Prince Charles Anthony wrote to his sorely tried son:
"The description of your position has gone to my heart; I have sorrowed and suffered with you.... I have always found that a healthy constitutionalism is the corrective for caprice, and the support of a strong Government, and that, where the system is honestly employed by both sides, it has always maintained itself; but where it is only used as a cloak for anarchical tendencies, it is noxious and confusing.
"It can never injure your personal reputation if you lay down a task you are unable to complete. You have shown the whole world your good intentions and your qualifications for governing Roumania. You did not force yourself upon the country, but were elected and summoned thither; you have founded great institutions, regenerated the army and created a new system of communications, and conferred innumerable benefits on the Church and the poor; you have protected the arts and sciences, and by your family happiness testified to the sanctity of marriage; liberality of all kinds has been supported by your purse—all this secures for you, if not at present, at least eventually, a blessed memory, and proves to your contemporaries, in the event of your abdication, that it was not the imaginary splendour of this veritable crown of thorns that blinded and deceived you, but that it was the shipwreck of your honest intentions and your thirst for useful labour that matured your decision and helped it to issue in act.
"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.
Accordingly at ten o'clock D. Sturdza was commissioned to summon the members of the Lieutenance Princière of 1866 to meet the Prince at the Palace at half-past eleven. The Prince then informed them of his intention to place the government in their hands, after having held it for nearly five years.
Lascar Catargiu and N. Golesku—Colonel Haralambi was not in Bucharest at that time—both adjured the Prince to abstain from a step which they felt convinced would bring the greatest misfortune upon Roumania. The State would lapse into complete anarchy after such an action on the Prince's part, and they therefore respectfully declined to accept the burden of such a responsibility. At length the earnest entreaties of the two Roumanians gained the day, and Prince Charles consented to reconsider his decision, if a strong and loyal Ministry could be formed. Should this be impossible, or should the Chamber decline to vote the Budget, he would at once leave the country.
A secret sitting of the Chamber took place the same afternoon, when Lascar Catargiu informed the Deputies of the interview which had taken place in the morning. A passionate debate ensued on the question whether further negotiations with the head of the State should be commenced or not. In spite of the windy utterances of the leaders of the Extreme Democrats and Independents, it soon became apparent that a comparatively large majority supported the dynasty.
Lascar Catargiu succeeded in forming a Ministry composed of men who had already won their spurs in the arena of politics; but he was unable to induce the Chamber to vote the Budget. The Chamber was therefore dissolved forthwith, and with it the whole agitation ceased. It had always been confined to the capital.
The following letter was received from the Emperor William on March 30, 1871: