The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—The good people of Halifax have had a
sad disappointment. They had been preparing to
repeat on no unworthy scale the grand London
" reception," and associate their town for ver with
this new spring and dawn of British Royalty.
From tiers of windows, from miles of galleries, from
behind barricades, over the heads of thousands of
Volunteers, they expected to feast their eyes with
one eager look at the personage believed to be the
luckiest and the happiest, and as good as the pret-
tiest, woman in the world. They knew much more
about her than the citizens of London knew, and
all that they knew increased their interest and their
liking. A programme of the reception was prepared,
much like other Royal programmes. The Princess
and her husband were to leave Marlborough-house
at an hour when most ladies are trying to repair the
short night's rest with a few more minutes of for-
getfulness; she was to do a seven hours' journey by
; she was to drive through an enthusiastic mul-
tit'ide to the Mayor's residence, fitted up for the
occasion with dazzling magnificence ; there she was
to have luncheon, and then visit the staple manu-
factories of the town, all to be in full work for the
occasion, and surrounded by loyal mobs anxious to
see and be heard ; she was then to return to the
Mayor's and meet a distinguished circle of the
county nobility and gentry. This was thought to
be a quiet day—a rest, in fact, to prepare for the
next, which was confessed to be a hard one. There
were processions, views to bo seen and admired,
asylums, almshouses, and schools to be visited ; a
People's Park to be inspected; hymns to be heard
sung by many thousands; a church to be looked
into, said to be the most beautifnl modern church
in England, and a Town-hall to be opened, with
speeches and a luncheon,—all in one long proces-
sion, and without the least respite from music and
hurrahing, flags, devices, and decorations of all
kinds. There is nothing so enterprising as loyalty,
and wherever there was an opening some private
demonstration was to meet the Royal eye and ear.
As good subjects we cannot but be pleased to find
all England so like our own dear warm-hearted me-
tropolis, quite as obtrusive, quite as fussy, quite as
certain to give us too much of a good thing. Indeed,
to this day, though the Princess has been now five
months going in and out among us, and her sweet
face is the best known face in London, the people
sill run after her, and stand for hours in Pall-mall
and the Parks to catch a sight of her, and follow
her with their eyes, as if the sight were " guid for
sair een." So the people of Halifax have a good
deal to say for the complex arrangements by which
they expected to give every body within twenty
miles several opportunities of feasting their eyes on
this fair vision of British Royalty. We are very
sorry indeed that they have been disappointed.
But, though British loyalty will hardly take any
denial, we must be excused if we reserve a little of
our concern for the cease of the disappointment.
We wish that her Royal Highness had health and
strength to undergo as many receptions and other
celebrations as would continue to give pleasure to
her and her adopted country. The disappointment,
however, is one that must inevitably arise now and
then from the much overlooked fact that Princes
and Princesses are men and women. 'With our own
experience of the shortcomings of this poor human
nature, we have often been amazed at the work ex-
pected and ruthlessly exacted from Royal person-
ages. It must be thought that they are of more
than mortal mould, and at least of heroic endurance.
Some one has observed that the heroines of romances
appear to be exempt from all the conditions of hu-
manity, and are scarcely ever known to eat, drink,
or sleep, or simply amuse themselves. There must
be much the same measure of Royalty, from its
earliest years. A young lady, about the age at which
many ladies are leaving school, and are supposed to
require the tenderest treatment, is expected to be
driven any number of miles in an open carriage, in
sun, rain, wind, or even snow, amid the most stun-
ning sounds and the most dazzling sights, and in-
cessantly bowing with sweetness and intelligence.
From her carriage she is expected to be ushered to a
seat where ten or twenty thousand people
will never take their eyes off her for an
hour, and, having a bright sun at their backs,
will be able to make a good phrenological examina-
tion of the Royal features and expression. While
they have nothing to do but to stare, the lady
