Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-07-10

sadly crippled-and instituted a systematic plan
of military organization, on the model OF the
greater European nations.
The result was that Turkey feared to wiring
from Montenegro all the privileges the sultan
had really gained under the last treaty.
During the next fourteen years there were
many covert outbreaks along the frontier. In
fact such affairs have always been regular top
les of gossip in Montenegro up to the present
time.
It came in 1876 when Servia declared war all
by herself against Turkey, and Montenegro threw
in the whole force and weight of her 10000 in
habitants with Servia's 100000. There had
been some rumor of Russian declaration OF war
against the sultan. But Montenegro did not wait
for this. That not the Montenegrin way.
Flight for your brothers against any Odds that
is the Montenegrin creed and Prince Nicholas
acted upon it. The blood of Tchernagora ran as
holly as of old. But there was more than hot
blood and desperate courage to throw into the
balance for the principally this time There was
the result of all the scientific preparations Mich
olas had been making for fourteen years.
His increased standard Of efficiency told right
at the start, when he was able to rally 10000 men
to his standard-the largest army Montenegro
had ever put in the field. Instead Of waiting for
the Turks to attack, he pressed the war into the
enemy's country.
BY means of a series of combats that he after
ward loved to style "Homeric' in his moments Of
"reminiscences the prince compelled Niksic to capt.
ulate an achievement which, in his peoples opin-
ion overshadowed all the others of the war, for
Niksic had stood for centuries a threatening out
post of the Moslem power at their very gates.
Then, Unwearied by the months of steady fight
ing, the prince countermarched his army to the
south, pressed on to the sea coast and for the
first time in the centuries of Montenegro's ex-
istence, the Montenegro eagles bathed in the
brine of the Adriatic. Antivari and Dulcgno
both fell and Skutari-the bloody Skutari" of
MODtpOR0riD hall heSpoe6
news of peace came.
Well might Nicholas sit back content. In a
succession OF campaigns that had met with IN
broken victory, he had pushed forward his from
tiers in every direction. He had reduced every
Turkish fortress within striking distance Of his
frontiers save Skutari.
So passed more than thirty years-eventful
they would have been called in any other part OF
Europe but somewhat dreary for Montenegro.
So long ago as 1868, of his own free-win and
without any pressure-indeed, in the face of the
opposition of many of his advsers-he voluntar
lily granted the country constitution and abro-
gated his despotic powers in form at least-for as
a matter of fact long Nicholas lives the
government of Montenegro will be benevolent
despotism, by and with the glad consent of the
people.
Since then he has granted other reforms and
has done everything possible to promote the in
dividuaty and talent for seIf-government of his
subjects
1t is fierce, ruthlessy fanatcal crusaders
that like best to think of Nicholas and his peo-
pie; such crusaders as followed Richard the
Lion-Heart to within sight of the walls of Jeru-
salem; of the same caliber as the Franks of the
Fourth Crusade, who under Dandolo Count Bald
win and Montserrat stormed Constantinople and
set up the shores of the Bosphorus a Latin
empire thatsmight have checked the MosIem tidal
wave had Europe backed them up