The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-13
The Future Of Royalty.


The way in which the coronation of the King
of Hungary-one of the most splendid and i'm
pressive of the ceremonies bequeathed to the
modern world by the Middle Ages-has just
been received by the European public; the
half-astOnished, half-amused air with which
the press of all countries has described it, sug-
gest some interesting considerations with re-
gard to the changes which the political as well
as industrial movements of the day are work.
ing in the prospects of royalty. 1t has been
plain for more than half a century that the
permanence and prosperity of kings in Europe
depended very much on the success of consti-
tutional monarchy. But it is now generally
conceded that constitutional monarchy is not
success. The only country in which it is be-
heved to have succeeded is England, but even
there its success has been more apparent than
real. Since its establishment there has been
only one monarch of fair ability-William III,
and he, and Anne, and 4, the first two Georges,
owed the security of their thrones not to the
fact that they were constitutional monarchs,
but that they kept out the Stuarts. George
III was a constitutional monarch only in
name; George ~ reigned by virtue of his
fathers prestige; so that it may be said that
it is only in the case of William ~ and Vic
tried; and the acutest observers concede that
Victoria is one of the last full blown monarchs
England will employ. In the countries which
have been tempted by English example into
trying it, it has either failed or shown every
sign of failing.
All monarchies in the civilized world rest
either on the feeling of loyalty or on force
Loyalty is unquestionably form of supersti-
ton which the spread of knowledge and the
growth of wealth are killing. The king. as he
has come down to us from the Middle Ages, is
'the Lords anointed''-one of a family chosen
by God for the work of governing men. His
impulses are all noble; he is incapable of mean
ness, or baseness, or falsehood; and he is
blessed with wisdom far beyond that of other
men. lie needs oounsellors, not because he
needs advice, but because he needs [ 4, be sup-
Piled with facts. Give him the facts, and such
is his power of reasoning that he is sure to
reach right conclusions. And not only has he
been chosen by God for the work of govern
ment but it is very kind and consideTate of
him to do it. Nothing must be exaoted of
him; the word duty, as indicating obligation
OF any kind towards his fellow-men, is not TO
De used with regard to him. Consequently,
when he discharges any of the functions
OF MS ohce or holds even ordinary
intercourse with those around him. he IS
sald 10 have 'deigned' to do this, to have
been "graciously pleased'' to do that Court
etiquette is, in fact, simply the expression of
the medieval feeling of the monarch's quality.
II Is mistake to suppose it was deliberately
originated Tor the sake of show or of imposing
ON the vulgar. 1t expressed the monarobis
own sense, and that of those around him, of
the relations IN which he stood to the rest of
the world, OF the immense gulf which sepa-
rated him from his fellow-beings. Nobody
was allowed 10 ask him question, or to start
conversation with him, or to turn his back
on him, or sit down or wear a hat in his
presence. Let him be never SO stupid vicious,
deprayed, cowardly and selfish. never so
plain in person or diseased in blood or
feeble in intellect, he was treated as a
superior being; and for ages the most
intelligent and enlightened portion Of The
population OF every European country
was taught, and firmly believed, that a man
was never so well employed as when devoting
all his faculties to the service of the king-not
simply of the king and country, but Of the