PRIVATE MEMORANDUM OF THE MEETING OF VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL

COUNCIL, HELD AT THE STATE HOUSE OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS AT PLAZAC ON

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 1907.

(Written by Cristoferos, Scribe of the Council, by instruction of

those present.)

When the private meeting of various Members of the National Council had

assembled in the Council Hall of the State House at Plazac, it was as a

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preliminary decided unanimously that now or hereafter no names of those

present were to be mentioned, and that officials appointed for the

purposes of this meeting should be designated by office only, the names

of all being withheld.

The proceedings assumed the shape of a general conversation, quite

informal, and therefore not to be recorded. The nett outcome was the

unanimous expression of an opinion that the time, long contemplated by

very many persons throughout the nation, had now come when the

Constitution and machinery of the State should be changed; that the

present form of ruling by an Irregular Council was not sufficient, and

that a method more in accord with the spirit of the times should be

adopted. To this end Constitutional Monarchy, such as that holding in

Great Britain, seemed best adapted. Finally, it was decided that each

Member of the Council should make a personal canvass of his district,

talk over the matter with his electors, and bring back to another

meeting--or, rather, as it was amended, to this meeting postponed for a

week, until September 2nd--the opinions and wishes received. Before

separating, the individual to be appointed King, in case the new idea

should prove grateful to the nation, was discussed. The consensus of

opinion was entirely to the effect that the Voivode Peter Vissarion

should, if he would accept the high office, be appointed. It was urged

that, as his daughter, the Voivodin Teuta, was now married to the

Englishman, Rupert Sent Leger--called generally by the mountaineers "the

Gospodar Rupert"--a successor to follow the Voivode when God should call

him would be at hand--a successor worthy in every way to succeed to so

illustrious a post. It was urged by several speakers, with general

acquiescence, that already Mr. Sent Leger's services to the State were

such that he would be in himself a worthy person to begin the new

Dynasty; but that, as he was now allied to the Voivode Peter Vissarion,

it was becoming that the elder, born of the nation, should receive the

first honour.

The adjourned meeting of certain members of the National Council was

resumed in the Hall of the State House at Plazac on Monday, September

2nd, 1907. By motion the same chairman was appointed, and the rule

regarding the record renewed.

Reports were made by the various members of the Council in turn,

according to the State Roll. Every district was represented. The

reports were unanimously in favour of the New Constitution, and it was

reported by each and all of the Councillors that the utmost enthusiasm

marked in every case the suggestion of the Voivode Peter Vissarion as the

first King to be crowned under the new Constitution, and that remainder

should be settled on the Gospodar Rupert (the mountaineers would only

receive his lawful name as an alternative; one and all said that he would

be "Rupert" to them and to the nation--for ever).

The above matter having been satisfactorily settled, it was decided that

a formal meeting of the National Council should be held at the State

House, Plazac, in one week from to-day, and that the Voivode Peter

Vissarion should be asked to be in the State House in readiness to

attend. It was also decided that instruction should be given to the High

Court of National Law to prepare and have ready, in skeleton form, a

rescript of the New Constitution to be adopted, the same to be founded on

the Constitution and Procedure of Great Britain, so far as the same may

be applicable to the traditional ideas of free Government in the Land of

the Blue Mountains.

By unanimous vote this private and irregular meeting of "Various National

Councillors" was then dissolved.

RECORD OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE LAND OF THE

BLUE MOUNTAINS, HELD AT PLAZAC ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH, 1907, TO

CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF A NEW CONSTITUTION, AND TO GIVE PERMANENT EFFECT

TO THE SAME IF, AND WHEN, DECIDED UPON.

(Kept by the Monk Cristoferos, Scribe to the National Council.)

The adjourned meeting duly took place as arranged. There was a full

attendance of Members of the Council, together with the Vladika, the

Archbishop, the Archimandrites of Spazac, of Ispazar, of Domitan, and

Astrag; the Chancellor; the Lord of the Exchequer; the President of the

High Court of National Law; the President of the Council of Justice; and

such other high officials as it is customary to summon to meetings of the

National Council on occasions of great importance. The names of all

present will be found in the full report, wherein are given the ipsissima

verba of the various utterances made during the consideration of the

questions discussed, the same having been taken down in shorthand by the

humble scribe of this precis, which has been made for the convenience of

Members of the Council and others.

The Voivode Peter Vissarion, obedient to the request of the Council, was

in attendance at the State House, waiting in the "Chamber of the High

Officers" until such time as he should be asked to come before the

Council.

The President put before the National Council the matter of the new

Constitution, outlining the headings of it as drawn up by the High Court

of National Law, and the Constitution having been formally accepted nem.

con. by the National Council on behalf of the people, he proposed that

the Crown should be offered to the Voivode Peter Vissarion, with

remainder to the "Gospodar Rupert" (legally, Rupert Sent Leger), husband

of his only child, the Voivodin Teuta. This also was received with

enthusiasm, and passed nem. con.

