Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

calamities shall come to show the folly of war altogether. It is indeed manifest in the very essence of such a condition of things that it is the longest purse that must triumph in the end, for, with unlimited means, the powers of defence-at least by land-could always be made to keep pace with any possible development of the means of offence.

When the great exposure of the utter inadequacy of the old pattern musket, amusingly narrated by Sir J. E. Tennent, was made, the improved rifle, which had then recently been issued, was brought forward, and scarcely a shot missed the target; demonstrating that if a soldier can be enabled to hit uniformly, where he hit but once out of twenty times before, his increased value is equivalent to an addition to the numbers of the army in precisely that proportion. Not only so, but the distance at which the new weapon could kill having been increased from one or two hundred yards to fourteen hundred or more, it came to be felt that unless artillery could be improved in the same ratio as the rifle, the old ordnance would be rendered useless, as gunners would be picked off and killed before their cannon could be brought within range.

Sir J. E. Tennent argues that the Duke of Wellington was no less sensible of the evils of military routine, and no less desirous of improvement, than Napoleon III., but he was always restrained by the fear of expenditure. He at the same time gives credit, with Lord Herbert of Lea, to Viscount Hardinge for having been the first in this country to institute a systematic and sustained effort at adapting the rifle to the service of the army. The French had undoubtedly set the example by the introduction of the Delvigné, the Minié, and the Carabine à tige; we followed it by the introduction of probably the more practically serviceable Enfield, but neither our troops nor those of France were provided solely with rifles on the occasion of the Crimean war.

It is not a little amusing to read, that when Mr. Whitworth was applied to as a practical mechanical engineer to produce a rifle fitted for service in the army, and not for mere amateur marksmen, that he not only had no practical knowledge of the specialities of a rifle, or of the theories on which its excellence is dependent, than is possessed by any other highly-educated engineer, but, what is far more remarkable, that on consulting the principal gunmakers in London and Birmingham, he found that the trade was in "a rude and unsystematic" condition, and that the most skilful mechanics engaged in it worked by "knack" rather than by system, and the making of two rifles of equal excellence was almost entirely dependent on the dexterity of the mechanic, who had no defined laws for reproducing them alike!

The upshot was, however, laying aside the questions or "secrets" of the theory of rifling-the discovery of a true plane, the power of accurate measurement, and the best form of projectile and polygonal firing-the production of a systematic apparatus adapted to supersede hand-labour, and the production of a rifle which is generally admitted to be superior to the Minié and Enfield, and which its inventor declares can be produced as cheap as the latter. Whether it is as well adapted for service in the army we are not prepared to say; Sir J. E. Tennent, who is thoroughly Whitworthian, says it and its objectionable cartridge can be rendered so; and so the question at present remains. As a small-bore rifle, there is little doubt as to its superiority over others that can be produced upon a

large scale; and being produced by machinery, it can be accurately reproduced to any extent; but as a weapon of war intended to carry a bayonet, and to oppose the long sword-like bayonets and longer muskets of the Zouaves, it is of questionable general adaptability.

[ocr errors]

Improvements in musketry, as we have seen, entailed corresponding improvements in artillery. The French, from whom we borrow even the names of most weapons of war-as sabre, bayonet, and cannon—as usual led the way, just as we lead the way in steam-engines, railways, and other great achievements of a progressive civilisation, as opposed to the art of destruction. The result of the trials made with the first canons rayés" led to the reconstruction of the whole artillery of Europe. In this country, Lancaster, Blakely, Armstrong, and Whitworth have most distinguished themselves by their indefatigable labours in producing serviceable rifled guns, as well as weapons of great calibre, vast projectile powers, and with peculiar projectiles calculated to overwhelm the accumulated means of defence, that have kept up progress with the increased powers of offence. If, in the course of such labours, much rivalry and partisanship should have sprung up, it is, however much to be regretted, in the very nature of things, and, in the long run, the nation will probably benefit by the very fact of that rivalry. It has in itself been the very cause of extraordinary results, as, for example, the production of a gun with a range of about six miles-a wonderful result, although we are inclined to think with the defeated party, that the real struggle of a battle will always be very far within such a range, besides that such distances render accuracy of aim out of the question. Partisanship is not, however, so harmless in its operation as rivalry, and throwing away money on impracticable schemes not only entails a wasteful expenditure, but disheartens the public and retards progress.

