The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-09-08

1t is doubtful If in all history there
has been an active, authenticated reign
longer than that closed by the death
of Francis Joseph.
At 10 years of age he ascended the
throne of Austria, upon abdication of
his uncle, Ferdinand l, Dec. 2, 1848,
his death today ending an active reign
of 66 years, all but the first twenty
which he was also apostolic king of
Hungary.
Tradition says that Pharoah ruled
for 80 years and there is the more
credible instance of Rameses II, SEQ
stris of the Greeks, whose reign is
reputed to have covered sE1-ty -seven
years.
But in recorded history there GER
tainly has been no reign equal in peri
cd OF time of that of the Hapsburg,
which closed today. Louis XIV of
France was nominally king for seven
ty-two years. He actually occupied the
throne for little more than half a GEN.
tury. "A closer rival, and the only one
Of modern times, was Queen Victoria,
who reigned for sixty-four years.
Francis Joseph's reign was as event.
full as it was long. From his emperial
vantage point he saw the French mon
archy go down, the second empire rise
and crumble, the commune flare brief
ly, and the republic of today rise on
its ashes; he saw the black pinions
of the Prussian eagle stamped on the
flag OF the new German empire-lat-
er to tower threateningly over Austria
itself; he saw the papacy shorn of its
territorial demesne, while about a
pickering family of petty principals
ties was welded into united Italy; he
saw Spain, once the greatest of colon
ial powers. lose the last of her de-
x,so ha VIZ Ian
an opened to western civilization, and
4 later defeat the sprawling Colossus OF
two continents; he saw the most abso-
lutte despotisms-Russi Turkey and
Persia concede representation to the
people; he saw at distance the Unit
ed States cement its federation with
the blood of a great internecine war
and he saw his own brother prove that
monarchy could not take new root on
American soil.
In his own country he faced inter-
nal dissensions and external aggres-
sions from the moment he came to the
throne. BY the war Of 1859 with
France and Sardinia he was rorced tc
cede Lombardy TO Italy; by force OF
arms and treaty he lost the duchy OF
Holstein to Prussia and Venice to
Italy; and by the revolt of Kossuth
the Hungarian patriot, he barely es-
CdDSa IldNAA6 L10 A0eNA NAhFAA " C0S IL
two.
But in human interest his personal
sorrows overshadowed all. One after
another they came upon him. In 1858
the list of tragic incidents began with
an attempt upon his own life. In 1867
his brother, the Archduke Macmillan
after three years experiment as en-
peror of Mexico was captured by the
army of the patriots and condemned
to death by a courtmartial whose
sentence was executed notwithstand-
ing intercession in his behalf by the
governments of the United States
England and Prussia.
There followed the burning 70 Geath
OF a niece in Vienna; sister mes
similar fate in Paris; and cousin
drowned himself in Stahrenberg lake
yet these were but minor tragedies in
comparison with that which befeI the
ancient house OF the Hapsburgs in 1898
when Rudolf, the imperial prince upon
whom the Austrians pinned their hopes
met death in a mystery which TO thls
day is not cleared.
Graves hold the secret of that fate