SERVIA, AUSTRIA, TURKEY, AND RUSSIA. 167 



under the leadership of Gruitch and Taussonvitch would assist 

 her in that scheme ; and for the reason, that the peasants desired to 

 be independent of Austria, of whom they have a deep distrust, 

 and they believe, that if Servia is ever to become progressive and 

 prosperous that she must be independent of both Austria and Russia. 

 They detest the prospect of becoming Russian subjects, under 

 the rule of the Czar, and are not willing to risk the dire calamities, 

 that would inevitably follow from such an unnatural alliance with a 

 despotic Power such as Russia. 



ABDICATION OF KING MILAN, 1889. 



At the beginning of the year 1889, the political embarrassments of 

 Servia continued, for she was in the awkward position of a country 

 with a brand new Constitution, and with practically no Executive 

 Government, except the King. 



The last Government of M. Cristics never had a Parliamentary 

 majority, and when it appealed to the nation, as time after time 

 previous Administrations had done, its supporters were scattered to 

 the winds. 



In this dilemma, holding office until its successors were appointed, 

 and the choice of their successors resting with the King, and the 

 King either unwilling or unable to appoint them, the country was 

 involved in a serious constitutional crisis. 



The hesitation of King Milan was not to be wondered at. The 

 Radicals were supreme in the Assembly, and their rank and file were 

 severely hostile to him. Many, or most of them, were supporters 

 of a Russian alliance, which the King repudiated, and of the Queen 

 Nathalie, whom he had divorced. Even had he been wilKng to 

 tender to them the seals of office, and they had been willing to 

 accept the responsibility, they would have made their accession to 

 power not only bitter to his soul, but also degrading to his Royalty ; 

 for their first step would have been to insist on his accepting as 

 one of his Ministers, an ancient foe, Kara-Georgevics, the Pretender 

 to the Throne, and the J>ro/Sge of Russia. 



To accept this humiliation Servia would have Austria to reckon 

 with, and threats from that quarter the King dare not despise, 

 so that between the Scylla, Russia, on the one hand, and the 

 Charybdis, Austria, on the other, it was not surprising that he 

 should take holiday to the Riviera, and obtain a little fresh air on 

 the Mediterranean. 



