The Elbert County tribune., 1913-07-11
III AAI0C M00a2NBY SNzS MSWzza

" iel wei enough alone ana steer the
middle path of caution.
He happened to be born with royal blood in his
VEINS out That is OF small account Every inch of
territory every subject he owns he has fought for
and II is to his credit that the domains handed to
him by his predecessor. fifty-two years ago. have
been rather more than doubled in extent and popu.
iation through the might of his the agility
OF his brain
Nicholas Petrovich Niegoch czar CT Montenegro
prince Of the Zeta, voivode Of Brda and gospodar
OF Ichernagora Europes last feudal ruler, born
at Niegoch. the ancestral home of his house on
september 20, 1S41. He of the wonderful
line which has given rulers to Montenegro for more
than two hundred years and which was one of the
foremost families of the ancient principality for
centuries before that. The Petrovch dynasty has
reigned In Montenegro since 1896, when the rule of
the hereditary vladikas, prince-Sishops was In
augurated. But for hundreds of years before that
date. even before the time the first Black Prince
stephen Chrnoevich, the Petrovich we're an hon
ored family. who boasted the rank of voivode or
lord.
All of the men of this line have been men of great
personal provess, exceptional military ability
craftsmanship and political cunning and possessed
of marked personal magnetism. Living for the
most part lives of strictest celibacy quaint mix
lures OF the warrior and the monk they presided
over the destines of their tiny nation with sense
OF responsibility that you will not find equaed by
the standard of any ruling dynasty in Europe
At the beginning of its existence Montenegro was
ruled by successive dynasties of princes of which
u last was the Chrnoevich. In 1916 however
the system of government was changed and what
were known as elective vladikas installed
One ruler of the Petrovich succeeded by his
brothers Strangely enough there was
never any jealousy among the nephews who were
passed over.
For instance. the father of Car Nicholas
Mirko, known the Sword of Montenegro
the most famous warrior the little land can boast
and stawart bulwark against the invasions OF
the Turks which threatened Montenegro until
1878, whea Russia put stop and for all to
Moslem aggression in Europeans twice passed
over for the throne. the second time in favor OF
his own son. Yet he fought cherefuy both for
his brother and his son and never showed trace
of illfeeling although. has been said, he has
always been regarded the best leader the
Black Mountain men ever had.
To tell the story of CZar Nicholas, the first of
the Montenegrin rulers to a kngly crown.
means the telling of the story OF his country
throughout his reign.
it is not story which can be lightly told
either, for it involves description of several of
the most stirring combats which have taken place
since the days of the Crusades.
In the first place. it is necessary to give a
brief sketch of the land of Montenegro, Tcher
nngora-"the Black Mountain" to call it by the
name its inhabitants love best. Montenegro was
coionized In the last decade of the fourteenth
tury by noble families from Macedonia Seryia
and Bulgaria, the pick of the old sav aristocracy
who fed from their upland castles In the Rho
dope hills after the battle of Kossovo In 1889,
when the Turks completely crushed the Christian
cover in the Balkan peninsula. and the great
BugarSerb empire, which had been numbered
among the mightiest in Europe went down to
everlasting defeat
From that time on the story of Montenegro is
the story of endless battles. wars. sieges. raids
iorays and encounters with the Turks varied
occasionally by combats with the Venetans, who
made several abortive attempts to scale the i'm
pregnable road known as the 'Montenegrin Lad
der which from the Bocca d Cattora up
to Cettinje and, later, combats with the French
and Austrians.
Time and again the Turkish Sutans and their
viceroys, the Pashas OF Albania, Bosnia and the
Herzegovina endeavored to conquer the tiny
land. For four hundred and fifty years, army
after army led by the Janissaries and best gen
erals Turkey could produce attempted to conquer
Montenegro and failed. During the first half of
the last century the warfare between the little
principality and its great enemy was almost
ceasng. In the reign of Danilo H., uncle of
Nicholas. number of tremendous battles
fought
Five years before the time came for Nicholas
to ascend the throne. his destiny had been de
termined upon and his uncle of
considerable foresight and small intellectual
attainments It determined that the heir
apparent should be given a frst-class western
education in preparation for his assuming the
responsibilities of leader of his people.
Accordingly. after preparatory course in the
home of his aunt in Trieste-where he imbihed
principally hatred of the Austrians who were
becoming almost dangerous enemies of Monte
negro the Turks-he shipped of to Paris,
where he studied at the Academy of Louis-le-
Grand. and obtained proficiency in French,
italian and German. besides Serb history and
other usual branches of knowledge.
Even II Nicholas had not been a king he would
have deserved commendation and distinctive
place in the history of his country through his
literary endeayors Resides volume of poetry