Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-05-22
lspeclal corresp,.ondence.l

Especial Correspondence
- ERLTSSELS, May 11,---LuxembourS
is a tiny state with less than
1000 square miles of territory,
and no more than 256,0o0 inhabi-
tants. Negligible on schoolboys' maps,
no statesman in Europe dare ignore It,
or its people It is a cradle Of great
races, II home OF high romance. Its
chiefs have conquered kingdoms and
worn imperial crowns. Godfrey OF
Bouillon came from Luxembourg to
lead the ders and found the king
dom OF Jerusale,n From thence came
John CT Bohemia, the Blind king, WHO
forced death to meet him on the battle
lteld Of Crecy. Maria Theresa ruled over
Luxembourg once; she whom the III utl-
Garians called their king. Its king to-
morrow will be another princess. Mario
Adelaide Of Nassau, heir to the last
prince OF the race which gave its great
Stakeholder to Holland, and its great
Protestant deliverer to England.
Luxembourg is an independent state.
It exercised its sovereign power in fix
Ing the succession to its grand ducal
throne on the princess. Doing so it
nverrode the family pact of Nassau,
and braved the anger OF the mighty
Empire which towers overit. Tho state
Z did not select its present rulers of itself,
but it accepted them. and Is determined
to uphold them. For centuries Luxem-
hourg was one OF the Belgian states
The Interference Of the great powers
severed it from Belgium. Fate, juggling
with the family pact of the house Of
Nassau, gave 1t for it's own u royal
family burdened with no greater
crown. To preserve that family its
pact must go.
SOME HISTORY,
The family pact of Nassau was made
In 1888 to undo the Injustice done SIS
years before by Henry the Rich Of Mas
sau when, dying, he divided his terri
tories between histwo sous. The princes
descended from these sons, the heredi-
tary Stakeholder of the Netherlands
and the Duke of Nassau, thought little
of equitable divisiont$in ,+-17S3 They
thought much about the glory Of theil.
name. To sustain it they disinhelited
their daughters and vested all that
male of their race.
Twelve years after the pact was
made it became imperative, for the
great heritage was done, the triumph
Of the French revolution was COM
menced, the Stakeholder was a refugee
In England. In 1875 the chief of the
house of Orange-Nassau returned to
Holland. The congress of Vienna plac-
Ell min on the throne of the new-maGe
Kingdom OF the Netherlands formed by
me union of Holland and the Belgian
NoYinces. These provinces cut them
selves free from Holland in 1885, and
Belgium was erected into a kingdom.
Inc 7Belgians We're determined to be
tfee. twas impossible to place them
under yoke, but the powers inter-
Vened. and moulded Belgium into the
shape which they thought most use
tol for their ends. After nine years
pa ssed in negotiations they insisted on
Luxembourg being separated from Bel
gum, and on its great fortress being
ess'i'isintled They declared it a neu-
tial country, and placed it under the
rue OF the king of the Netherlands
uot as Dutch province, but as a sep
nrate state governed by the king rs /,
grand duke. The houses of Nassau
hao again territories to dispose of. At
once :. the family pact was dragged into
the light.
n- Inc Netherlands disregarded the pact. |
n mnen wilhelm III. last prince of
S oianse,Nassau, died, his daughter,
9ueen Wilhelmina, succeeded to his
}dnrohe. In Luxembourg. when wilhelm
alea, The existence of the pact gave
sats Tor rejoicing, for its observance
sa,. q, severance from the Dutch ru-
i na The new sovereign of Luxem-
, spurg was Adolf. Duke Of Nassau Had
Is sthe ;,. pact worked as those who framed
in'ended. Duke Adolf would have