The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-04-21

BORN IN THE PURPLE,

Queen Victoria is a grandmama. Through
out the British empire there is a great deal
ofjoy over the chubby little son of the ami
able young princess whose birth we recollect
announcing in 1889, SO fast does Tim. roll
itself away. Following that drumbeat
which our own immortal Webster has
made immortal, there will be much talk
ing, and congratula,ing, and hand shaking
among Britons, as tho news Of tho birth of
the Prusian prince reaches post after post
over Which floats the meteor-nag. The
event has double aspect, both of which
aspects have much interest to Engiishmen,
and some to the inhabitants Of other nations,
Asa domestic incident. it appeals to the
hundreds ofthousands of fathers and mo;h-
ers, who have experienced the same eensa
tons that now occupy the boscms of the
"royal couple at Berlin. 1t places the
great of the earth on the same level with
the humbest of Iaborcrs. And should il
please Heaven to confer upon that habv's
brow far more brilliant crown than that
eatthly one to which it has been born,
then will its parents share with the "com
mon people" tina, most incurahle of all evils,
the enduring sorrow that comes from
the loss Of children. For not even the
heavenly crown that those inherit who are
of the kingdom Of heaven ever reconc:les n
| parent to the loss Of a child. Death aud
sorrow are the great Jewelers.; and when
the former lays his icy hand on kings"
| and the latter sits down to do its perfect
work in royal palaces, the common human
hy Of high and low is best vndi"a,ed.-
The Dance of Death" is the only dance in
which we all meet, and to which We are
not admitted, but forced 10 come, the tickets
being pushed into our hands, and We made
recipients of attentions that are considered
by ourselves to he as indslicate AS they are
pressing.
The birth Of the Prussian prince is po
litical event Of no little Importance. Itis
within the limits ofpossibility that he may
be called upon to reign over the Brtisir
empire, and 60 unite the Clowns Of Britain
and Prussia on the same head. There are.
to !'e sure, several brothers Of the Princess
Rn.al of England, all Of whom, or their
offspring, might reign in that country be-
fore she or her children can have any claim
to the throne but royal families have way
Of dying out that is quite remarkable -
There is but one living legitimate decen.
dant of Louis XIV. Of France, in the male
| line, the gentleman known as the Cumte
Chambord, though that monarch had sew
eral grandsons, all ofwhom were married.,
| and had children. George Ills fourth son.
the Duke of Kent; and had any SAID, fifty
years ago, that the crown Of Great Britain
would be worn by the daughter of the
Duke Of Kent, and that daughter his only
| child. not to be born for ten years then to
como. the prediction would have been
smiled at. probably laughed at. At that time
| there stood between the Duke ofKent and
the crown the Prince Of Wales. afterwards
George w. his daughter, the Princess
Charlotte, fine young woman just getting
marriageable, the Duke Of York, and ,lr.
Duke Of Clarence, (aftewards William w.
There were four persons between him and
the throne, precisely the same number that
is between Princess Royal and the throne.
Who could have supposed tina, all these
persons would be dead in % years, leaving
neither son nor daughter; and that the
Duke Of Kent would die himself before
either Of. them. leaving an only daughter.
| who should become monarch Z Yet so it
vas. The Duke of York died in 1890,
William Nv in 1881, and the Princess
Charlotte in 1s17,-all chillness. Tile
Duke OF Kent died in 1919. Thus Ave
deaths were necessary TO give Victoria the
sceptre she ho'la. Had not her father
died so prematurely, it is probable his mar
riage would have led to the birth of SONS,
in which ease she would hardly have be.
come Queen. Now it would be nothing
strange ifwbat happened in tile family Of
George III. were to happen in that of
VictoriaI. The ,so9s Of tile latter may.
die. or they may not marry, or their chill.
dren, should they beget any in wedock,
may not live, or. thor marriage beds may
provo unfruit:ul, and SO the crown came to
fall on tie head Of the Princess Royal; os
on the head Of her son. In that case, the,
union OF England and Prussia would be a
startling event, supposing both countries to
retain their relative positions 10 sacl, other,
and to the rest ef the world, a povesejen
ssienihg at London and Bsrli6, the Hxno 2
veriah line superseded il England - tia. Of
Bfsndsobargb, would bs something aovsl
10 ssss political wcs'df though ths csns. Of