Thereupon the President of Council, the Archbishop, and the Vladika,

acting together as a deputation, went to pray the attention of the

Voivode Peter Vassarion.

When the Voivode entered, the whole Council and officials stood up, and

for a few seconds waited in respectful silence with heads bowed down.

Then, as if by a common impulse--for no word was spoken nor any signal

given--they all drew their handjars, and stood to attention--with points

raised and edges of the handjars to the front.

The Voivode stood very still. He seemed much moved, but controlled

himself admirably. The only time when be seemed to lose his self-control

was when, once again with a strange simultaneity, all present raised

their handjars on high, and shouted: "Hail, Peter, King!" Then lowering

their points till these almost touched the ground, they once again stood

with bowed heads.

When he had quite mastered himself, the Voivode Peter Vissarion spoke:

"How can I, my brothers, sufficiently thank you, and, through you, the

people of the Blue Mountains, for the honour done to me this day? In

very truth it is not possible, and therefore I pray you to consider it as

done, measuring my gratitude in the greatness of your own hearts. Such

honour as you offer to me is not contemplated by any man in whose mind a

wholesome sanity rules, nor is it even the dream of fervent imagination.

So great is it, that I pray you, men with hearts and minds like my own,

to extend to me, as a further measure of your generosity, a little time

to think it over. I shall not want long, for even already, with the

blaze of honour fresh upon me, I see the cool shadow of Duty, though his

substance is yet hardly visible. Give me but an hour of solitude--an

hour at most--if it do not prolong this your session unduly. It may be

that a lesser time will serve, but in any case I promise you that, when I

can see a just and fitting issue to my thought, I shall at once return."

The President of the Council looked around him, and, seeing everywhere

the bowing heads of acquiescence, spoke with a reverent gravity:

"We shall wait in patience whatsoever time you will, and may the God who

rules all worthy hearts guide you to His Will!"

And so in silence the Voivode passed out of the hall.

From my seat near a window I could watch him go, as with measured steps

he passed up the hill which rises behind the State House, and disappeared

into the shadow of the forest. Then my work claimed me, for I wished to

record the proceedings so far whilst all was fresh in my mind. In

silence, as of the dead, the Council waited, no man challenging opinion

of his neighbour even by a glance.

Almost a full hour had elapsed when the Voivode came again to the

Council, moving with slow and stately gravity, as has always been his

wont since age began to hamper the movement which in youth had been so

notable. The Members of the Council all stood up uncovered, and so

remained while he made announcement of his conclusion. He spoke slowly;

and as his answer was to be a valued record of this Land and its Race, I

wrote down every word as uttered, leaving here and there space for

description or comment, which spaces I have since then filled in.

"Lords of the National Council, Archbishop, Vladika, Lords of the Council

of Justice and of National Law, Archimandrites, and my brothers all, I

have, since I left you, held in the solitude of the forest counsel with

myself--and with God; and He, in His gracious wisdom, has led my thinking

to that conclusion which was from the first moment of knowledge of your

intent presaged in my heart. Brothers, you know--or else a long life has

been spent in vain--that my heart and mind are all for the nation--my

experience, my life, my handjar. And when all is for her, why should I

shrink to exercise on her behalf my riper judgment though the same should

have to combat my own ambition? For ten centuries my race has not failed

in its duty. Ages ago the men of that time trusted in the hands of my

ancestors the Kingship, even as now you, their children, trust me. But

to me it would be base to betray that trust, even by the smallest tittle.

