Obrenovic family, the
hereditary right of the family to the
throne was established and recognized
both by the Sultan Of Turkey and by the
Servian skuptschina or national assem-
bly, The claims Of the Petrovitch family
to the throne were thus disposed of, and
the patriotic services of old Kara George
bldCk george were iSiiOAou' LILO
family, however, assumed the surname as
above, and, in 1912, they succeeded in
electing Alexander, Of their family. to
the throne, which he held for seventeen
years, when he was forced to resign and
his successor, an Obrenovic, was assas
sinated in 1868 by partizans of Alexander
and thereafter the Obrenovics. In the
49, Io LOTT [ivxrr md 1av
ander, who was assassnated yesterday,
have held the throne. but by the massa-
ore their dynasty has come to an end.
The army has again restored the Kara
georgevitchs to power. Their tenure is
a precarious one, for it is too much like
that Of the Roman emperors under the
caprices Of the Pretorian guard.
The coat of arms Of the princes of
Servia IS a white cross on a red field,
with a drawn sword between two dates
13S9-1S15-and the legend, Thine and My
Right This device presents a con-
densed history of Servia. The period be-
tween the dates is the period during which
the Servians fought for their liberty and
upheld the Cross on many bloody fields
against the Turks. In 1889 was fought
the great battle in which the Servan
empire was put in subsection to the Turks,
who took. the Servian children for slaves
and subjected the whole people to cruel
and inhuman treatment The date 1916
marks the time when Milosh Obrenovich
and his patriots got the upper hand Of the
bloody Turks. thine and My Right" ex-
presses the belief Of the Servians that one
day their ancient enemies the Turks
will be driven out Of Europe and they
will rejoice In the restoration OF the old
Servan empire, which once extended from
Belgrade to the Black sea and from the
Danube river to the Adriatic and over
Macedonia and Thessaly. This ambition
will hardly be gratifed. The area of the
old Servian empire will probably be par
titioned by the powers when the Turks
evaouate southeastern Europe, or, posi-
bly,, a. federation Of autonomous states
may be organized upon it,
The difficulty with the Servians Is the
subsection Of their country to politica
factionism and their disposition to take
a hand in every row which agitates the
Balkan peninsula. The assassination OF
Alexander and the substitution of Prince
Karageorgevitch for ruler. man wht
will be detested by the partizans Of the
Obrenovic dynasty, even if it has beer
annihiated thru the awful tragedy O.
yesterday, will doubtless quickly lead tt
another tragedy. The Servians have bee,
in too great subsection to Russia's dicta
ton, and the radical party to-day, com
posed largely of the peasantry, who hav
always been more or less controlled b,
Russia, and who were the chief opponent
81 the king in the skuptschina, are chroni
trouble breeders. The liberal faction i
composed of the urban element chiefly
and there Is progressive faction un
der Austrian influence. Attic it has beel
hundred years since the Turks lost thei
grip upon Servia, the national characte
has been SO influenced by the four cen
turtles of defeat, disaster, oppression, ser
yitude and suffering under the hands Q
the Turks that the old bitterness an
furious passions then generated handi
cap the progress of the nation to-day