will have to take part in a programme, to exchange
courtesies and make pretty speeches, and always to
be a little on her guard against the mistakes and ab-
surdities of people not so accustomed to these things.
That has to be repeated sometimes again and again
in the course of one day. Ordinary people must be
aware that on the smallest indisposition they excuse
themselves from a dinner, a pic-nic, an archery, or
a croquet meeting. Though they will have nothing
to do but to go and sit still, if they prefer it, yet,
if they are not perfectly well, they generally prefer
to stay at home. But a royal personage is supposed
to be exempt from colds and catarrhs, from head-
aches, " rashes," neuralgia, and all the small com-
plaints which so often reduce a dinner party to 13,
and deprive a pic-nic of its chief expected ornament.
James 11. was driven to abdication at last by a
bleeding of the nose which lasted three days, and
resisted all appliances. Should a similar visitation
make a royal personage invisible for that length of
time in these days, when the public had been led to
expect a daily appearance, we tremble for the result.
The truth is, the poor British public do not see much
that is above their own monotonous condition and
their own dull sphere. We have few pomps and
pageants, except funerals ; we have few military
shows, few palaces thrown open to the public, few
gorgeous churches, not many exhibitions of fine
arts, and few suites of rooms, splendidly decorated,
thrown open weekly or monthly to the respectable
classes of the town or the neighbourhood. The
British fireside is the pearl of great price, for which
we consider we have sacrificed everything else, and
a very dull pearl it is sometimes. co when a
" princess" is to be seen—the princess of our fairy
tales, a princess from across the seas, speaking a
strange language, picked out from one knows not
how many princesses, no doubt with a good fairy
godmother, and a long story of her own,—all this
pent-ap yearning after something higher, grander,
and better breaks out, and England really knows no
bounds to its loyalty; it becomes madly loyal, knows
no restraints in common sense or decorum, and, if
it could, would fly into the bright spot and burn
itself outright, like a moth at the flame of a candle.
It is hard on the people of Halifax that when
London and its neighbourhood—for Gravesend and
Oxford are both on the Thames—have had their fill
of royalty, and have worked royalty, walked
royalty, ridden royalty, and driven royalty almost
at discretion, for near half a year, the loyal York-
shiremen should not be allowed one good stare.
Still, the greatest strength and the longest effort
break down at last, and London for the present has
reaped so good a harvest, and reaped it so close, that
there remain no gleanings for Halifax. So let us
offer what consolation we can. The good people of
Halifax have had the pleasure of anticipation, and
what is more they have it still, for their curiosity
is still unsated. They have something to hope for.
Meanwhile the Princess, everybody admits, is very
" like her photographs." What Londoners usually
see of her is a momentary glimpse, leaving just the
recollection of a pleasant face, and the feeling that
they have given themselves a good deal of trouble
for a very momentary view. Halifax, too, having
now done her best, has a claim on royalty, and may
ask any compensation in reason—the restoration of
her old Gibbet Law, if she wishes, and her famous
" Maiden." The next time our new royalty goes to
the North we hope it will be able to take in Halifax.
We had almost forgotten one consolation. The
Prince would forgive us if we had quite forgotten it.
They have seen him, and we honestly believe him
to be worth seeing—at how much a head is more a
question for the Halifax window and gallery letters
than for ourselves. A good-natured, sensible, well-
intentioned, and popular young Heir to the Throne
is a sight not to be despised in these days. The
Prince does his duty well in a position which makes
more demands than people are generally aware of.
Everybody thinks he would like to be a Prince, but
that is generally because he wishes for the chance
of doing the very things which a Prince cannot and
must not do. Our Princes are servants of the State,
and so take care they do not forget it, The Prin-
cess, we trust, will shortly make her' journey to
Scotland a little more quietly, and with a little more
regard to her powers of endurance. She and hers
must remember that it is not the strongest, and
certainly not the most willing, who last the longest.

