The Detroit times., 1916-11-23
Francis Joseph, Best Of
His Dynasty, At Rest
After 68 Years Of Sorrow

Francis Joseph. the best Of the Haps-
burgs, has gone to his rest after 68 years
of stormy reign in which the destinies Of
ten or more races of peoples were inti-
mately intertwined.
Emperor of Austria and king Of nine
Kingdoms, he strove with a kindly but
despotic power 10 create an equilibrium
among his different subjects.
Austria. formerly a Teutonic arch
duchg, is now an empire half Teutonic,
half Magyar, with direct leaning to-
ward Asiatic ideals in custom and gov
eminent. It is the most loosely-knit en-
pire in the world. for it seeks TO amalga-
mate into a whole the totally opposed
conceptions held by Austrian, Czech.
Magyar, Croat, Pole, Swabian, Jew and
Gypsy.
That this has not been entirely accom-
plished, we all know. That it has been
accomplished at all, is due to the person
atty Of the ruler who has now been re-
ieved of his great task and lies at rest.
Descended thru long line of Haps-
burgs from the first arch-duke of Aus
tria who ruled in 1882, Francis Joseph
came to the throne in 1S4S when a boy
of l8 years Of age and was Immediately
confronted by anarchy and war within
his own domain.
For some years all Of his time was
spent in holding together the loose ends
of his empire and restoring order, neces-
sary for any sort of rule
Altho considered constitutional mon
archy, Austria was then and is now, to
an intents and purposes, an absolute
monarchy and it was due to the fact that
the different parts of the empire soon
grew TO love and trust Francis Joseph
that this mosaic of people" did not break
completely asunder and its component
parts set UP their own governments, for
their greater freedom or destruction as
might have been the result.
While remarkably simple, kindly. saw
ing and deeply religious, the young en-
peror was still a representative Of his
dynasty, that of the Hapsburgs, proudest
and perhaps least worthy Of pride Of any
ruling house of Europe.
He believed that any race was better
under Austrian rule and was deeply
grieved, later in his reign, when northern
Italy threw off the Austrian yoke and set
up a government for itself
He was willing to give all his heart,
strength and life TO his people but had
no conception Of democracy and could not
understand why any one should chafe
under monarchical rule. His mind was
essentially autocratic, and would have
plunged his country into misery, had il
not, in turn, been ruled by heart full of
tenderest affection.
He was a powerful, loving father,
whose children must obey but whose
mandates he believes to De only for their
good.
Living in Vienna. the most frivolous
and luxury loving city in the world, he
was most frugal in his simple tastes anc
shared few Of its festivities.
The sorrows of his private life are vel
known TO every one. The sudden death
from suicide or assassination of his only
son; the assassination of his wife; tn,
execution Of his brother, Macmillan, EN-
peror Of Mexico. and finally the assassi
nation Of the Archduke Ferdinand an,
his wife in 1914, were tragedies which
might easily have unhinged the mind o
a man in whose blood the taint of mad
ness had long been present.
In spite of all this he was able to Civ
himself, as he was, to his subjects Will