The comparative value of the Armstrong and Whitworth guns had not been even satisfactorily determined, before public attention was called away to the performance of rifled guns in an entirely new field, the alarm felt for wooden ships from such weapons having led to the introduction of iron-sheathing. The first result of this new state of things was that iron ships were constructed that could successfully defy artillery, but this was soon followed by the invention of projectiles-rather than of projectile power-which would penetrate armour-clad ships; and so the question remains at present in that position which may be best described as that of two parties ever going on, the one increasing the powers of resistance as the other increases the weight, power, and efficiency of projectiles. It would seem that the end must ultimately be in favour of artillery at sea, because the armour-bearing power of floating vessels is limited; and in favour of defences by land, as the means of defence in earth-works, stone, or iron armour are unlimited, save by their cost.

THE LAST OLDENBURGERS.

THE death of the late King of Denmark-the last representative of the direct line of the House of Oldenburg-has caused an unusual commotion in the world. It is a long time since the extinction of an old dynasty has given rise to so many complications as have sprung, and may spring yet, from the death of Frederick VII. There are several old royal races at present on the verge of dying out. The last Bourbon is the last claimant to the title of King of France; the last Prince of Vasa the last scion of the House of Gustavus Adolphus. But both live as exiles in the Austrian empire. Whenever they will be gathered to their fathers their end will, in all probability, pass without any stir in European politics. It might be different if they still occupied the thrones of their ancestors. But their peoples have passed their verdict upon their royal houses long ago; their old crowns have passed upon other heads before their family history has drawn to a close.

It has been different with the House of Oldenburg. Had the old family been propagated, a direct heir would have not only been welcomed by a loyal people, but a European "difficulty" would have been got over. As it is, rival claimants have appeared to part of the old Danish monarchy; hostile armies are arrayed against each other; the war may become a general European conflict. The family history of the last Oldenburgers, therefore, excites at present more interest than it would call forth under ordinary circumstances, especially if considered as a succession of acts and events preparing the extinction of that old house.

[ocr errors]

Let us preface our remarks with a short statement of the succession question, though its details may be known to most of our readers.

When it became evident that the late king would have no children, the succession in Denmark Proper-according to the fundamental law, the Lex regia-would revert to the female branch, whereas in the German duchies of Schleswig and Holstein the Salic law prevailed, excluding female accession to the throne.

In Denmark Proper, then, the children of a sister of the late king's father-King Christian VIII.—would succeed. That sister was married to Prince William of Hesse-Rumpenheim, a branch of the electoral family of Hesse-Cassel. Prince William left several children, among them a son called Frederick William, and a daughter, the Princess Louisa.

As, however, the Elector of Hesse-Cassel has no legitimate issue, it has come to pass that Prince Frederick William is at present heir-presumptive to Hesse-Cassel, in right of his father, while in right of his mother he was heir also to the crown of Denmark Proper. He had thus to choose between the kingdom and the electorate, and chose the latter. Thus the Princess Louisa, his eldest sister, is heiress to the Danish

crown.

The Princess Louisa married Prince Christian of Glücksburg, of a younger branch distantly related to the old House of Oldenburg. By the London treaty of 1852, it was arranged that, in order to preserve the

[ocr errors]

whole monarchy intact, the late king named Prince Christian his successor as heir-male .for all his lands. In virtue of this arrangement, Christian and Louisa took the title of "Prince and Princess of Denmark,' and have lately ascended the throne. The Princess of Wales and the young King of Greece are their children, as is well known.

As to the Prince of Augustenburg, who has lately raised claims to the succession in Schleswig and Holstein, he bases his claims upon the Salic law prevailing in these duchies, his branch being nearer than that of the actual king. The matter stands thus: In the middle of the sixteenth century there reigned in Denmark King Christian III. He had two sons, Frederick and John. Frederick succeeded him as king, becoming the direct ancestor of the old royal house now died out. John founded a ducal branch, receiving estates in the duchies. His descendants again separated into several lines, two of which remain at present, having taken the names of Augustenburg and Glücksburg. The actual pretender belongs to the first, the elder; the actual king to the latter, the younger branch.