PosT.—Diplomacy is no doubt a very difficult
science. Negotiation and interference always pro-
ceed upon delicate ground, even where the matter
concerned is but a small quarrel between husband
and wife, or the determination of the proprietorship
of a piece of waste lying between two vast and
wealthy properties. When, however, the subjects
dealt with concern great and powerful nations, when
mighty interests and strong passions are in conflict,
the task of the diplomatist becomes arduous and
anxiously intricate. The difficulty is much enhanced
if the popular voice interferes, and deafens the ears
of those in consultation with cries either for war
or peace. People should understand what they
mean when they use these words ; we cannot always
be unfurling oriflammes, nor can we be for ever
Piping pastorals beneath summer trees. We must
obey the laws which oblige all to movement and
exertion, and impute to each in his degree active
responsibilities. Of this the Polish question is an
apt example. We cannot shut our eyes to it, nor
can we altogether withhold our hands from it.
The limes wishes to go to sleep, like Beauty in
the wood, forgetful of the inevitable awakening
by the Beast. Our contemporary sees in the whole
matter a French plot, in which we are to serve as

instruments ; bat in taking this view of the matter
he loses sight of the fact that alliance gives us the
right and power of control, whilst, were we to stand
aloof and take no part whatever in the affairs ot.
Europe, we could have no right to interfere at tbs
last to iinent to prevent arrangements which mig''t
be eminently distasteful as well as disadvantage-ous
who
would us. On the other hand, there are those
would rush Quixotically to arms for causes yetin-
determinate, but which they surround with a halo,
to them distinct, of " nationality" and liberty. We
must beg once more to be allowed to state the
question in the simple light in which we see it.
Russia having, by bad government, provoked as
insurrection in Poland, and having disregarded the
quiet remonstrances of impartial observers, has
rendered nearly the whole of Europe inimical to
her policy. That is the present position of affairs.
The conclusion is much too far off to be jumped at.
Things standing thus, it is evident we cannot
acquiesce in the right of tyranny which Russia
(.16 facto claims, nor in the disregard of treaties
vhich she practically enforces. But we are far
from war. Our dockyards are tranquil, and
Woolwich undisturbed. Abroad the same expec-
tation of peace still exists. The French Minister
of War only the other day gave leave to fifteen
thousand men, and in Austria the bustle of mili-
tary preparation is still unheard. Nor can we yet
see why it should be otherwise. The moral force
of Europe is a thing not to be despised, and it is in
full activity. We have solid ground to stand upon,
in the treaties of 1815. Russia has admitted it ;
and if, in conjunction with our allies, we earnestly
push home our just arguments, and fair claims,
they can hardly fail to be attended to. At the pre-
sent moment we are about to despatch a rejoinder
to Prince Gortschakoff's note. It was, indeed, pro-
posed that France and Austria and ourselves should
present a joint note to the Russian Cabinet, but it
has been thought simpler and not less efficacious to
adhere to the plan hitherto pursued of addressing
separate notes identical in idea; and this plan is
therefore to be pursued upon the present occasion.
The three Powers, allied for negotiation, will thus
preserve their individuality of action as well as their
unity of sentiment. The force of this joint de-
monstration cannot fail to make itself felt at St.
Petersburg, and we trust that the Emperor may
listen willingly to words which•deserve his best
attention. The Czar himself can desire no appeal
to the ultima ratio, an argument which none of
those who now address him wish to employ. The
end can surely be attained without a means so over-
whelmingly disproportionate to it. Russia is in
the wrong; surely sound reason can demonstrate
that Russia is isolated, a fact which may assist her
eonviction. We hold it, then, very premature to
look forward to a disturbance of European peace
because the forces employed in negotiation are
ample in proper hands to secure the triumph ofjus-
tice and the cause of order. if three great Powers,
with many others to back them, cannot carry to a
successful issue a negotiation based upon the writ-
ten letter of living treaties, we may well despair
of diplomacy altogether, and think that we have
once more entered upon the age of iron. Cannon
balls might then succeed to winged words; but it
would be a disgrace to our age if justice to Poland
and to Europe could not be obtained without re-
course to brute force. We have boasted that opinions
are stronger than armies, and in this matter which
now disturbs us, if we can count triple phalanxes as
against the Czar, we can also reckon the weight of
unanimous reason against isolated wrong.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

......

LEEDS-TUESDAY.

To-day the demand io; wheat was moderate, but last
Friday's quotations were not exceeded. A few samples of
new were offered, but the quality was far from fine. Other
articles were at about the same rates as last week.

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MARKET HARBOROUGH—TUESDAY.
The crops are now ripening fast, and harvest work baS
commenced. Wheat promises a good yield.
White wheat, 48s to 51s ; red, 44s to 47s per 36 stone.
Malting barley at —s to —s per qr. ; grinding, 27s to 29s
per 30 st. Oats, old, 24s to 265; new,.,l9s to 22s per 24
st. ; beans, 38s to 42s per qr.

NEWCASTLE-TUESDAY.

A =delete supply of wheat, and the attendance of the
trade was thin. Business was quiet, at the prices of last
week. Other articles were much the same. Around here
harvest prospects are excellent.
Old white wheat ..54s to 60s I Old red wheat, ..53s to 56s
New do. 49s to 54s New do. ..44s to 48s
Malting barley....37s to 42s I Oats. 23s to 305
Grinding d0.....29s to 32s I Beans

SHEFFIELD—TUESDAY.
Red wheat, per lead of 3 imperial bushels 18s Od to 19810 d
White 7, f
20s Od to 21s Od
New red ...16s Od to 18s Od
f f
New white „ fl lBs Od to 19s Od
Beans l6s Od to 19s Od
Peas, per qr .. :9 f I
46s Od to 56s Od
Grinding barley, per qr 3os Od to 32s 04
Malting ditto, „ .. 34s Od to 38s Od
Oats ii, 22s Od to 28s Od
Flour, is 7d to 2s Od per stone.