Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-08-02
A Prince Consort.

sentimentalism, which brought smile to The
lips of many of the distinguished guests who
witnessed the gallant exploit, and very natural
ly formed the subject of remark subsequently, in
Court circles and elsewhere. But the honor OF
being the Queens husband, however highly GOV
eted. is not without its draw backs. Queens
husbands in England are always Of foreign and
invariably of German extraction. For scion
of English royalty to marry into an English fam
ily would be to forfeit oil claim to the throne
George w indeed married Mrs. Fitzherbert, but
it was done secretly, and TO screen himself from
the consequences, the first gentleman in Europe
did not scruple to authorize his friends to deny
before Parliament the fact of the marriage
Had proofs to the contrary besn forthcoming
and they were not very difficult of access-it
might have cost him bis crown. 1t cannot be
said that in choosing Prince Albert for her con-
sort, Victoria acted unwisely. The selection OF
foreign Prince was imperative If any selection
were made at all, and it was equally essential
that he should be a Protestant. Her choice was
therefore, limited-Prussia, Denmark and Swe-
den, and some of the smaller German principal
tiles, being the only Protestant States on the
continent Of Europe. 1t would have been OBJ
jectionabe to bring about too close an alliance
between Prussia and England, by marriage
which might eventually have placed Prusslan
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 Brandehburg OF a mar
riageabe age. So the choice fell, as it has fall
en- tor the last two centuries, upon one OF those
petty German sovereignties with which English
royalty claims cousinship. But however highly
Prince Albert may appreciate the bonor OF such
an alliance, his position exacts from him certain
sacrifices which, to man of ability and indie
pendence of character, cannot fail occasionally
to prove irksome. In popular opinion, and by
provisions of the Constitution he is the Queens
husband and nothing more. In matters OF State
policy he is not permitted TO- interfere. What
euer may be his predictions, or however much
he may desire to exercise an influence upon the
government, he can neither seek to lead, nor g.
ven to advise, without rousing at once the jeal-
ousy of the English people and incurring an a.
mount 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 exigencies of his position and has played
his limited role with becoming modesty. Only
on two occasions has he been suspected OF de-
sire to transcend his prerogatives. During
the Crimean war it was alleged that be had at
tempted to assert right to be present at the
Council of Ministers, the representative OF the
sovereign, and that the assumption met with q
prompt rehuke from Lord Palmerston. 1t is e.
ven said that this spirited action on the part OF
the Premier caused acoolness to rise 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 con-
sequence by some OF the leading journalists, sup.
ported as it was by public opinion, was at least
significant intimstion of the popular determi-
nation not to permit any intermeddling with
the affairs Of government. That the warning
was not without its effect we may very reason
ably suppose from the fact that We hear no more
of Prince Albert, in relation to political matters
until recently, when the supposed procllyities OF
the Court party towards Austria has again caus-
his actions to be closely scrutiDized. sT
The duties required OF the Prince Consort are
such as any well bred gentleman, who is blessed
with good constitution, might very readily
perform. 1t is expected OF him that he shall be
pattern husband and father, to model wife
and mother, and in this respect he has certainly
not disappointed public expectation, for he has
honoraby fulfilled his marital obligations, and
can show goody quiver full OF arrows. For
the rest, he is to attend the Queen on all occa-
sons OF State or ceremony, and to assist in do
ing the honors of the Royal Household. II he
wishes to make himself still more useful and
popular, he may have his model farms, and con-
struct model tenant houses; he may patronize
Crystal Palaces, designed for the display OF specl
mems of the worlds industrial progress; he may
preside at agricultural meetings, and instruct
country gentlemen in the art 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 hls
countenance to give lustre to the turtle that gra
ces civic banquet. All this be may do, and ir
all other things outside of his domestic duties ht
may follow the bent of his inclination. He may
anuse himself with yachting off the Isle O
Wight, or with deer stalking and grouse shoot
ing in the highlands of Scotland. Two thing
alone are interdicted to him. He must not tir
with Maids of Honor, and he must not trouble
himself with politics. Both of these acts are
rqidly tabooed But unfortunately, the human
mind is so constituted that we long for tina
which we are not permitted to enjoy, and thlnl
lightly of the pleasures ot which we are tree t
partake. 1t might not be very difficult to OBJ
serve the stipulation concerning Maids of Honor
but to be debarred from discussing politics in tn
atmosphere of Court, and to be compelled
to maintain position of neutrality when km'
pires are contending for the mastery to be fore
cd to be silent when you are anxious to speak
and to conceal your emotion under veil OF sto'
ical Indifference it is, which makes the po'
sition of a Prince Consort in England by n.
means altogether an enviable one, and whicl
might even induce many q gentleman OF talent
to decline an honor that demands oft recipien
80 much of self abnegation.-Balt. Exchange.
JUSTICES OF THE PEAoE.-"Down on the riv