Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-08-29
THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND.
Her Protraeted Grief Endnngertng
Momarchy-Her Immediate ADui-
entfOn Urged.

Her PrOtFacted Grfef EuuhhSertnE
Mounrehy-Her Immediate Abdf-
cntsOn Urged.
From the Pail Mall Gazette Aug. 81
The advisers of the Queen must be
convinced by this time that her Majesty S
retirement from public life has become
something more than a subject of occa-
sional sympathetic, Responding gossip.
Little BY little it has hardened into mat
Ter of opinion and of grave forecast.
Moreover, it is a subject upon which all
classes in society, from the lowest to the
highest, think strongly, and on which
they all think alike How strong the
general feeling is, and how ready to re-
veal itself even upon slight occasions, is
shown by the progress of the discussion
TO which Col. Barttelot made the latest
contribution in the House of Commons
yesterday 1t is scarcely more than
fortnight since, advancing from the re-
gion of gentle hintand mild suggestion,we
wrote outright what everybody has been
thinking more or less for several years
past; namely that the Queens retire
ment, due to private grief, is taking the
proportions of public calamity. I'm
mediately every important journalist In
the kingdom, from the Saturday Review
and the Times downward, took up and
repeated the warning in plain, strong
language. such as is fittest for the occa-
sion. 1t is to be heard in the verses
of Punch, and it is echoed in the
House of Commons itself. Therefore
there is reason to hope that the
warning will not pass unregarded. Popu-
lar opinion, the judgment of the country,
is often cited nowadays as if it were
unalloyed wisdom. Our own faith is
not unreservedly given to that doctrine,
but those who do believe 1t should be
rather startled by the fact that here is a
case in which popular opinion " does
not mean the instincts and the Judgment
of a majority, but of the whole mass OF
the country, of every class, of every
creed, of every degree of ignorance and
enlightenment, of every form of politi-
cal persuasion. OF course it affects
various men in various ways. One 1t
makes apprehensive; another it reloices;
and there are degrees in those different
feelings, according as the overthrow OF
the monarchy in England is dreaded or
desired. But these various shapes and
grades of feeling all spring from one
universal convictioni that if the mon
archy remains for many years longer in
the shadow of the tomb, its own eXis-
tence will be threatened. We know it is
not an easy thing for the Ministers of
Sovereign to deal with him bluntly in
affairs Of this kind. We know, also,
that some Of the worst misfortunes that
have ever 5vertaken the civilized world
may be charged to a like abstention
from disturbing majesty with distress
ing portents. But Mr.. Gladstone is a
strong Minister. He is not inclined
to undertake the respect due to the
popular judgment, though he proba-
bly, does underrate the insurgent
forces that lie at the bottom Of it. Then
he, perhaps, will undertake task which
he cannot long neglect without damage
to his reputation as a Minister, or with
out suffering the accumulation of dan
gers to the peace of the State. That
they do accumulate at a rapid rate he
may assure himself, if he will consider
the state of popular feeling on this sab
ject now and only five years ago. He may
confidently expect to see still greater
advance and still deeper change five
years hence. The Queen should be adj
vised that if she is to leave the throne to
her children as safe and as comfortable
as she found it (which is desirable on her
own and on their account), and if the
country is to be spared what troubles
must arise from encouraged and plausi-
bic Republican agitation (which is not
desirable on its acconnt), the Crown must
take up the great duties which belong
to it, over and above its part in the regu-
lar work Of government and administra-
fion