The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-18

rejected by the Prince Consort for n reason
which he communicates to Stockmar. and which
attests at once his comprehensive ambition and
his sagacity. He believed that he should weaken
his means Of attending to all parts Of the con-
sttutional position alike" IL he devoted himself
to u special branch"-that is. to translate his
thought more nakcdly. If he accepted an Office
strictly amenable to Parliamentary control.
Under these circu instances. no wonder the
queen should write: Albert grows daily fonder
of politics and business. and is marvellously fit
for both. showing such persplcacity and cour-
age" And her next words must be borne in
mind M we approach the decisive collision be-
tween her husband and great Minister: :" As
for me, grow daily to dislike politics and bust
ness more and more We women nre not made
for governing. and II We are good women, we
must dislike these masculine occupations"
The attitude Of the Crown which the Prince
Consort was thus suffered to determine cnme to
be characterized by a certain impotence OF Par
liamcntary checks. I'm politics." writes the
Prince to his mentor in 1s47, Parliament il
now the rock ahead" Again. on the eve Of an
important event, he writes in the same spirit to
the same friend: Here we have advanced u
stcp-that is TO say. Parliament il prorogued Mt
last" In short. as regards home affairs
he set himself In cautious opposition TO
what Stockmar denounced as tho ab-
surd" usurping" encroachments OF the
House of Commons. and obeyed the monition
OF his silent guide" 10 lend all the hid in his
power toward the assumption by the Lords of
their right position in the Legislature and the
fulfllmcnt Of thcr natural VOCATION" as II II
were not obvious to the peers themselves that
body Of hereditary Legislators cannot be- per
mancnt institution in free country. But II
IL
tics that the Prince Consort asserted for the
crown-that is to say. for his own judgment-a
right Of supervision and regulation. Even SO
early after his marriage IA August, 1910 the
Prince wrote to his father: Victoria allows me
to take nm active part in foreign affairs. and
think have done some good. always commit
my views TO paper. and communicate them to
Lord Melbourne. He seldom answers me but
| have tho satisfaction Of seeing him act in
accordance with what have said" Other min
listers. and particularly Lord John Russell
proved equally tractGbc. In n word the
welghty influence of the Prince Consort pres
entity became an open secret and tho heads Of
European dynnstes were not slow TO appreciate
the advantages of the situation. In the space of
single twelvemonth the sovcregns Of Russia,
Prussia. and France took occasion 10 visit Lon
don. and to their private conferences with Prince
Albert the latter's trusted adviser. stockmar.
was no stranger. Nor can II be said that In the
period Of tranquility from 1910 to 1913 the
pressure exertA by tho Queens husband on
the foreign posy of England was counter to
the true interests of the nation. But new era
was approaching. With the French revolution
OF February the spirit Of liberty awoke all over
Europe. and the line was sharply drawn be-
tween dynastic objects and popular aspirations.
In this crisis the sympathies Of the C0burs
family were not enlisted on the right side The
solidiy OF Prince Alberts credit was now for
the first time tested. and with the accession 10
the Foreign once Of n Minister who. better than
any man of his tme incarnated the liberal
sympafhies and dauntless self-assertion OF the
English people. silent struggle began. whose
issue was the substantial RELOCATION Of the
Queens consort 10 private life.
The course OF tho Official duel between Lord
Palmerston and the Queens husband must be
very briefly marked. In ISIS. when the Irish
Niscount became Foreign Secretary We are told
by Lord John Russell. then Premier that not
less than 2s,OO0 despatchcs were received or
sent out at the formers OH sr. Lord Palmer
ston." said the Prince in l.ttcr to tho Prime
Minister. must recolcct that all these papers
come 10 you ana 10 the queen as well ~ to him
SELF Now. little reflection will show that the
transfer backward and forward between Down
ing street and Windsor OF "a thousand de-
spatches daily was IA physical impossiblity.
In any case, system Of court surveillance
would have been repugnant 10 the temper and
principles Of the new secretary, who held him
self strictly accountable 70 the House ~ Conn
mons. but in his heart recognized nowhere else
a right OF dictation and control Accord
ingly state Of things onsuod which
WIS very grieyous to Prince Albert. and
must have been exasperating to Stockmar.
whose function Of counsellor suddenly
shrank into a sinecure. Not only did Palmer
ston throw the weight Of England on the side
OF liberal institutions everywhere and hasten
TO sanction the revolutionary Governments Of
Franco. Germany. and Italy. but ho allowed
himself TO speak quite rude and unpleasant
truths TO the high and mighty potentates Of III.
Continent We may mention. as characteristic
incidents, that for the outhurst II pouular in
disnatlon against the butcher" Gen Haynau
the Foreign Secretary made only a half-hoarted
and very unsatisfactory apology. and that.
although he reluctantly cons. ntel not to
receive Kossuth he accepted addresses
from the latters English friends in which
the Empcrors Of Austria and Russia
were described as "mcrcilcss tyrants and
despos.' Tho natural consequence Of this
policy was a certain GOODNESS on the part OF
majesties imperial and royal toward the Coburg
connection. The Queen. writes Prince Albert,
observed with pain as the result OF Palmer
ston's management Of foreign affairs. that lat a
moment and in a coujuncture in which Eng
land ought 10 stand b ighost in the esteem If the
world and to possess the confidence Of all Pow
ers, she was generally detcst-l. IN istrusted. and
treated with indgnity by oven tn, smallest
powers That for powers" W. ought to read
foreign dyna-tips,n and for FuslunIr nat