The above-named King Christian III. also had a brother, Adolphus, founding another ducal house, which in later times took the title of "Holstein Gottorp." From this house have sprung the present imperial family of Russia, the exiled family (Vasa) of Sweden, and the present Grand-Duke of Oldenburg. These three Gottorp lines stand, therefore, one degree more remote from the succession to Schleswig and Holstein than the contending Houses of Augustenburg and Glücksburg.

Our purpose in giving this short exposé has been to show that the present king, Christian IX. and his family, stood in not much nearer relationship to the old line of the Oldenburgers than the House of Hanover stood to that of the Stuarts, and that the short sketch of the family history about to be given does in no wise concern them.

[ocr errors]

As the germs of decay in all sublunary things may be traced some time before their dissolution, so the decline of a family may often be observed for generations before it becomes extinct. There is a Nemesis in the fate of families as well as in that of individuals. As the individual man, through weakness, wickedness, or inadvertence, will receive bad insinuations ministering to his propensities or passions, so as to bring on his own downfal, a family will, through generations, prepare its own extinction, if its members allow sinister influences to predominate, and have the misfortune or the weakness of permitting the bad element in their midst to supersede the good.

Let us see whether the decline of the old Danish dynasty may not be traced from events occurring a century or more before its extinction, and whether, what seemed accident, has not been the decree of an inexorable fate, a pre-ordained retribution, the decree that the sins of the parents shall be visited on the children.

After Christians and Fredericks had followed each other alternately for nearly three centuries, the fifth Frederick, son of the sixth Christian, mounted the throne of Denmark in the year 1746. Three years before he had married the Princess Louisa, the lovely daughter of King George II. and Queen Caroline of Anspach. Both bride and bridegroom were about twenty years old when the happy union was concluded. That marriage, with the exception of one, was the last happy marriage in the old royal

house; the reign of the fifth Frederick the last prosperous reign in Denmark.

The prince met his affianced bride at Altona, and was enchanted with her beauty and loveliness, far surpassing the pictures from which, until then, he had only known her. Their entrance into Altona, their progress through Holstein and Schleswig to Copenhagen, was a triumphal march. The sovereigns of Denmark were as popular then in their German duchies as in their Danish states. Their government, though absolute and despotic in theory, was mild and patriarchal in practice; strange to say, the discord between the two nationalities has only broken out since the introduction of a constitutional semi-democratic government in our own days.

The court of the young couple was gay and refined; arts and literature found in them their patrons; a select circle of the best society surrounded them. While under the old king, bigoted and soured-out, all theatres had been closed and public amusements prohibited, Copenhagen, as soon as the court mourning was gone through, revived, Italian operas alternated with French comedies, and Holberg's excellent Danish pieces attracted anew his countrymen in crowded audiences. The young queen had studied Danish so well that she could fully appreciate Holberg's

muse.

Thus the king and queen were popular enough. Their domestic happiness was increased by the birth of a son in 1749, baptised Christian; the baby was exhibited in a state cradle, surrounded with flowers, to all the population, who hailed the birth of the young prince as a pledge of prosperity, as the hope of generations to come.

Poor baby! destined to be the victim of systematic wickedness, to be corrupted in body and mind before he became a man!

In that same year was celebrated the anniversary of the accession of the House of Oldenburg three centuries before. Since Christian I., who, as Count of Oldenburg, had been called to the Danish throne, twelve members of the dynasty had followed each other in uninterrupted succession.

The king and queen assisted at the celebration of thanksgivings in the palace church of Christiansborg. Frederick knelt before the high altar, gratefully acknowledging the Divine favour so singularly bestowed upon a race of rulers in whose annals no regicide, no bloody revolutions were marked, the loyalty of whose subjects had grown with the growth of the dynasty.

Some years of uninterrupted prosperity yet followed this conspicuous anniversary. Frederick and Louisa continued as the patrons of the Muses. To them the German poet Klopstock owed an asylum. The great author of the "Messiah" had lived until that time unhappy and in penury as tutor in a German family at Langensalza in Thuringia. When the first canto of his immortal poem had excited the interest of all who were able to discern his astonishing genius, Bernstorff, Danish ambassador at Paris, on his return, called the attention of the royal couple to the young poet, and Frederick invited Klopstock to his capital. For several years the poet enjoyed the hospitality of his patrons, living with a pension sufficient for his wants at the charming country palace of Fredensborg, where, free of all cares, he was enabled to complete his glorious Epos.

« AnteriorContinuar »