Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-11-07
THE PRINCE OF WALES AT THE TOMB OF WASH



Froa, the London SidT Oek 1911.
History records few pregnant with nsruc
ton than the ysit o homage paid by the Prince o Wales
to the tomb Of Washington Eghty-tive years ago the
man who yentued predict thai before century SHOULD
have rolled by the heir the British Crown would pay
voluntary tribute Of the last resting place Of
the arch rebel who then bidding bold defiance 20 our
armies would have been indebted his condemnation
maniac for bis escape from condlgn pu1i-hmtnt as
traitor The despO aud his myrnid1ns iancid in those
d,ys that the world was made for bis exclusive en-.
oJmeut and that iS needed but effort of their will
70 bend its dCstnies according their selfish fncy They
might have imagined that some uueXamped good fortune
might have secured for the remains Of the uSugent gen
eral the shelter OF unknown grave; could they have
had their way his bones would have beached and rat
tied in chaius upon the oftet gailoWs. HO~ would the
obstinate and Wropgheaded old monarch have greeted
the prophecy that his great grandson would stand
with uncovered head before the arcophagus which the
mouderng dust Of the great rebel has converted into
holy shrneg
What expressions Of incredulous cOniemp. would he
have deemed strong enough to give ueranee TO his feel
nqs if any one had dared foreel that the federal
provinces which bad revoted against his rule would al
most in the space Of single genetatiOn grown into
mighty nation, ryaing the mother country IN all the
arts of peace To the Of those comparatively re-
cent times such presages would have seemed mere Idle
rawlings yet how brief space Of time has tulliced 70
convert them into statements Of familiar truths
When the nobest hero who has ever sprung up among
men buckled on the sword wi which he had vowed to
conquer his counlrys freedom, he took the field the
champion Of a comparatively feeble brotherhood Of
struggling colonies; in the ordinary course OF nature
his might be alive, yet already has the emaDci-
pated dependency grown into the foremost Of modern
empires and received its guest the heir to the Engsh
throne L. there not in this encourage ment for lalter
ing patriots whose hopes, long deferred are couded by
that heart sickness which is too Oiton the torerunner
of despair? All noble aspirations aft,r liberty may
be destined 10 receive equally speedy satisfaction; but
for the persistent soldier OF freedom the victory though
it may be SLOW is The Prince Of Wales, in boNug
before the tomb OF Washington, makes silent confession
that the day Of the autOcras is end for the
to whose ashes he does homage the living incarna-
ton Of the truth that the will Of the people is the ouy
rightiul source ofpower
We are quite conscious that such outward manifesta-
tons Of respect for great principles not always fol-
lowed by consistent actions Kings have, before now,
prcludcd arociOus crimes by solemn acts OF devotion,
Just as Italian brgands tell their beads before they mg
der the wayarer to secure bis palry store Of gold But
still we venture 10 cherish the hope that young
Prince viii bring away with him from the spot which de-
rives from the presence Of the dust Of Washington
consequence sublime than could bave been confer
red upon il by ecclesiastical rituals enduring i'm
pressous whose influence will be percepdbe throughout
his future career Tha sovereign Of these kingdoms it
is true is politically poEeress, according TO the theory
Of the constitution; bat practically, the wearer OF the
crown Welds potent influence for good or ILL., II Fog
land under Victoria, has witnessed growth ot social
morality which places il in noble eontras. with England
under George the Fourth the change although trbu-
table in some measure doubt, to the spread Of
ghtenment and the march Of human progress is also
to be ascrbed in slight degree to the fact that God
fearing and yirtuous woman sits upon the throne which
was disgraced by boaed libertine. In the man
ner the popular sympatbies Of the head Of the State
might Cgdmately exercise wholesome Influence upon
the tendencies Of legislation and approximate the
advent Of that political equality, without which there
cannot exist but shadow OF freedom The tour Of the
Prince Of Wales IN the United States will have placed
him in possession Of unfaling audote TO the mon
strous acics with regard to the effect Of domestic in
stitutons which cluug to with much pernacity
in the ars cerac circles in which those Of the Blood
Royal move.
He has not only had bis own eyes opened but he has
gained the Of convincing the few honest noodles
WHO cling to such opinions TIN ough ignorance aud Of ST.
encing the host OF crafty politicians who knowing their
rotenness profess them their selfish endS
He has been 10 land where the two grand bugbears Of
the English arstocracy-m suffrage aud TIE bal
lot-exist in full operation experimental novel.
ties but tried and approved portions Of the electoral
organization. He will be able and, honorable En-
glsh gentleman we trust he will be wiling TO bear bis
testimony that the extension Of the franchise does not
produce anarchy and ha, secret voting does not lead
either 10 Wholesale bribery or utter political demoa
ration He has dwst 10 land where no State church
lays violent hands the money OF conscientious dis
senters 10 order to swell the incomes Of lts Ministers
but each Is free to give bis voluntary support to The
teachers Of the creed which represents bis own conyie