New-York tribune., 1907-07-28
ADVOCATING THRONES.
Methods, Causes and Notable IN
stances an Modern Times.

Abdication is always momeutous act In
volving 1t does not merely n change OF ruler.
but likewise reversal of policy. Moreover, 1t
is comparatively rare Until last week there has
been none since King Milan was obliged 10
render the crown Of serva 70 his son. the III
fated Alexander. In 1883 Consequently. the
abandonment OF his throne by tho Emperor Of
Corea few days ago after a stormy and
eventfu reign over the oddly misnamed Land
Of the Midnight Calm" deserves more than
passing attention This Oriental monarch's abdi-
cation was not OF the voluntary character I'm
piled by the use Of the word. 1t was only with
the utmost reluctance that he surrendered the
insignia Of the sovereignty to his feeble minded
eldest son. the Crown Prince. after all his Cabl-
net ministers and the so-called Elder Statesmen
had impressed on him very humby. hut Vet
firmly. that by his misgovernmcnt. by his alter
nate weak submission to the Japanese and his
childish inrrigues against them he had brought
about such a crisis 10 endanger the existence
OF the empire, even vassnl state and as n
distinct nationality His foolish dispatch OF
secret enlssaries to the Hague conference to
appeal 70 its members against tho application 70
ms country OF much tho same treatment 10
which Egypt IS being subjected by England
WIN such beneficial results proved the last
stray" and the japanese dd what the British
Wou!u nave done In an analogous case with
hhediYe Abbas, that IS 10 say. they insisted on
''S N@'e'Lg MS throne, but We're clever enough
10 accomplish their purpose through his ,,.1
MINISTER'S ana through the most eminent and
respected OF his Countrymou
Ie" aDdlcauons can be described as Ia...,..
oe'" eAtlEeIy voluntary IN spite OF tn, f.r nm,
't4o ""Iu Is set down IN the standard 5I.tf,--
arcs as meaning the voluntary reuiIurletf, q,
sovereign power" Usually "a monarch af.ft...t..
III ofler to avoid the ludgul,y Of being d.fos.l
possibly killed. and in the hopo OF r,r-s.r,.i, :,
lHe crown 10 his son. % his family and q, hi.
dynasty. Sometimes, too the 'anoiut,I ar ,l,.
LORD abandon their thrones becatls, tf,.,, d, i
liIe HdI'oA committed 10 policy of which fn. o.
Dih1ppIoFe, and with which they do not wish
|" pv identified IN those pages of L.stor. tl...
!ast Tor all tiIne. An abdicatiou of this char
ac'eT was that Of old Emperor FerIfnauJ ~
Austria, Ia lSIS. Forced by the sunl,,Il1al,- IN
suTrection OF that year 10 grant a national con-
sttution that aunuIled many OF the tI,u.ff. a.
prerogatVes, and absoIutist rights which he. had
inherited from a long line OF ancestors. unw.I-
ing to continue the Jloodshed Of his peopI. f.,
tho defence OF these powers he chose, 10 rc-.,.,,
the crown rather than to Ice uutru, 10 what he.
regarded as the trust of his DYNASTY And ON
similar grounds his younger brother Ar,hdul.
Charles. waived his rights OF succession ig
favor Of his eldest son. Francis joseph IN.
present Emperor Of Austro- Hungary Roth
kalsef Ferdinand and Ar,hdukc Charles sfir-
NVed for more than quarter Of a century the
rebellion of lS4s, and l remember occasionally,
seeing them IN the early 7Os nt Prague ana
at Vienna. both treated with the utmost dar-
eIencc ana affection by Francis joseph ANA win,
veneratlun by the people.