156 SERVIA, AUSTRIA, TURKEY, AND RUSSIA. 



the Patriotic Association of the Servian Liberals, who had united 

 themselves under the banner of the " Omladina," as the champions 

 for the national regeneration of the nation and the emancipation of 

 the Government from foreign diplomacy, and from the miserable 

 plots of men who were traitors to the Throne and the Constitution. 



Prince Michel, true to his coronation oath, to the Constitution of 

 1858, and to the ancient liberalism of the Obrenovitch dynasty, 

 bravely and loyally opposed the despotic and illegal action of the 

 Prime Minister Garashanine and his colleagues, for he was of 

 opinion that it was a treasonable conspiracy against the nation, a 

 declaration of war against the patriotism of his people, and to 

 popular Government. 



His warm sympathies with the cause of " Omladina, " unfortu- 

 nately, cost him his life, for, in consequence, it is believed, of the 

 liberal professions of the Prince, from motives of revenge, lest the 

 concessions he had foreshadowed should be adopted, and also as the 

 result of a dark conspiracy in favour of the re-establishment of the 

 Prince Kara-Georgevics on the Throne of Servia, Prince Michel was 

 struck down by an assassin's hand. 



This heinous crime filled Servia with horror, and all political 

 parties were aghast at so dastardly a deed of unwarrantable regicide. 



The National party of Servia were basely charged by their 

 enemies with complicity in this abominable crime, but they indig- 

 nantly resented so foul an aspersion, and gave forcible expression to 

 their abhorrence of the assassination. Whoever may have been 

 responsible, (and the perpetrators were not unknown), its result was 

 to create an immense revulsion of feeling against the Kara-Georgevics 

 pretensions, and in favour of the Obrenovics party, and especially in 

 favour of Prince Milan, the nephew of the late Ruler, as successor to 

 the Throne. The leading men of the National party supported the 

 candidature of Prince Milan, and in 1868 the National Assembly 

 proclaimed him the successor to the vacant Throne, as Obrenovics 

 .IV., and the dynasty became firmly consolidated. 



Prince Milan Obrenovics IV., (the same Prince who has recently 

 abdicated the Throne), on his accession was a minor, and it was 

 necessary to appoint a Regency of three members, who were chosen 

 by the National Assembly, sitting at Belgrade. It unanimously 

 adopted a resolution, which was expressive of the popular indigna- 

 tion against the Government of Ristics, on the ground of it being 

 morally and legally responsible, not only for the assassination of the 

 late Prince Michel, but also for the disastrous events which it 



