The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-20 00:00:00

THE PRINCESS LOUISE.

, If anything were wanting to complete the strange and
awful contrast between our condition in England and
that of our neighbours during the past summer—a con-
trast which makes people who are only divided by a nar-
• row sea seem to belong to two different periods of the
world's history—it would be supplied by such an an-
nouncement as has come to us from the North during the
past week. While abroad the spirits of ruin are unchanged,
and at Paris men are looking forward to a siege
which promises to be such a one as the world has never
seen since that of Jerusalem, here in the Highlands there
has been going on a charming idyl, which seems too ro-
mantic for businesslike days like ours—a love-making
between noble lovers, a Princess of England and the
heir of one of the greatest of the historical names of
Scotland—which is like a bit from one of Shakspere's
exquisite forest plays, "As you Like It," or "Love's
Labour Lost." In the midst of the tremendous spectacle
which the death-grapple of the two mightest nations
of Europe presents, a spectacle of which we have 'perhaps
not yet seen all the horrors, it is pleasant to turn our eyes
to something of public concern which also touches and
awakens our home sympathies—a royal marriage, in
which the monotonous routine of such events, and the
tame interest excited by them, are varied by the
novelty of a deviation to the path which courtship and
marriage follow among ordinary mortals. But the
contrast is great and subduing, nevertheless. There is
nothing in the arrangement, as far as the outside
world can see, but what is bright and promising ; though
it comes at a time when our thoughts are taken up with
other things, and when it is not easy to give
much room to an order of feelings which do not harmo-
nise with what our minds are full of. It is important, as
marking a change of view,-both political and social. The
policy of which the old Royal Marriage Act was the
symbol had a good deal to say for itself in
the times when the Act was passed. Questions of suc-
cession had a real importance which we may hope they
have lost under our present circumstances; and in days
when " King's friends " and " Prince's friends " affected
the working of government and deranged the natural
balance of parties, it was well that there should be in
some directions an impassable line drawn between the
Crown and the subject. But there is not the same
necessity now : and at the best, the policy it-
self was a jealous one, harsh in its spirit, and as
likely to do great mischief in one way as to save
great inconveniences in another. It has been ncticed that
such amarrlage almost necessarily involves the sacrifice of
a political career : and that the son-in-law of the Queen
could not be named, for instance to the Government of
India without an inevitable outcry against a Court job.
This is probaby overstrained. From some paths of
political life Lord Lorne must make up his mind to keep
himself. But as to the others—and the one named
belongs to this class—it will depend on himself whether
public opinion will approve of his finding employment in
them. If he is capable and does his work well, people
will not grudge a Duke of Argyll the opportunity of doing
service to the country, because he is connected also with
the Royal Family. When we are a little more familiar
with what is now felt as a considerable change in the
relations of the Queen's family to the rest of her subjects,
we shall probably find that many things, which now
seem like difficulties and embarrassments, will settle
themselves more naturally and easily than we suppose.—
Guardian.

COMIC PAPERS.
(From Punch.)
THE BEST " ROYAL MARRIAGE ACT.".
Louise's engagement.

'—The Princess

A correspondent inquires whether the Germans will
care so much for the Watch on the Rhine now that they
have got the great Strasburg Clock.

A QUARTER OF A MlLLlON.—Germania : "Neutrality,
indeed ! You ought to have helped me I" France : " Non,
non ! it is me you should have helped !" Britannia
(packing up bales for sick and wounded marked £250,000) :
" I am doing my best to help you both."
GRAMMAR OF ASSENT.—The result of the Roman
Plebiseitum may be thus summarised. It was " Yes, Yes,"
instead of " No, No." (Subaudi Pio.) But if it had been
"No No," what then ? All one. Two negatives are
equal to an affirmative.

NEUTRALITY IN A NUTSHELL.—Bernstorff : " It is very
unfriendly of you to export arms to France during this
war." Granville: "Wasn't it very unfriendly of you, during
the Crimean war, to export armsto Russia ? " Bernstorfi :
" 0, but that's no reason why you shouldn't do as you'd be
done by ! "