Show CURRENT TOPICS IN EUROPE by the death of the german em press ress mother who fella victim to the russian influenza on the aih dinst at berlin the poor of germany have lose their best friend born in 1811 she had bad nearly attained her seventy ninth year and it is no exaggeration to say that fully two thirds of her life have been devoted to the i cause of suffering humanity in 1829 when nearly eighteen years of age she was married to prince william of afterward 4 became king william I 1 of prussia Pruss lal and emperor of germany during 1 nearly four fifths of her mar ried life prussia enjoyed the I 1 blessings of peace and the 1 late empress mother under her successive titles of princess ancess william queen of prussia and empress of germany set an example of benevolence and philanthropy to german womanhood winch which bore inestimable fruit during the seven momentous years when german unity was forming the three sanguinary ware war of 1864 1866 and 1870 afforded german matrons matrona and maidens an opportunity to prove how well they had profited by their royal teachers instructions the lessons the german officers cers learned during the great american civil war developed a care for the sick and wounded soldiers such as had never been known in the history of european wars j von moltke found in the late em J press mother an able helper to the sanitary condition of the german armies she became the self ap pointed supervisor and inspector of those sanitary measures which saved the life of many a brave warrior who had been wounded on the field of battle 1 I W when hen I 1 in u 1829 she was married to prince william of prussia her ref caption 0 n in berlin was the occasion of unwonted enthusiasm and addi 1 dional interest was added to the j pageant hy by the fact that the czar and czarina of russia came all the way from warsaw to be present at the wedding but for the gay ceremonies ot of the capital she cared but little on the other hand her sympathies were ever alive to the sorrows of the poor and unfortunate it is worthy of remark that the dla dia mond coronet which she bhe as princess william wore on the day of her y marriage was the same one that was worn fifty two years later by another princess william as she knelt at the altar with the empress mothers grandson the present emperor of germany the late em empress press mother waw kasnot not only il a person of erf wonderful beauty but likewise of great intelligence and to her german unity owes more than is generally conceded when her father in law king frederick william of prussia was officered ered the crown of germany by the dierof diet of frankfort in 1848 he declined the honor and it was only by her influence that he be at length became more favorable her opinions often clashed with those of prince bismarck and it can now be said to her ber praise that her policy made bismarck famous in spite of himself though lie be affects to resent all interference of women in politics the empress mother lived to see the realization of her ideal of a united germany with prussia at its head she lived to share the imperial throne with her husband and to see her son and grandson succeed to this dream of her earlier years the troubles among the coal miners of belgium seem to be decreasing the results appear to be favor able to the laborers they seem to have been more anxious for limitation of hours than any rise in wages in this respect they are of the same opinion as their fellow craftsmen in other parts of the world in fact it seems to be conceded generally that in this particular industry fewer hours bourn are necessary for the well being of the men eight hours of coal mining is as much as any human being should with our modern aleas of humanity be asked to do when the golden age e it the e goo good time me coming which the poets to describe shall arrive nobody will be expected to overtax over tax his hands or his brains but the millennium is not here yet whether the shortening of the hours of labor will increase the opportunities for labor is a question about which there is some dispute the unionists have got lord randolph churchill on their side even if such men as lord salisbury still profess to be in the dark the influenza epidemic still occupies a great reat share of public attention throughout europe and aad it is worthy of note that in 1837 the year of queen victorias accession a similar epidemic raged throughout europe it is said that from january 1837 the average number num berof of burials in london exceeded one thousand each day the churchyards were all bustle and confusion groups of mourners with corpses were obliged to wait for their turn till the officiating clergyman could perform the funeral service at a meeting of the westminster medical society dr johnson stated that the influenza had been more violent in its character and universal in its extent than the cholera epidemic of 1833 from present appearances we may conclude that the evi epidemic demic is not so violent as it was fifty three years ago A great change is taking place in th e lotical feeling of europe I 1 1 1 the C nning of 1886 the republic e of prance france seemed tottering to its fall Boulanger ism was in the ascendancy cen dancy and republicans of every shade of opinion feared the consequences quen ces today it is different republicanism is no longer on the defensive only it wields an influence in every monarchy of europe the recent revolution in brazil will certainly have an influence on all the latin nations of europe A pular popular uprising up ng in n favor avor of 0 a reau republic ic both in spain and portugal would be a surprise to no one italy also wishes a larger liberty it is only the fear of papal supremacy and the need of a strong central government that pr prevents eventa her from attempting a federal