That would I do were I to take the honour of the crown which you have

tendered to me, so long as there is another more worthy to wear it. Were

there none other, I should place myself in your hands, and yield myself

over to blind obedience of your desires. But such an one there is; dear

to you already by his own deeds, now doubly dear to me, since he is my

son by my daughter's love. He is young, whereas I am old. He is strong

and brave and true; but my days of the usefulness of strength and bravery

are over. For myself, I have long contemplated as the crown of my later

years a quiet life in one of our monasteries, where I can still watch the

whirl of the world around us on your behalf, and be a counsellor of

younger men of more active minds. Brothers, we are entering on stirring

times. I can see the signs of their coming all around us. North and

South--the Old Order and the New, are about to clash, and we lie between

the opposing forces. True it is that the Turk, after warring for a

thousand years, is fading into insignificance. But from the North where

conquests spring, have crept towards our Balkans the men of a mightier

composite Power. Their march has been steady; and as they came, they

fortified every step of the way. Now they are hard upon us, and are

already beginning to swallow up the regions that we have helped to win

from the dominion of Mahound. The Austrian is at our very gates. Beaten

back by the Irredentists of Italy, she has so enmeshed herself with the

Great Powers of Europe that she seems for the moment to be impregnable to

a foe of our stature. There is but one hope for us--the uniting of the

Balkan forces to turn a masterly front to North and West as well as to

South and East. Is that a task for old hands to undertake? No; the

hands must be young and supple; and the brain subtle, as well as the

heart be strong, of whomsoever would dare such an accomplishment. Should

I accept the crown, it would only postpone the doing of that which must

ultimately be done. What avail would it be if, when the darkness closes

over me, my daughter should be Queen Consort to the first King of a new

dynasty? You know this man, and from your record I learn that you are

already willing to have him as King to follow me. Why not begin with

him? He comes of a great nation, wherein the principle of freedom is a

vital principle that quickens all things. That nation has more than once

shown to us its friendliness; and doubtless the very fact that an

Englishman would become our King, and could carry into our Government the

spirit and customs which have made his own country great, would do much

to restore the old friendship, and even to create a new one, which would

in times of trouble bring British fleets to our waters, and British

bayonets to support our own handjars. It is within my own knowledge,

though as yet unannounced to you, that Rupert Sent Leger has already

obtained a patent, signed by the King of England himself, allowing him to

be denaturalized in England, so that he can at once apply for

naturalization here. I know also that he has brought hither a vast

fortune, by aid of which he is beginning to strengthen our hands for war,

in case that sad eventuality should arise. Witness his late ordering to

be built nine other warships of the class that has already done such

effective service in overthrowing the Turk--or the pirate, whichever he

may have been. He has undertaken the defence of the Blue Mouth at his

own cost in a way which will make it stronger than Gibraltar, and secure

us against whatever use to which the Austrian may apply the vast forces

already gathered in the Bocche di Cattaro. He is already founding aerial

stations on our highest peaks for use of the war aeroplanes which are

being built for him. It is such a man as this who makes a nation great;

and right sure I am that in his hands this splendid land and our noble,

freedom-loving people will flourish and become a power in the world.

Then, brothers, let me, as one to whom this nation and its history and

its future are dear, ask you to give to the husband of my daughter the

honour which you would confer on me. For her I can speak as well as for

myself. She shall suffer nothing in dignity either. Were I indeed King,

she, as my daughter, would be a Princess of the world. As it will be,

she shall be companion and Queen of a great King, and her race, which is

mine, shall flourish in all the lustre of the new Dynasty.

"Therefore on all accounts, my brothers, for the sake of our dear Land of

the Blue Mountains, make the Gospodar Rupert, who has so proved himself,

your King. And make me happy in my retirement to the cloister."

When the Voivode ceased to speak, all still remained silent and standing.

But there was no mistaking their acquiescence in his most generous

prayer. The President of the Council well interpreted the general wish

when he said:

"Lords of the National Council, Archbishop, Vladika, Lords of the

Councils of Justice and National Law, Archimandrites, and all who are

present, is it agreed that we prepare at leisure a fitting reply to the

Voivode Peter of the historic House of Vissarion, stating our agreement

with his wish?"

To which there was a unanimous answer:

"It is." He went on:

"Further. Shall we ask the Gospodar Rupert of the House of Sent Leger,

allied through his marriage to the Voivodin Teuta, daughter and only

child of the Voivode Peter of Vissarion, to come hither to-morrow? And

that, when he is amongst us, we confer on him the Crown and Kingship of

the Land of the Blue Mountains?"

Again came the answer: "It is."

But this time it rang out like the sound of a gigantic trumpet, and the

handjars flashed.

Whereupon the session was adjourned for the space of a day.

September 10, 1907.

When the National Council met to-day the Voivode Peter Vissarion sat with

them, but well back, so that at first his presence was hardly noticeable.

After the necessary preliminaries had been gone through, they requested

the presence of the Gospodar Rupert--Mr. Rupert Sent Leger--who was

reported as waiting in the "Chamber of the High Officers." He at once

accompanied back to the Hall the deputation sent to conduct him. As he

made his appearance in the doorway the Councillors stood up. There was a

burst of enthusiasm, and the handjars flashed. For an instant he stood

silent, with lifted hand, as though indicating that he wished to speak.

So soon as this was recognized, silence fell on the assembly, and he

spoke:

"I pray you, may the Voivodin Teuta of Vissarion, who has accompanied me

hither, appear with me to hear your wishes?" There was an immediate and

enthusiastic acquiescence, and, after bowing his thanks, he retired to

conduct her.

Her appearance was received with an ovation similar to that given to

Gospodar Rupert, to which she bowed with dignified sweetness. She, with

her husband, was conducted to the top of the Hall by the President, who

came down to escort them. In the meantime another chair had been placed

beside that prepared for the Gospodar, and these two sat.

