KINDERIIOOK, a township in Columbia co., N. Y., 5 m. e. of the Hudson- river, 20 m. s.e. of Albany. It was the birthplace and home of Martin Van Buren, eighth president of the United States. The township contains 3 villages—Kinderhook, Valatie, And Niverville. Kiuderhook village has a weekly newspaper, 4 churches, 2 national banks, and a cotton-mill. • " Lindenwald," the former residence of Mr. Van Buren, is 2 m. s. of the village.
KING (Saxon, Cyning; Sanskrit, Ganaka, father, from the root Gan, to beget: " What :the husband was in his house, the lord, the strong protector, the king was among his people"—Max Huller), the person vested with supreme power in a state. According- to. feudal usages the king was the source from which all command, honor, and authority flowed; and he delegated to his followers the power by which they exercised subordi nate rule in certain districts. The kingdom was divided into separate baronies, in each of which a baron ruled, lord both of the lands, which he held under the obligation of rendering military service to the king, and in many cases also of the people, who were vassals of the soil, and his liege subjects. In modern times the kingly power often represents only a limited measure of sovereignty, various constitutional checks being in operation in different countries to control the royal prerogative. The king may succeed to the throne by descent or inheritance, or he may be elected by the suffrages of the nation, or by the suffrages of some body of persons selected out of the nation, as was. the case in Poland. Even when the kingly power is hereditary, some form is gone through on the accession of a new king, to signify a recognition by the people of his. right, and a claim that he should pledge himselfto perform certain duties, accompanied_ by a religious ceremony, in which anointing with oil and placing a crown on his head are included as acts. By the anointing a certain sacredness is supposed to be thrown.
round the royal person, while the coronation symbolizes his supremacy: There is no very clearly marked distinction between a king and an emperor (q.v.). A queen- regnant or princess who has inherited the sovereign power in countries wherelemale. succession to the throne is recegnized possesses all le political rights of a king.
In England it is said that the king never dies, which means that be succeeds to the throne immediately on the death of his predecessor, without the necessity of previous. recognition on the part of the people. He makes oath at his coronation to govern. according to law, to cause justice to be administered, and to maintain the Protestant. church. He is the source from which all hereditary titles are derived, and he nominates. judges and other officers of state, officers of the army and navy, governors of colonies, bishops, and deans. He must concur in every legislative enactment, and sends embas sies, makes treaties, and even enters into wars, without consulting 'parliament. The royal person is sacred, and the king cannot be called to account for any of his acts; but. lee can only act politically by his ministers, who are not protected by the same irrespon sibility. A further control on the royal prerogative is exercised by the continual neces sity of applying to parliament for supplies of money, which practically renders it. necessary to obtain the sanction of that body to every important public measure.
The crown (q.v.) now in use as the emblem of sovereignty differs considerably in, form in different countries of modern Europe; but in all cases it is distinguished from. the coroaets of the nobility in being closed above. The royal crown of Great Britain is described under article CROWN. The helmet placed by the sovereign over his arms. is of burnished gold, open-faced, and with bars. For the arms of the sovereign, see GREAT BRITAIN.