republic then would sardinia savoy lombardy venetia a tuscany tu and nd naples ya les realize their political po I 1 iti I 1 dream while w ile at the th same time they the y would aou id be b e aerated for mutual protection As an instance of the change of political feeling may be noted the rapid sale of a book of travels which has lately been translated and republished in 1786 sir arthur young a famous englishman in his day traveled over Fran france francea cei and wrote a wok book concerning its condition and institutions it is this book boob which so terribly sets forth the corx con of france before the revola tion that is ie now republished and it is 13 with pride that frenchmen point to the progress they have made according to this work paris a century ago had I 1 narrow dirty streets without foot pavements and no well dressed persons could traverse the streets without injury to their clothing j what a contrast to the paris of today with its sunny boulevards and exquisite gardens the paradise of good americans and the despair of patriotic Londo londoners Lon doners nerol then there was no madeleine no are arc d etolle or rue de lapaix or rue de rivoli or palace delisee dEl ysee the pantheon the louvre and the luxembourg were not yet fi fished and not one boulevard in ten haa had an existence but this is not all in the country the changes are equally great the traveler of that day never saw such poverty and neglect it reminded him of ireland the state of the people was even more dreadful than the desolation of the farms from north to south from east to west he found men without proper shoes or clothes and women crushed by toll toil into hideous sav savages agee 11 f such buch is the description given by an english peer the friend of chann ing burke and pitt A hundred years have passed since then and what a change the waste places have disappeared on every side millions of acres have come into cultivation by peasant owners the land overflows with milk and honey fruits vegetables oil wine and grain the people as a rule live in good houses the desolate land with its nu numerous forests where formerly the nobility hunted the foxes and boars baars is ie now a vast garden and millions of happy landowners rejoice in their homes what has caused this change it would perhaps require a long story the frenchman believes that it was wai 9 the revolution and the establishment lish ment of the republic the agthe world moves for all thaw that were the words of galileo after his bis terrible ordeal before the inquisition and similar words might be applied to that terribly slow moving institution known as aa the ottoman empire its progress is now visible even with the naked eye during the last month the sultan has issued his decree prohibiting the importation of african slaves into his dominions the prohibition of the negro slave trade by turkey is a considerable sid erable ate step towards the final abolition 0 slavery in the empire in turkey slavery te is modified in many ways A white slave in the harem of a sultan or a pasha may become herself the mother of a future prince or lord the black slave has no such chance what was called chattel slaving in america practically does not exist there are no auctions no public sales of mothers torn from their heir children nor wives from their husbands nor is there a traffic in white women with the negro taint in their veins these horrible commercial incidents of the institution of america are unknown in the east it is not often that we find turkey setting a good abood example to the so balioas nation of europe but the statesmen of prance nay may note with advantage that according to the terms of the new decree english german and american commanders are allowed to pearch vessels suspected of carrying slaves even if they fly the turkish rag flag 5 e turkish captains a are re allowed lowed similar privileges in regard to other Dat nations ions to the present time france denies all nations the right of search for half a century great britain and america have been at work for the suppression of the slave trade germany and then italy at length came over to the side of humanity portugal also has ranged herself on the side of right and it now remains for prance france to do her part her explorers have done good work and her new territories on th tha congo give her an unquestionable tio interest in the matter she can hardly lag behind now that turkey has joined the movement against the curse that still makes africa the dark continent another important epoch in the history of turkey has ban just been passed A telegram from constantinople announces the fact that track laying has cOMMe commenced Deed on the long talked of railway which is to connect the asiatic shore of the with the great r t cities of asia minor and syria in a few months it is expected that the first section between constantinople or rather and angora will be completed and trains will be running up among the far famed hills of cilicia the native land of the apostle paul the completion of the wi whole ole it line e to damascus and Bus is only a question of time and no great time either for in api spite te of the supposed stagnation ot of everything under the domin dominion iOD of the turk there is a good deal more commercial actie activity ity and a greal deal more p progress during the last twenty years than many people are inclined to believe this railway will traverse the famous range of mount olympus passing through a region that was civilized and populous a thousand years before the ottoman turks bad made their appearance on the stage of history the construction st of so important a line is an undeniable indication of progress in asia minor and goes far to prove that even in the asiatic dominions of the turk the world still moves J EI WARD EUROPE jan 1890 |