The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-12-04
FIGHT OF
! KING FERDINAND
Bulgaria's Ruler Owes Much to
d the Cleverness Of His
d Bourbon Mother.

Bs London.-The present ruler OF ba-
Il 1aria Is one OF the many men who
owe almost everything to a clever mother,
Princess Clementine. of Bourbon, oaugh- ,
Ter of Louis Philippe. kin OF France, was
Zone Of the abiest diplomatists in Europe.
tand exceedingly wealthy.
#, She not only made her son prince OF
hut sustained him on the throne,
IS when without her help his fall was GER
Isl tain, and she saved him from excomnlu-
N nication by the pope when his heir was
h baptized into the Greek church. All The
i ability OF the Rourbons seemed TO center
{ in this remarkable woman.
4 King Ferdinand L., who, being a prince
\ of the house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,
IS u near kinsmau OF King Edward VII,
\ viii! lie As in February. In person lie is IL
4 handsome, soldierly man, bearded and al
\ ways we'll groomed.
He is not only an earnest student, With
a special leaning toward botany and orni>
Ithology. but also u man of highly cult
waited taste. He is credited with @ much
greater preference for the Identification
of rare plants than for the study of the
enemy's line of battle.
He has made a complete study of the
difficult language ana the history of his
people, and is a great stickler for the GER
yemonies of his little court. In fact. the
-ustentation of the Bulgarian court, where
more formalities exist than even in vi
Jenna OF st. Petersburg, caused much an
,noyance among all classes In the early
years of his reign, but 1t had In the end
the effect that was doubtless intended, for
1T impressed the Bulgarians with a sense
of their own national Importance. and did
much to strengthen the movement in ia
1. vor of Independence.
Ferdinand had Al pretty uphill fight as Il
ruler, for it was only in the tenth year of
his reign that he was formally recognized
by the powers as the legitimate prince of
Bulgaria. His frequent journeys to the,
capitals OF Europe involved such expense.
and kept hinn away from Sofia SO much,
that for a time his popularity among his
own people suffered.
1t was said openly that Prime Minister,
s~tambulofc was the ruler, and he a mere
\ f%gurehead, and that his absences from
' Bulgaria were due to a dread of assassi-
nation. Plots against him We're frequent,
but they were all unsuccessful. notably
the military conspiracy, of which Major
PanitZa WAS the moving spirit.
1t was sAot until he took the reins from
the hands of Stambuloff. who was des-'
tined TO become the victim of an assassin
4 little latter, that his strength of charac-
ter and his fearlessness were fully recog-
nized. KS lis quick at detecting any con-
spiracy sGainst himself.
On his marriage in 1893 with Princess
Marie Louise. OF Bourbon-Par1na Prince
Ferdinand, as he then was, gave an I'M
dertaking that political considerations
should ROT keep the children of the mar
riage from being brought up in the Ro-
man Catholic faith. But in Bulgaria., the
car is 8. nearer neighbor than the pope.
Orthodox Bulgaria chafed at the idea OF
= Roman Catholic dynasty, and the czar
let 1t be known that the conversion of
little Boris, t~Ferdinand's eldest son, was
desirable.
Therefore. Boris and his brother, Cyril
after h!Ml. were duly converted, to the
great syaef .of their mother, who. how
ever. had small influence in a family dom
mated 10y 'hes rnotherinlaw. the masterfu,
Princess Clementine.
Two lirt!e daughters. Princess Eudoxia
and Prtvscess Nadeshda, were born to
,Ferdinan,d later. The birth of the second
daughter in 1899 vas followed a day later
by the dsEth Of her mother. Only eight
months ego Ferdinand married a Protest
ant prirseRa. Lieonore, OF Reuss-koest-
ritz.
Thus tie household at Sofa is now made
up OF a Roman Catholic father, orthodox
children end a Protestant stepnothes.
Assurance has been formally given that
any issue OF this second marriage will be
brought wy il the fathers faith.