The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-19


selection were made at all, and it was equally
essential that he should be Protestant
Her choice was, therefore, limited Prussia,
Denmark, and Sweden, and some of the
smaller German princpalides. being the only
Protestant States on the Continent of Europe
1t would have been Objectionable to bring about
too close an alliance between Prussia and England
by a marriage which might eventually have placed
a Prussian Prince on the English throne, and thus
virtually unite the two crowns; and, moreover
there was not at the time to which
we refer any younger member of the House OF
Brandenhurg of manageable age So the
the choice fell as ii has fallen for the last two CEN
tures, upon one Of those petty German sovereign
ties with which English royalty claims cousinship
But however highly Prince ALBERT may appreciate
the honor of such alliance, his position exacts
from him certain sacrifices which, to a man
of ability and independence of character
cannot fail occasionally to prove irksome.-
In popular opinion, and by the provisions
of the Constitution, he is the Queens husband
and nothing more. In matters of State policy he
is not permitted to interfere Whatever may be his
predictions, or however much he may desire to
exercise an influence upon the government he can
neither seek to lead nor even to advise, without
rousing at once the jealousy of the English peo-
pie and mourning an amount of odium from the
consequences Of which not even the well-known
loyalty of the English to their sovereign would
shield him. For the most part Prince ALBERT has
carefully submitted to the exigences of his posi-
ton and has played his limited role with becoming
,oJa 0n1 on fu.oO hoe ha hrau
peced of a desire TO transcend his prerogatives.-
During the Crimean war it alleged that he
had attempted to assert right TO he present at
the Council of Ministers, as the representative of
the sovereign, and that the assumption met with
prompt rebuke from Lord PALMERsToN. 1t is
even said that this spirited action the part Of
the Premier caused GOODNESS to arise between
the latter and the Court, which has never since
been entirely obliterated. However this may be,
the statement was very generally believed
at the time and the indignation expressed
in consequence by some of the leading
journalists, supported as it by public opinion,
was at least a significant intmaion of the popu-
lar determination not to permit Of any intermed-
ding with the affairs of government. That the
warning was not without its effect may very
reasonably suppose from the fact that we hear no
more of Prince ALBERT, in relation to political
matters until recently, when the supposed pro-
clivities of the Court party towards Austria has
again caused his actions to be closely scrptnzed.
The duties required of the Prince Consort such
as any well-bred gentleman, who is blessed with
a good constitution, might very readily perform.
1t is expected of him that he shall be pattern
! nd fat ta al IIifaa nd thor
and in this respect he has certainly not disappon
ed public expectation, for he has honorably full
| filled his marital obligations, and can show a
goodly culver full Of arrows. For the rest, he is
| TO attend the Queen on all occasions of State or
ceremony and to assist in doing the honors of the
! Royal Household. If he wishes to make himself
still more useful and popular, he may have his
model farms, and construct model tenant-houses
he may patronize Crystal Palaces, designed for
| the display Of specimens of the worlds industrial
progress; he may preside at agricultural meetings,
and instruct country gentlemen in the art and mys-
terry of raising good crops and breeding fine cattle
He may occupy the chair at the annual gatherings
of scientific associations, and may even lend the
light of his counenance to give ustre to the turtle
that graces civic banquet All this he may do,
and in all other things outside of his domestic du-
ties he may follow the bent of his inclination. He
may amuse himself with yachting off the Isle of
Wight or with deer stalking and grouse shooting
in the highlands of Scotland. Two things alone
are interdicted to him. He must not flirt with
MAIDS Of Honor, and he must not trouble himself
with politics. Both of these acts are rigidly Ia
booed. But unfortunately, the human mind is so
constituted that we long for that which we are not
permitted to enjoy, and think lightly of the plea
sures of which we are free to partake. 1t might
not be very difficult to observe the stipulation con-
corning Maids of Honor, but to he debarred from
discussing politics in the atmosphere of a Court
and to be compelled to maintain position of neu-
trality when Empires conending for the mas
terry; to be forced to be silent when you are anx-
ious TO speak, and TO conceal your emotion under
a veil of stoical indifference-this it is, which
makes the position of Prince Consort in England
by no means altogether an enviable one and which
might even induce many gentleman of talent to
decline an honor that demands of its recipient so
| much of selfabnegation.