The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-13
TIE Exact Trsth abous Queen vsessria.
HxR rEcuLIARrTIEs : CAUSES OF HER UNPoPu
LARITY.


The Independent contains the following inter.
esting article: r.F - = 49,
two years ago, or thereabouts wretched
little paper, Published In Lausanne, Switzerland.
INDUCED itself In some scandslous stories about
the Queen Of Great Britain and the British rep
resentative at Berne. or one OF his subordinates
had the folly to elevate the libel into importance
by prosecuting the journalist. This was perhaps
the hrst time that any scandal about Queen Vic
toria found its way into print. Long before this,
however, Queen Victoria's loyal subjects had
talked about her as Mrs. Candor talks Of some of
her friends At last these whisperings began to
find distinct and open expression. A weekly
paper. called the Tomahawk, was started in Lon
don. and 1t made itself famous at once By car
toon entitled "A Brown Study
The artist represented q heavy looking Scotch
man, OF the lower class, with kilt and sporrau,
standing on the steps of the British throne, while
the British lion gazed from below with wondering
and puzzled eyes at the audacious and nonchalant
intruder-somewhat as the Emperor Alexis Com.
nerius, In SCOTS novel, looks astounded at the
imperial seat. The cartoon In the Tomahawk
was admirably executed; II was the work of q
man OF genius In his way-Matt Morgan, one of
the principal scenepainters Of Covent Garden
Theater. The paper, which had not then, and
has not had since, any literary merit whatever,
became celebrated and popular in q moment.
People were scandazed, shocked, amused, arous-
ed. Tomahawk's cartoon had, in fact, illustrated
dering at and grumblng over.
" This is the scandal about Queen Victoria. In
her personal service, her most constant and close
attendant Is q Scotch groom. or gillie, named
John Brown. He rides on the box of her carriage,
he hands her In, he hands her out, he cloaks her
shawls her, opens doors for her, IL always near
her. Popular rumor AYERS that he sleeps on Q
rug outside her bedroom door /; and, although this
certainly is not his habit, 1t il beyond doubt that
be has done so occasionally, while the queen was
travelling. BE has been so closely, indeed, in at
tendance on the queen that unquestionably there
might be grave cause for scandal were he a Rizzio
or Potemkin, even though she was not Mary
Stuart or Catharine the Second. Add to this
that the ladies Of the family of Brunswick have
not 10 previous generations been always viruous.
'Chdcun son Bat said the impertnent court
iaoy to George Ills mother, in allusion to the
famous scandal about that princess aud the Earl
Of Butte. Take further into consideration the fact
that all the West End tradesmen, dressmakers
milliners, cooks and lackeys absolutely detest
Queen Victoria, because of the dizziness created
by her long retirement; and that il has be-
come an article of faith with all that class that
he depression Of trade and even the financial col
lapse OF England are to be directly attributed to
the queens protracted and inconvenient secu
sion. Think then how delighted all that class must
have been when il first became whispered about
that the sorrow of the royal lady was not quite
heavenly, after all. Is il wonderful that the
scandal was eagerly and delightedy spread In
fact, people busiy spread it who did not in
came the universal tslk-s whisper of London.
The queen began to be spoken of in slang phrase
as MRS. Brown" Punch one day Published
under the head of "Court News" the announce
ment that MRS. John Brown walked oa the
slopes yesterday" Great mirth was created
once by an odd tumble Of names in London
daily paper, which, giving report of some pop
ular demonstration, said the proceedings closed
with the singing of ''God Save the Queen, and
John BTown"-the fact meant to be conveyed
being that the meeting sang the national an
them, and also our famous hymn to the men,
ory of the Harper's Ferry Brown. Things went
so far that the queen in her recent book ao-
tuslly inserted a passage explaining the position
of John Brown in her household Il is needless
TO say that those who love scandal and like to
believe il liked and believed it none the less
because Of this well meant attempt at ex-
plaDaton.
What is the exact truth in all this? The
green is good. pure, true-hearted womsn-e
little given to eccentricty at the best of times,
lately so shaken and even shattered 10 nerves as
TO be occasionally not quite mistress of herself.
This John Brown, an honest, dense, thick headed
Scotchman, was faithful servant OF Prince AL.
bert. His face and name are associated with the
memory Of some of Victoria's very happiest lays.
How teDderly she loved her husband, how she de-
lighted in bis society, nobody needs to be told
The classic woman who swallowed the ashes of
her dead lord did not love more wholly and alb.
s0rbDgly than did the heavy featured uninter est
ing queen of England. She cngs to the old servant
But it is beyond all question that certain faint
of nervous excitability-one does not like to call
IL madness-is an element in the feelings which
inspire the queen to defy the scandal in England.
1t is commonly said by those who defend the
queen that she labors under the deluson that the
soul of Prince Albert has been transfused into
the homely frame of John Brown. This Is a wild
aggeration but it is quite true that the manner
in which the queen connects the memory of
Prince Albert with the presence of john Brown
hae m At mi
maDiacal in it. II It is not madness (yet that way
madness lies) she bsssfrequent fits of nervous
irritation, which would seem to those unaccus.
toned TO them TO border upon frenzy. Not long
since this story is the simple trulh) two of the
cabinet ministers we're at Osborne. conversing in
a sort of informal council with her majesty. A
page, charged with some message. tapped at the
door-'wo or three light taps. The queen, who
had been talking and listening with great interest,
became so startled and excited by the sound that
she screamed, sprang up, paced the room in the
widest alarm, and for long time was utterly
unable to settle down to calm and rational
conversation of any kind. Under the infu-
ence of morbid attacks like these, there
is sometimes little reliance TO be placed on
what the queen may say, or determine, or do.
She was always somewhat inclined to be head
strong now she is apt TO form sudden plans, or
take sudden resolves. from which nothing can d.
vert Der. She will leave London and rush to 0s-
borne or to Balmora, at the most critical period
of a session, at a moment when change of min
lstry may De Impending; aDu, Wnen sue mas re-
solved upon any such escspade, no remonstrance
or advice can dissuade her. In this way she has
persisted in keeping John Brown as her personal
attendant, and allowing him to be conspicuous in
his attentions everywhere; and no servants'-hall
or club scandal can induce her to send him into
the background, or TO alter her friendly deport
ment toward him. UDquestonably this is unwse /;
but Queen Victoria is not in mental condition
from which wisdom can be always expected. She
is not mad-that is all any venture to cay.
- she is unpopular-widey and profoundly I'M
popular. Not in the active, aggressive sense.
not ss George III was once unpopular, when
brckbats and stones were pelted at his carriage
not Adelaide, wife of William Nv. was imp 1pu-
lar, when a tumultuous meeting at Charing Cross
threw up handkerchiefs IN delight at O'Connell's
daring slusion 10 Whitehall and the sovereign who
lost his head there because he slow wed himself to
be guided by his foreign wfe-in no such sense is
Victoria unpopular. But the mass of her people
have ceased to care about her, the West End dis.
likes her, gentility SANDERS her, funkeysm girds
at her. OF personal loyalty to her there is little
or none. few high minded politicians and their
followers respect her virtues and pity her great
souows, but ardent loyalty to her - DEAD.
Nova Scotian, lately In London. and
fresh with all the old-fashioned colonial loyalty,
confessed 10 the writer Of this article the profound
which came over him when he |
found that. 20 where he would in the British /