The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-12 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

TlMES.—Rather leas than once in five years the
British Government has to go through the process
of appointing a King. Of course, it has occasionally
to assist at thy selection of a Monarch who may or
may not be the founder of a line as long as, Hugh
Capet's or an empire as wide as that of Augustus.
It has also to fill a great number of small governor-
ships, for which there are generally plenty of ap-
plicants. But there remains two dignities, one
kingly, the other imperial, yet subordinate. The
difficulty in their case is not to select, but even to
find a candidate. It is true there are men of rank
and wealth,and a certain degree of ability who will
go anywhere and take any rice that promises dis-
tinction and power, and that may afford them the
opportunity of attaining by one great effort a posi-
tion beyond the reach of their character or their
lives. No doubt there were others who would have
liked to find themselves Governor-General of India,
but Sir John Lawrence happened to be the only
man practically on the list. His work is one of im-
perial dimensions. The kingly state we coupled
with it is the Viceroyalty of Ireland. The holder
of that office has to perform the part of a king in a
city which communicates with the Home-office by
11 hours' posts and instantaneous telegraphs. Yet
for the time he has to be every inch a king, and so
much is this insisted on that an inch or two mote
or less really enters into the selection. He must
make regal appearances, and be the chief character
in pageants of royalty. He must give banquets to
guests of whom he knows nothing, and for weom
it is difficult, under the circumstances, to get up a
real and intelligent interest, He must preside at
openings and lay foundation stones; he must in-
vest with the lustre of royalty exhibitions and
bazaars; he must exercise a discriminating patron-
age in fat pigs and articles in bog oak ; he must
wear as many coats, distribute among his friends as
many poplin dresses, take as many pills, and sacri-
fice as many teeth as the State tailor, the State
draper, the State physician, the State dentist may
consider their due. H- must exhibit himself to ad-
miring strangers in the Viceregal pew, surrounded
by carved cherubim and gentlemen in gorgeous
uniform. He must make an occasional progress for

the purpose of seeing with his own eyes what he
finds it was wholly unnecessary to see, and what
everybody tells him he knows less for the seeing and
had better have taken upon their description. After
a time he is glad to resign the cares of State, and
nobody asks him to stay. " Welcome the coming,
speed the parting guest," is the rale of the country.
If he has spent all his allowance, and no more, he
is fortunate; for he might certainly have done
worse, not only there, but anywhere else. But
thenceforth he forgets Ireland, and Ireland him.
The dynasty of the Viceroys is as a roll of the
Pharaohs. They who know the Peerage by heart
know also the succ. ssive occupants of the Lodge in
Pnceeix Park. But even in Ireland, it you asked
either the people who went in procession in O'Con-
nell's honour the other day, or the savages who
burnt his effigy at Belfast, the names of the Vice
roys he had denounced and abused, not one in a
thousand would be able to reply. No wonder that
the office is more and more difficult to fill. If the
inevitable progress of change now and then upsets
a real throne, how much more its semblance! It is
not only the office and all its circumstances, but the
men who should fill it, and the age too, that are
changing. The taste of the day rejects idle dis-
tinctions, and pomps that are only vanities. Lord
Carlisle has been long enough at Dublin Castle. He
is in bad health, and considers himself entitled to
resign. Who can be got to take his place ? The
Duke of Devonshire and Lord Lansdowne have
been mentioned, but they ate both occupied with
reel kingdoms far more important and responsible
in the management of their own estates. Real work,
too, requires the relief of real comfort and rest; and
these are not to be found in a daily course of vice.
royalty. Lord Bessborough is said to be disin-
clined, and that most perfect of all the great
officers of State, Lord St. Germans, has been once
more thought of. What is to be done when nobody
will take the place if he has anything better to do,
sad is quite free to choose ? Happily, there is now
and then a good man not placed so entirely to
his liking as. to shirk an untried burden. • Lord
Wodehouse is an Under-Secretary, and has been
one far too long. He has been Minister in Russia,
and his mission to Denmark, if it was not work, was
not play. From a task that "no fellow" could do
to one that any fellow can, if he has common sense
and good manners, may seem a great change ; but
from things impossible to be done, and things im-
possible not to be done, there is no such great in-
terval. Both are mere spectacles. The merit in
both cases consists in the tone and gesture, the so-
iemnity of the phrase, and the gravity of the de-
meanour ; not in the result, which in both cases is
impalpable. Bat when the mimic throne is difficult
to fill, or rather, when the right people will not fill
it, and when the real work or the Irish-office is all
done by the C ief Secretary, sensible men ask more
and more, " Wny keep up the show ?" The Scotch,
whose country and capital are practically quite as
distant, have never asked for a Viceroy, and do not
find their interests suffering from the want of one.
