Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-05-07
aalisesllaasuus Rsaaing.
THE DUTCH QUEEN.
Why HolIanders Are Glad to Sc the Or
anue Line Continued. .

lustrious William the Silent, the Faith
er of the Country" 1t is therefore with
heartfelt joy that the queens subject
are thankful that the line Of Orange
will continue else the Dutch would see
the German spectre looming up more
and more distinctly in their history.
There is Of course a court at The
Hague, but its influence Is not felt IN
the provinces Of the "Lowlands" which,
although ever ready to demonstrate
their affection for the lady who was
once known to them as the Konigin-
netje, or Little Queen" are at heart
democratic. Once year, in April (this
year will naturally be an exception),
the queen visits for a period Of ten
days the old Stadhuis on the Dam, at
Amsterdam, which was converted into
royal palace in 1908, when Napoleon
imposed his brother Louis as sovereign
over the Dutch nation. For all that ne
had been forced on Holland, King Louis
and his followers made themselves
liked, and to the present day Is his
memory cherished while Of all the for
eign languages French is the most
popular one in the country; 1t is fluent
ly spoken in many places by the peas
antry and the fisherfolk. Utrecht, Ley
den, Haarlem and The Hague are not
alone in their knowledge Of the French
language. When the queen arrives In
Amsterdam the event is celebrated
with great rejoicings and the cheers
Of her subjects proceed Enthusiastically
from their hearts as well as from their
lips. There is something touching In
this enthusiastic love Of the Hollanders
for the house Of Orange, but 1t may be
pointed out by way of explanation that
there are in Europe few dynasties
whose history is so closely bound up
with that Of nation from the day in
which the latter achieved it's independ-
ence to the present time.
How came it about that William was
styled "the Silent?" The appellation
would seem a more appropriate one in
the case of Philip II. of Spain, who sell
dom spoke and whose stern lineaments
never revealed that which was in his
thoughts. William could indeed speak,
and eloquently when circumstances de-
manded, but he was great statesman
who knew when to keep his own coun-
sci and who knew the Dutch, people
who required Of him deeds and not
mere words. Hence perhaps his sur
name. 1t Is perhaps difficult to say
why In the first instance the Dutch so
concentrated their trust in William Of
Orange rather than in any other man
at the time they were striving to over
throw the cruel Spaniard's yoke. In
6eed 1t was not he who was the insti-
gator Of the fight against the oppressor
of the country, nor was he, at least In
the beginning, the incarnation Of CAL
vinism, which was the soul and the
strength of the revolt against Spain.
1t was an apparently fortuitous cir
cumstance which connected William of
Nassau with Holland-viz., the fact OF
his coming into the title Of Prince OF
Orange. The principality of that name
was situated in the south Of France, in
what is now the department Of Vau-
cluse, a department formed Of a part OF
Comtat- and Of the princi-
pality Of Orange. The little town OF
Orange, with it's Roman amphitheatre
in which the actors Of the Coincide
Franchise have in recent years given
performances, recalls the name.
The sovereignty Of this principality
passed to the family Of Nassau after
the death Of Philibert de Chalon, Prince
Of Orange, who died in 1880, while in
the service of Pope Clement VII, he
who refused to divorce Katherine OF
Aragon and denounced the marriage OF
Henry VIII. with Anne Boleyn. Phil
ibert had designated as his successor
the only son of his sister Claude, the
wife of Count Henry Of Nassau. Young
Rene Of Nassau adopted his uncle's
motto, "Je Maintiendrai," which is seen
today on the royal arms. At his death
which occurred at the siege of Saint
Dizier, his possessions passed to his
cousin, William of Nassau. Had Rene
de Chalon not died without leaving any
heirs it Is more than probable that Will
liam of Nassau would have remained
on his German estates, but owing to
his acquisition Of the lands Of the Cha
lon family in Burgundy, in Franche-
Comte, and in Luxembourg, and Of those
which belonged to the Netherlands
branch Of the Nassau family, the
young Prince of Orange was, even at
the early age of IL years, an influential
parsonage whose good will 1t was i'm
portant that the emperor and the
church should secure. And so 1t came
about that Charles Quint authorized
his acceptance of the inheritance, "n
condition only that the prince should
be brought up in the Roman Catholic
faith, at Brussels, and so Prince Will
liam took up his abode in the Neither
lands. After various turns Of fortune
the principality of Orange reverted to
France at the Qeatn Oh WHlldlll ILL.,,
but the Dutch princes continued to bear
the escutcheon with its proud device.
Charles Quint conferred on the young
prince many high honors, among which
that of Stakeholder Q4ieutenant of the
Sovereign of the Provinces Of Holland,
iceland and Utrecht, the holding of
which post was later on confirmed by
Philip II. This would amply suffice to
explain the princes primary reluctance
to identify himself with the revolt OF
the Dutch Netherlands. 1t was not un-
| til he had pleaded in vain with Philip
II. and until he had witnessed the ex-
asperation of his people over the afro
cities perpetrated by that fiend the
Duke Of Alva that he came to the con-
clusion that he was not forfeiting his
honor in resisting the Spanish tyranny
The States General offered him the
leadership and ne accepted it, when his
personal prestige quickly made itself
felt. AS a general, however, he was
singuls:rly unsuccessful; twice did the
SpaniardS drive him back. The most