New-York tribune., 1906-11-11
6be House of Guelpb-d'ESfe.
ctinuins Struggle for Seven Hundred Years Between a
Roval Dynasty and the German Empire.


.-.v5cs is a tiny state. of some Low squaie
n,th a population of less than nam
hias al told-one OF those petty soNeieish'ie''
hi.D ,bat excited the sarcasm OF CailSie' 'ne
inoe'., :, Tv,aokeray. and which have furnished
Fiaio..s - an many comic operas. among them
ue . o~enbach's "Grand Duchess Yet II Is
pe'As Of -tbe-way and sleepy duchy, which
uI american tourists have ever taken the
-. % visit that IS just at the present mo-
.he scene OF a conflict which may De SAID
-. begun between seven and eight nun
-ssrs ago. the struggle to-day, as IN those
-. ,,r,es being between the illustrlous house
0.c-.,-b-s -s'Este and the German Empire. True.
LITER was personihed in those bygone CEN
- nv the Hohenstauffens. whose place has
- .otsn to-day by the Hohenzollerns. But
= I.,a,nhs are the same and now, as then, are
s,,,g for their throne and 10 prevent the
IT. from depriving them OF their oominions.
- house OF GuelDh-d'Este, which has in the
=. oocu,led the thrones Of Bavaria, Modena,
II,,s- Great Britain and Brunswick. is rep
-.ssnted to-day by three princes father and
tvo sons.
-.- Is known as the Duke Of Cumberland,
...,. which he Inherited from his grandfather,
=. ,orrth son Of George III Of England. and
IS. lawful heir 10 the ducal throne OF Bruins
- which became vacant by the death. in
'os1 n,S. ., his ISinsnan, Duke william. The Duke
!, cumberland, a sexagenarian and married 10
.,-,sosss TbT-ra Of Denmark, sister Of the Queen
:. england Of the kings OF Denmark and OF
80. y and OF the widowed Czsrins. has, as
-. -,sntIoned above two boys, the elder of
-, hes long been q confirmed invalid. while
a1afr
-. s,gr,eenth birthday and. in consequence
.s.-.os his majority. For sc!ons OF royalty are
..roses 70 attain the age OF discretion and TO
.-.rgs from their minority full three years
...vs- than youths Of an inferior order Of clay
rh.ss three princes are the last of the Guelph
,r,,.s and It viii therefore rest with young
p-,o, Ernest 10 perpetuate dynasty the name
,-t,cb WIS wont 10 constitute the battle cry
.,r1e Of the most ssnguinary and prolonged
.s NJ the medieval epoch. Should Prince
r-as- die without issue. the line would become
-r1not. which could not but prove subject
:. generalization at Berlin. For the Guelph
...v ever since the constitution Of the Teu-
-, Empire in its present form, has been one
.,,hs most powerful factors in German politics,
:, no,ent indeed, that Prince Bismarck. even
!, tbs davs of his greatest glory, was compelled
IN
..-pra the enactment Of government measures
Az ,he Reichstag a party which remains the
r..,cinal champion Of the particularism Of the
minor states against the policy of Capitalization
ga absorpt.on by the German Empire. It is not
,sst the Guelph party is lacking in Teuton
-.,-ot,snn or that It objects 10 the alliance Of
al the various sovereignties OF Germany into
,ss federation known as the German Empire;
e1,o in,
,r3spsnderoe without any interference by Prus-
sa or by the latteTs ruler. who. as President
d, the Confederation. bears the title of German
Emperor.
Now. the chief Of the Guelphs-that is 20
say the Duke Of Cumberland-to whom most OF
the members OF the Guelph party accord their
sleesnoe and from whom they derive political
.nsprshon. has always declined TO recognize
Prussas annexation Of his fathers kingdom OF
Hanover at the close Of the war OF 1865, IT is
SAID mat he IS bound by deathbed promise 10
the old ex-hng never 70 abandon his claims TO
the crown Of Hanover and that were he inclined
70 forget the pledge he would be reminded OF It's
rro7isions by his aged mother who makes her
home with him in Austria Be this true or not,
& ks fact that there are large number Of
people in the former kingdom of Hanover be-
longing 10 the sristocracy. the bourgeoisie and
even the pessantry who still look 10 him as
'hsir lawful sovereign. They represent families
whose members fought gallantly for Germany
against France in the war Of 1870. but who re-
sent Prussiau domination, who send messages Of
hyal affection and Of answering allegiance to
The duke on the anniversary OF his birth and OF
his wedding day. and who receive in return ex-
Iressons of his appreciation Of their fidelity 70
his house on The OcCasiOD OF their family Testf-
'sls The Guephs, therefore, while they 90 not
constitute any danger TO the German Empire.
cannot he regarded with anything but dis
clietude by Prussia
il is on this account that when. IN 1884. the
mrone Of Brunswick became vacant through the
oesth Of old Duke William. leaving the Duke OF
cumberland next in line Of succession. Prussia
opposed his being allowed TO take possession