The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-31
his hands from the cespotism and ra-
pacity of his brother.

- PruSEia--deStined In little over
three score years to avenge terribly the
many injuries received from the hands
OF France since the reign of Freder-
lex the Great, by defeat and overthrow
OF Napoleon III at Sedan--was supine.
alternately the tool and victim of the
! French cabinet, its ruler Frederick
| William puppet Ia the hands Of the
mighty, warrior, whose power he dread
ed, and whose transcendent genius he
was unable TO comprehend.
Napoleon had already resolved on
divorce from the Empress Josephine,
| and was casting about for an august
! alliance which would still further ce-
| ment his power AMI crafty his tow
! erfng ambition. Austria's house of
iHapsburg, the proudest of all the roy
al families OF Europe which had twice
seen the ''upstart OF Corsica" seated
as victor in its imperial palace in
its beautiful capital Vienna was
to bestow a crown princess. Marie
Louise, in marriage on this ''parvenu,"
this "fote sam" Of a bloody revolu-
tion-unmindful of the guillotine and
the tragic fate of Marie Antoinnette,
daughter of Maria Theresa, and consort
of Louis XVI of France,
Russia was looming up out Of the
frozen north, formidable and powerful
the land of mystery of illimitable
distances, Of strange, savage people,
but burning with national feeling The
car, Alexander, sou of assassinated
Paul was young, enthusiastic, ambi-
tious, full Of generous impulses, and
tinged with The mysticism of the Slav
The admiration which he had conceiv-
ed for BOnaparte, at the memorable
conference on the barge in mid-stream
at Tilsit. had given away to deep dis
trust of the ruthless soldier and i'm
placable conqueror. Alexander was
not ready for war, and he had dreaded
it; but, after making treaty Of peace
with Mamond, Sultan of Turkey, he
prepared for the conflict which he fore
saw. 'It is not / who shall disturb
the peace Of Europe, or attack any
one" he said to Cau1aincourt, the
French minister at st. Petersburg,
but if they come to attack me- they
will find me-"
Knesebek, the Prussian envoy. said
to the czar: Don't como into collision
with the Emperor Napoleon; draw the
French army into the hea rt Of Rus sia.
Sh1- Lot i %l,o
rest" And this fearful Fabian war
policy was carried out to the bitter end
Alexander left 10000 dead and wound
ed soldiers on the awful battlefield of
BOrOdino; he lost the ancient capitaI
Of Moscow, countless treasures buried
in its ashes and ruins. 6ut Napoleon
left 100000 martyred soldiers on the
soil of Russia-and then fled, selfish
~ fled"
England had never bent the knee to
the arrogant power of France, neither
during the convention, the directory
of consulate, nor the empire, since the
Gay when the head of Louis XVI fell
under the axe Of the guIllotine. Her
u
supported by parliament; now execrat-
cd, now hailed by glad acclaim by the
people-had been from first to last
the uncompromising, irreconcible foe
OF Bonaparte. England had wrecked
his navies and DESTROYED his shipping;
had wrested from him bis colonial pos.
sessions; had overwhelmed with fail
ure his dreams of conquest iI the east;
had defeated his designs on Spain and
Portugal, finally England was to break
rope on the field Of Waterloo, and
chain this terrible man of battles
TO a rock of exile in the sea.
The year 1908, and what The Ameri-
can republic, one of the youngest gov
ernments on the globe, has a popula-
ton of S5,000,0 900; It's commercial me-
trOpolis is the second largest city on
earth, and its capital is one Of the
most magnificent in extent, architec-
ture and embellishments; it is in the
van with other nations In commerce,
mining and manufactures; it leads
them all in mileage, construction and
development of railways, and in the
circulation of newspapers and current
literature. The collective and indivd-
ual wealth of the United States is
enormous, aud the fortunes of many of
its captains of industry" exceed any
thing that the world has ever before
known. Ten years ago it freed the
beautiful island of Cuba the Queen of
the Antilles and conquered the Phil
ippines from Spain, which discovered
this fair heritage for us, and once
owned pretty much all of it.
Italy is again unified Italy poor but
sunny, smiling and happy, with fair
ly g0od government and a bright fu-
ture before 1T.
Spain is under the rule of a boy king