The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1871-10-07
NO. 80.
Queen Victoria and a Regency
From the Philadelphia BuIletin.l

From the Philadelphia Bulletin.l
The condition of Queen Victorias
health is not only causing great anxiety
among those of her subjects who have
a personal affection for her, but it is ex
citing much uneasiness concerning the
political complications that may arise in
case of her death. Mr.. Disraeli, the
leader of the anti ministerial party, made
a speech, yesterday, in which he alluded
to the Queens health 10 very despondiug
language, and one dispatch states that he
declared that she was physically and
mentally incapacitated for reigning any
longer" This startling assertion, com
ing from man of such prominence, is
said to have caused much consternation
and some of the papers have suppressed
it in their published reports of the speech
But if it rightly represents the Queens
condition, there can be nothing gained
by eoncealing it,
Whatever may be the exact nature Of
the malady OF maladies with which Queen
Victoria is afflicted, there can be little
doubt that she is unfit to bear the re-
sponsibilities and cares of government.
Since the death Of her usbapd, which
occurred at period in her life which
is always a critical one with women, she
/ has been profoundly and morbidiy mel
ancholy, and from the reports concern
ing her condition, it may be Inferred that
she has at last sunk, or is sinking, into a
state Of mental alienation resembling
that of her grandfather, George the
Third. The ministers and the people
under that monarch long refused to &C
knowledge that he was an imbecile; but
at last Regent had to be appointed.
and the rest of the Kings life was that
of a harmless madman. Even in that
condition, it is probable that the king
dom would have been better off with
some other temporary provision than the
Regency of the Prince of Wales, for the
scandals, social and political, of that
period left stains upon the history Of the
Court of Great Britain which were only
wiped out when the good and virtuous
Victoria came to the throne.
The people Of England may well look
forward with solicitude and dread to a
new regency, under another Prince Of
Wales, who seems to inherit all the char
acteristic bad qualities of his great
uncle. But precedent, which is part Of
the uDwritten British constitution, will
make the prince the Regent when his
mothers incapacity is fully established.
From the language of Disraeli it is evi
dent that it is already established, and
while there may be the same effort to
conceal it that there was in the case of
George III, it must be acknowledged
before a great while. This will bring
about crisis in English affairs that will
deeply interest the people of all nations.
Monarchists will watch anxiously to see
whether the jus divinuns will be recog
nized so fully as to enable the Prince of
Wales to take the reigns of government
peaceably, while the Republicans of all
grades, in Great Britain and in foreign
lands, will hope that the occasion will
be seized of Transforming the British
empire into a Republic. The Queen S
son and heir has not particle of the re-
spect and affection of her subjects and il
does not seem probable that they viii
quietly assent to his elevation TO rhe po.
sition of head of the nation.