Reminiscences of the King of RoumaniaKremnitz, Mite
History
Reminiscences of the King of Roumania
Kremnitz, Mite
Carol I, King of Romania, 1839-1914; Eastern question (Balkan); Jews -- Romania; Romania -- History -- Charles I, 1866-1914
"I already dream of a family life which would be the consolation
of my old age. Looking backward to an eventful past, you would
find the same spiritual compensation that I find in the peaceful
life that lies before me, but with this difference, that a
longer life than mine will be vouchsafed to you.... Krauchenwies
offers a suitable and comfortable home, in forty minutes you can
reach Sigmaringen.... If Krauchenwies does not suit you, you
might live at Inzigkofen, and if not at Inzigkofen, then at one
of the Hechingen manors, such as Lindich or Villa Eugenia...."
Yet even darker troubles lay before Prince Charles Anthony's
courageous son, in the defalcations of Dr. Strousberg in the matter
of the Roumanian railways. As the January coupon still remained
unpaid, the Prussian Government threatened to use pressure to force
the Roumanian Government to act in accordance with its guarantee.
Unfortunately the Principalities were absolutely unable to comply
with this demand, and indignant sentiments prevailed regarding
everything that was German. The passions excited amongst the
population of Bucharest culminated in an attack on the German colony
on the occasion of a banquet given in honour of the German Emperor's
birthday on March 22, 1871. A riotous mob quickly assembled, broke
the windows of the house, and attempted to force their way up to
the first floor. At nine o'clock Major Skina hastened to the Prince
and informed him that the demonstration, which had been started
half an hour previously by a few youths, had already attained
serious dimensions, that the windows were bombarded with stones,
and that the police remained entirely passive. The Prince at once
despatched his _aide-de-camp_ to find the President of the Ministry
and the Prefect of Police, but neither of them was to be found. The
excitement increased with every minute, until at length the mob,
having extinguished the street lamps, raised the cries: "To the
Palace!" and "Long live the Republic!"
General Solomon, the Commandant of Bucharest, now occupied the
streets with troops, in spite of the efforts of the President of the
Ministry, Jon Ghika, to prevent so violent a course. The mob obeyed
the order to disperse after having been in possession of the streets
for about two and a half hours.
Prince Charles received Consul-General von Radowitz the same night,
and, after expressing his regret at this disgraceful occurrence,
mentioned that he had already taken the first steps towards
replacing the guilty Ministers. At one A.M. next morning Jon Ghika
arrived at the Palace, and eventually succeeded in convincing the
Prince that the cause of the outrage was in no way to be attributed
to him. Prince Charles, however, demanded his resignation, and
informed him that he intended to summon the _Lieutenance Princière_
in the morning to resign the reins of government to them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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