Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-21
OUEEN VICTORIA,s MARRIED
LIFE.
domestic and Public Affairs.


= The book lately issued in England giving
tbe life of Prince Albert, late consort of
Oueen Victoria, written under the direc-
tiou of the Queen, is as touching and beau
tiful in its personal narratives as it is inter
estino, and must exercise salutary infiu-
ence ia the domestic relations OF civilized
society. No small part is written by the
Oueen herself. The translations of the let
tiers of Prince Albert have been made from
German into English by the Princess Hell
ena. the eldest unmarried daughter of the
Queen. We give space to the following
further extracts from this most interesting
volume:
THE FIRST YEAR OF MARRIAGE.
olA very interesting chapter of this volume
Is that which describes ''The First Year of
Marriage" The demeanor of Prince Al
bert is tus alluded to: -,
ssft must be admitted, however, that con-
stantly, unostentatiously, and persever-
jngly as he now gave himself up to the
discharge of his new duties, he was eX-
nosed. almost during the whole period of
his life in this country, to much -mlscon-
ception and much Misrepresentation. MOI
for that, however, did he for one moment
relax in his efforts, or allow. his zeal to
fac. in seeking to promote all that was for
the good OF the British people. His ac-
tions might be misunderstood, his opinions
Inioht he misrepresented (of which there
was more than one notable instance)-
| Note bythe Queen: Especially at the COM
mencement of the Russian war1-Dut, sup
ported by his own conscious rectltude, ne
stiIl nursued the even tenor of his way.
Not a complaint, not murmur, ever es-
caned his lips: not a single hasty express
sion did he ever indulge in, even towards
those who were not unjust to him. He ac-
cepted such injustice as the lnevltaDle lou
of one placed, as he was, in high station,
y, iror
when his motives and actions would be
better understood and better appreciated
by his adopted country.
ssThe principle on which he always acted
was ITO use his own noble Words to
sink his own Individual existence In that
of his wife, to aim at no power Dy nlmseiI
or for himself, to shun all ostentatlon-to
assume no separate responsibility before
the public but, making his position en-
tirely a part of the Queens continually
and anxiously to watch every part OF tile
public business, in order to be able to ad-
wise or assist her at any moment IN any OF
the multifarious and difficult questions
brought before her-sometlmes poiltlcai OF
social, or personal, as the natural head OF
her family, superintendent of her house
hold. manager of her private affairs, her
sole confidential adviser in politics, and
only assistant in her communications with
the officers of the Government"
THE PRINCE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
1It was not, however, for some time that
the nosition as described as above was
established. For the first year or two the
Prince was not, except on rare occasions
and by special invitation, present at the
interviews of the Queen with her minis
rers. Note by the Queen: But this was
not from any objection on their part.]
Though taking, the Queen says, great
mains TO inform himself about everything,
and though Lord Melbourne expressed
much anxiety that the Queen should tell
him and show him everything connected
with public affairs. = He did not at
this time take much part In the transactlon
of business
aNor were there wanting those who
would gladly have kept him permanently
estranged from it, and not only so, but
would have denied him, even in domestic
circles, that authority which in private
families properly belong to the husband,
and without which, it may be added, there
cannot be true comfort or happiness in do
mestic life. The Prince himself easily saw
the necessity of asserting that authority.
sIp nv home life,' he writes to Prince Low
enstein, in May, 1910, i am very happy
and contented but the difficulty in filling
my place with proper dignity is, that L am
onIy the husband, not the master in the
house,"
THE PRINCE AND LORD MELBOURNE.
"Fortunately, however, for the country,
and still more fortunate for the happiness
of the royal couple themselves, things did
not long remain in this condition. Thanks
to the firmness, but at the same time gen.
tleness, with which the Prince insisted in
filling his proper position as head of the
fam;iy-thanks also to the clear judgment
and right feeling of the Queen, as well as
her singularly honest and straightforward
nature-but thanks, more than all, to the
mutual love and perfect confidence which
bound the Queen and Prince to each other.
it, impossible to keep up any separa-
tion or difference of interest or duties be-
tween them. To those who would urge
upon the Queen that, as sovereign, she
must be at the head of the house and fam-
lily, as well as of the state, and that her
husband was, after all, but one of her sub
iects, her Majesty would reply that she had
solmenly engaged at the altar to 'obeys' as
well as love and honor;' and this sacred
obligation she would consent neither to
limit nor refine away.
ssFrom the first, too, the Queen, acting
on the advice of Lord Melbourne, commu-
nicated all foreign dispatches to the Prince.
In August, 1910, he writes to his father:
s.Victoria allows me to take much part in
foreign affairs, and think have already
done some good. always coHimit my
.1--f