The President then made the formal statement conveying to the "Gospodar

Rupert" the wishes of the Council, on behalf of the nation, to offer to

him the Crown and Kingship of the Land of the Blue Mountains. The

message was couched in almost the same words as had been used the

previous day in making the offer to the Voivode Peter Vissarion, only

differing to meet the special circumstances. The Gospodar Rupert

listened in grave silence. The whole thing was manifestly quite new to

him, but he preserved a self-control wonderful under the circumstances.

When, having been made aware of the previous offer to the Voivode and the

declared wish of the latter, he rose to speak, there was stillness in the

Hall. He commenced with a few broken words of thanks; then he grew

suddenly and strangely calm as he went on:

"But before I can even attempt to make a fitting reply, I should know if

it is contemplated to join with me in this great honour my dear wife the

Voivodin Teuta of Vissarion, who has so splendidly proved her worthiness

to hold any place in the government of the Land. I fain would . . . "

He was interrupted by the Voivodin, who, standing up beside him and

holding his left arm, said:

"Do not, President, and Lords all, think me wanting in that respect of a

wife for husband which in the Blue Mountains we hold so dear, if I

venture to interrupt my lord. I am here, not merely as a wife, but as

Voivodin of Vissarion, and by the memory of all the noble women of that

noble line I feel constrained to a great duty. We women of Vissarion, in

all the history of centuries, have never put ourselves forward in rivalry

of our lords. Well I know that my own dear lord will forgive me as wife

if I err; but I speak to you, the Council of the nation, from another

ground and with another tongue. My lord does not, I fear, know as you

do, and as I do too, that of old, in the history of this Land, when

Kingship was existent, that it was ruled by that law of masculine

supremacy which, centuries after, became known as the Lex Salica.

Lords of the Council of the Blue Mountains, I am a wife of the Blue

Mountains--as a wife young as yet, but with the blood of forty

generations of loyal women in my veins. And it would ill become me, whom

my husband honours--wife to the man whom you would honour--to take a part

in changing the ancient custom which has been held in honour for all the

thousand years, which is the glory of Blue Mountain womanhood. What an

example such would be in an age when self-seeking women of other nations

seek to forget their womanhood in the struggle to vie in equality with

men! Men of the Blue Mountains, I speak for our women when I say that we

hold of greatest price the glory of our men. To be their companions is

our happiness; to be their wives is the completion of our lives; to be

mothers of their children is our share of the glory that is theirs.

"Therefore, I pray you, men of the Blue Mountains, let me but be as any

other wife in our land, equal to them in domestic happiness, which is our

woman's sphere; and if that priceless honour may be vouchsafed to me, and

I be worthy and able to bear it, an exemplar of woman's rectitude." With

a low, modest, graceful bow, she sat down.

There was no doubt as to the reception of her renunciation of Queenly

dignity. There was more honour to her in the quick, fierce shout which

arose, and the unanimous upward swing of the handjars, than in the

wearing of any crown which could adorn the head of woman.

The spontaneous action of the Gospodar Rupert was another source of joy

to all--a fitting corollary to what had gone before. He rose to his

feet, and, taking his wife in his arms, kissed her before all. Then they

sat down, with their chairs close, bashfully holding hands like a pair of

lovers.

Then Rupert arose--he is Rupert now; no lesser name is on the lips of his

people henceforth. With an intense earnestness which seemed to glow in

his face, he said simply:

"What can I say except that I am in all ways, now and for ever, obedient

to your wishes?" Then, raising his handjar and holding it before him, he

kissed the hilt, saying:

"Hereby I swear to be honest and just--to be, God helping me, such a King

as you would wish--in so far as the strength is given me. Amen."

This ended the business of the Session, and the Council showed unmeasured

delight. Again and again the handjars flashed, as the cheers rose "three

times three" in British fashion.

When Rupert--I am told I must not write him down as "King Rupert" until

after the formal crowning, which is ordained for Wednesday, October

16th,--and Teuta had withdrawn, the Voivode Peter Vissarion, the

President and Council conferred in committee with the Presidents of the

High Courts of National Law and of Justice as to the formalities to be

observed in the crowning of the King, and of the formal notification to

be given to foreign Powers. These proceedings kept them far into the

night.

FROM "The London Messenger."

CORONATION FESTIVITIES OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

(From our Special Correspondent.)

PLAZAC,

October 14, 1907.

As I sat down to a poorly-equipped luncheon-table on board the

Austro-Orient liner Franz Joseph, I mourned in my heart (and I may say

incidentally in other portions of my internal economy) the comfort and

gastronomic luxury of the King and Emperor Hotel at Trieste. A brief

comparison between the menus of to-day's lunch and yesterday's will

afford to the reader a striking object-lesson:




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