The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2445, 13 March 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 1888.

Kqual antl exact {usticc to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

3'l' :i])thai tlio death of I lie aged Emperor of Germany was prematurely announced as having taken place ai midnight of Thursday last, at which liour, as the telegraph informed us, he fell into a death-like swoon, which was mistaken for the final dissolution, which, however, did not actually occur till about eight hours later, 011 Friday tnorninc. The sad event, which, notwithstanding the advanced age and (Increasing strength of the venerable monarch, came with the suddenness of a surprise, has created a profound sensation in the civilised world, and has hushed for a time the din of approaching war so long kept oil' by his determined leaning towards peace whilst he lived. The preparations made in Great Britain for celebrating with fitting rejoicings the silver wedding of the heir to the British throne have been set aside for a period of mourning for the departed Kaiser. The late Emperor is succeeded by his eldest son, the Imperial Grown Prince who has already been announced by Prince Bismarck as Frederick ILI, who, however, in consequence of the seiious illness with which he has been stricken almost to death's door, is at present unable to take an active part in the affairs of State, and whose eldest son, Prince William, as lie is generally called, has been selected to act as Regent during his father's disability from ill-health. The present Emperor, and late Grown Prince, has been a distinguished figure on the stage of European politics and courts, and of late lias been the object of anxious and sympathetic feelings in most parts of the world. It will, therefore, be a fitting theme to give a brief biographical sketch of his career, on the eve of his neeession to (he exalted throne won by his illustrious father, and which it was thought up to a few days ago he was doomed never to fill. Frederick William Nicholas Charles, Imperial Prinen

of Germany iincl Crown Prince of Prussia, is the eldest won of William, tho deceased King and liuiporor of (.{criiiiuiy, of the dynasty ot tho ITohen/.ollems. He was horn on the ISUi of October 1831, and is, therefore, nearly fifty-seven years of. age Coining of a r;u;o of warrio.is, ho was naturally placed to military service at an early ago, and rose rapidly to important commands. He tirsfc saw active service, in the PrussoAiistrian w-ir of ISIHi, when he displayed generalship of of a high order, leading his forces, consisting of three army corps of 125,000 men, from Silesia, through the passes of the Sudeiic Hills, and after a series of brilliant operations and several severe actions, forming a junction with Prince Frederick Charles at Sadowa, where was :ou"ht the decisive battle that made Prussia the head of the German nation. His march and succession of hard-won victories established his reputation as a commander and strategist. At the outbreak of the War with France, in 1870 he took a conspicious part in the subsequent operations with the third German Army, -which consisted of the otli, Gth, and 1 lth North Herman corps, aud the Ist and I'nd Bavarian corps, with the Baden, Wurtemburg ■and Hesse divisions, iu all about 300,000 men with 500 guns. On tho 4th August he attacked a division of MacMahon's army at Wissenburg, under General Douay, whom "he, defeated after a hard fi<'ht. He next attacked the united corps of Mac.Mahon, Failly, and Oanrobert, at Woertli. The Froneh, 50,000 in number, occupied a strong entrenched, position ou the slopes of tho Vosgos. The Crown Prince, with 130,000 mon, turned tho enemy's lines, aud broke their left and right centres, notwithstanding the desperate stand made by MacMiihon. After this ho was with his victorious ti-oops at tho memorable seige of Sedan, where, together with the army of Prince Frederick Charles, he was engaged against the greater portions of MacMahon's forces. Tho Germans successfully performed the difficult movement of crossing the Meuse, aud made their way towards Paris. He entered Versailles on September 20th, threw his troops around the ill-fated capital, and remained in the field until the city capitulated and peace was concluded. His father was here proclaimed Kaiser of United Germany, and he then became known as the Imperial Crown Prince. He visited England to be present at the Jubilee festivities in June last year, and some time subsequent tc that an all'ection of the throat assumed a malignant character, whicli baffled the skill of the most eminent practitioners and so endangered hit life that at one time his case was considered hopeless, despite tin extreme operation of tracheotomy it had been foum necessary to resort to, am his early demise was full) expected. The late Emperor's health, however, at this time gave sirrns of a rapid breakdown, and it was found expedient, to meoi exigencies of state, to create the Crown Prince's eldest son, William Regent, in order to met all eventua lities arising from the critical condi tion of both the Emperor and hi: heir. He has, however, as we havi seen, survived his aged father, am is now Emperor of the German Em pire in his stead, but how long hi may fill the throne it is difficult t( predict, as the latest accounts of hi state of health "how tha a "reat improvement has takei place, and his r -covery i looked for. Frederick 111. i known to be a firm upholder o the peace of Europe, stalwart sol dier trained to war though In is ; and, should his life be sparei for any lengthened time, it is pos sible that the tangled web of Eurc pcan complications may be in ravelled by the subtle art of di} lomacy, and the war spectre be exoi cised by the influence he will b enabled to exert over the ambitiou designs of contemporary rulers. For tho sake of humanity w must hope and pray that Frederic 111., aided by the counsels of hi clever wife, "the Princess Royf of Eng'and, may fill the throu of his father for some years v least. The figure who stands promii ently forward as the next in reac of the sceptre is his son, the newl created Regent, Prince Frederic William Albert, who was born i 1859. This Prince is reported I be a man of war, possessed of gre; strategical knowledge and desiroi of conquest. His disposition is sai to be morose, owing probably to ce tain bodily deformities, and of > unloving a nature that he bears positive hatred to his mother, tl English Princess. He possesses tl confidence of leading politiciai and is the hope of tl war party ; therefore, should it 1 his destiny to become the supreti ruler of the greatest of militai powers at the present critical jun ture of affairs, it is hard to foreca what would be the result of his el vation to such a position, but would certainly be fraught with fe and danger to the general peace < Europe, and perhaps eventually those parts of the globe.