Toe Irish, it is true, want a certain amount of
pageantry, but when we begin to ask what the ern-
pire gets in exchange for an institution not only
rather expensive, but quite out of character with
the rest of our customs, we must conclude it to be a
bad birgain. The Irish population do not stick to
Ireland the more for it. The Irish factions don't
meke up their quarrels the more for it. They don't
worship demagogues, or burn them the less for it.
Tne Irish members don't support the present Go-
vernment or any other the better for it ; they don't
keep their promises the better tor it. The Irish pro-
prietors do not and cannot live in Ireland the more
far it. lndeed,it is impossible tonameany substantial
return for a pageantry which has neither reason nor
looks in its favour. It is not only a sham, but to come
extent an imposition. A presentation at Dublin Castle
is not a presentation at St. James's, and whatever
is done on the Irish stage begins and ends there.
If men of great wealth and consideration in this
country could be induced to reside a few years at
Dublin, and give Ireland the benefit of their money,
their interest, and whatever goes rirla a high per-
sonal position, that would be so far a benefit to the
island. But there is a growing difficulty in finding
the men, and Ireland has to thank herself for a large
share in the difficulty. She does nothing to justify
the wisdom of the institution, and a good deal to
make it ridiculous. The Irish are poor, not very
helpful, and much divided in their religious allegi-
ance, a circumstance that unfortunately weakens
also the civil tie. They want somebody to do them
good, They must have an idol, but it must be one
that hears their prayers, however unreasonable, or
may be imagined to do so. The Viceregal fettsh,
much as we may respect it in this country, is a very
dumb idol there, paint it, and gild it, and feed it,
and clothe it as we may, So the natives do not
really respect it. So is it worth keeping up ? and
if it be, for whose sake is it kept up ? A few
Dublin tradesmen may answer as they please ; but
we doubt if they will get one Irishman in twenty
to Fain them.
HERALD.—It is not on account of their intrinsic
importance that the affairs of small duchies, situated
in the north of Europe, have fur a long period at •
tracted public attention. Deplorable as is the policy
of despoiling Denmark, we might, after having
witnessed previously so many instances in which
the might of the strong has overpowered the right
of the weak, have been disposed to drop the subject
for ever, were no fresh complications likely to arise
from an accession of territory to a powerful military
state. What has happened, we know, might have
been prevented by a prompter and more generous
interchange of sentiment amongst the neutral
Powers ; by 4 display of greater firmness, accom-
panied by an absence of braggadocio, upon the
part of our Foreign Minister ; by a less obvious
menifestation of pique and of contempt for the
English Government upon the side of France; by
an adoption of wiser diplomatic language towards
Russia by both the "Western monarchies, and by
a nobler chivalry upon the part of the Swedish
Cabinet. What is to come may be less at the
disposal of these countries. The interest bound
rip in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein,
which have hitherto monopolised our notice, may
for awhile be dormant ; Laueuburg is likely to
arrest the immediate consideration of Europe. Not
that the cause of the provinces which formed the
original pretext for war is now played out, but that
it will probably receive some temporary adjustment
which for a time may stop the mouth of hostile
criticism. A Duke of Augustenburg or even of
Oldenburg, may goaern the duchies of Schleswig
and Holstein, as the virtual wrap of Prussia,
without provoking the open aninice,ity of the minor
states which profess to lisien to the authority of
that mysterious body the Germanic Confederation.
If any German Power has anything in reality to lose
by the setting-up of a new ducal house in strict
vassalage to Prussia, it is Austria. Looking at the
matter dispassionately, it would be almost better
for Austria that her rival should at once annex the
duchies boldly to her growing empire, rather than
rule them by means of a substitute. As the Court
of Vienna now stands, it might reasonably demand
some compensation, should Pruasia act as in the way
supposed; but if the latter Power be content to
bide her time Austria will behold the substance
though nut the shadow, grasped by the Cabinet of
Berlin, and will be all the poarer; from a claim to
compensation being got rid of by a dexterous delay.
So much has the Austrian Empire gained by the
transfer of these duchies from Denmark to the army
Prussia;of for this in point of fact will be their
ruling body for several years. Prussia, 9n the other
hand, is iefluenced by
motives of a different cha-
racter. She has already aroused the watchful