THE NEW EMPEROR OF GERMING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1795, 21 March 1888, Page 3

THE NEW EMPEROR OF GERMING

The following BUminary of the principal eventß la the history of the now Emperor of Germany, Frederick 111. , supplied by the " New Zealand Herald," will doubtleaa be read whh interest : — The present Emoeror, Frederick 111, wae born on the 18th October, 183 L. He entered the Prussian army when a mere lad, and rose through the various grades to the rank of General, which he held when war broke out between Prussia and Austria, m 1866 At this time he had been married for eight years, having been, united at S\. George's Ohapel, Windsor, In 1858, to the Prlnoess Royal of Great Britaiu, who brought him a handsome dowry. The short and decisive struggle with Austria developed the Crown Prince's capacity &s a general. He had under hla oommand four army corps, 125,000 men m all He led these through mountain passes with considerable diffioulty and danger, fightIng a Beries of brilliant actions, until he effected a junction with the troopa of Prince Frederick Oharies on the field of Sadowa, the result of which lowered the supremacy of Austria In Germany. The Grown Prince appeared on the field m the midet of the battle and turned the fortunes of the day. Four years later m the war between the combined forces of Germany and France, the Crown Prince held a most Important command, and added to his reputation aa o, brilliant soldier and energetic general. He had command of the third German Army, comprising three Prussian corps, two Bavarian corps, and divisions from Baden Wuitemburg, and. Hesse On the 4ih of August he won the battle of Weisaenberg. Oa the 6 h he defeated the united forces of the veteran generala of the Crimea and Italy, MacMahon, Fallly, and Carobert. At the Sedan, on the Ist of Ssptember, the Crown Prince crossed the river Meuse with his Prussian and South German troops, the Bavarians being commanded by Generel von der Tann. He endeared hlmßelf for ever to tho whole German army, and especially to the Boldlers of South Gormany, by hla energy and ability m following up MacMahon from the time he carried the strong positions hold by the French on the wooded slopes of the Vo3ges, until the French Marshal and the Emperor were caoght In the trap at the town In the French Ardennes. " Unser Friiu " (Our Fritz), as tho Crown Prince now became known amongst hla soldiers, did his fait Bhare of the fi»htlng, If Von Moltkle was the brain controlling the operations ? yet It is eaid that the. Crown Prince did not love war. As a general, In the rapidity and enorgy of his movements, he closely resembled the p,reat Southerner " Stonewall " Juckßon, and as a man the Crown Prlrjco had some of tho traita cf the Bimple Virginian gentleman. Bjth hated bloodshed, they were both mon of kindly Christian dieposltions. In Oasaeli'a Hißiory of the Franco-Gorman War, It ia narrated how the Crown Prince, on prcceodlng to his lodgings for the night after the surrender at Sedan, waa received with the most joyful manifestations, The street m which the Prince lodged was lined with Boldlera holding lighted oandleo, burnlug brightly m the BtiU autumn air. At supper the Crown Prince sat down with his officers, and gave one toast, "To the King and the Army " This waa drunk m ohampagne Intended for the Emperor ftapoleon, but which had been oaptured by a Prussian dragoon regiment, and presented by the troopers to theis general. Bat even after the wonderful Buccess of the day the Crown Prince was not joyous, the ovations of hla | soldiers did not qualify the losa of life and the prospect of Btlll further bloodshed. So again when, on the 20th September, the Ocowa Prlnae Bet up hia headquarters at Veraalllee, aa he rode into the Ferfecture "colors" were presented and the royal standard hoisted, and drums and trumpets beat and olunged out martial strains, and soldlerß ran to cheer "Oar Frllz," he himself waa the saddest man thero, Dr Russell, of the "Times" describes a visit which the Prince next day paid to the Chateau of Versailles, where Louis XIV and Lonls XV held their courts and Intrigues, where Louis de la Valliere and Madame de Maintenon ruled the monarohs of France, where Marie Antoinette clanced/j on the brink of the Volcano of the Revolution, where Napoleon the Flrat Bought retirement, and where the Third Emperor m 1885 gave a set lea of magnificent fetes to Quean Victoria, now on this September day In 1870 a hospital for the German wounded Dr Russell wrllei : " Presently three officer* m Prussian uniform camo out across the oourfc by tho jetleas aud spraylesa fountain, and walked at the top of the atepa which lead from the terrace, where they utood looking out over the canal and the tcane whioh is loat m the far distance? on the plain beyond the St Cyr Road. It was the Crown Prince, attended by Coutit Euler.berg and Major M ackow. The Prince remaiued for aome time with folded arms, aB if m meditation, and then turned and walkod to the chateau, and thence proceeded through the gallerlea and wards, visiting the wounded and making inquiries of the moa." A tender love and regard for his soldiers was the chief phase of the character of " Our Fritz." Ho visited the wounded, ho cheered the cripples, the common soldier he called lt my son," he distributed decorations, he shook hands with the private who had dona some special deed, ho was ever anxious to alleviate suffering. No wonder he waa beloved by tho Gurmau army. Personally, the Crown Prlnco was a king amongst man. Standing over 6 feoh 3 Inches, atalwart and well-proportioned, with wavy brown hair and curling beard, m his white cuirassier uniform, hia breast covered with the medals and orders he had so well earned, he looked every inoh I a wairior. (To be continued )