Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-07-04
gf1istellamepns &eading.
rHE HUSBAND OF QUEEN VICTORIA

The HUSBAND UF 4UEEN t1C1VhAA' 2
If there be any general impression in this
country about Prince Albert, it is that he
was "a good young man." and little of "a
prig," and if there be any book which might
be supposed to have the least interest for
American readers, it would probably be a
life of the Prince Consort in four huge vol.
umes. Yet three such volumes have been
published, and they are singularly interesting,
both as the portrait Of man of whom very
little was really known, and as sketch of
European politics in their relations with Eng
land for a quarter of century-from 1885
to 1860. The Queens Journal, which was
published some years ago, was singularly
naive picture of her simple character, and
was full of an unmistakable tone of domestic
happiness. Those who read it carefully
could not help inferring from it a private
family history which was much more striking
than any thing which it narrated, and it has
been universally conceded that the prolonged
sorrow of the widowed Queen has had reason
such as seldom exists in royal palaces.
While he lived there was always kind of
contemptuous British hostility Of feeling to-
ward Prince Albert. Those who recall the
earlier years of his English life will remem-
Der the constant and coarse chaff that was
blown at him by common gossip. John
Bright, in a speech last Autumn, spoke of the
English hatred of Russia, and Mr.. Green, in
his history, describes the general English dis
like of all foreigners This was naturally
aroused by the coming of a German prince.
ling to marry the Queen, and to take kind
Of precedence of all Eugishmen. The jeal-
ousy not only lasted during his life, but ap.
pears now upon the publication of the third
volume of his memoirs, which includes the
Crimean war. There has been some angry
writing to the papers about his interference
with the policy of the government, and an
evident revival of the hard feeling toward the
German pauper." During the war he was
believed by many persons to be tool or agent
of Continental clique which was secret
Iy friendly to Russia, and even English mem
bers of Parliament suspected him Of hindering
and embarrassing the operations before Sc.
vastopol. Yet at that very time he was writ
ing the most reproachful and angry letters to
the Russian and reactionary "King Clcquot"
of Prussia for his Russian sympathy; and
throughout the war Albert seemed really to
have the clearest head in England as to the
truly efficient policy necessary for the vigorous
prosecution of hostilities.
Those who suppose the Prince Consort to
have been good goody, namby-pamby char
acter, will be surprised to 6nd that he was one
of the most intelligent and sagacious public
men in Europe. 1t was, however, the condi,
dition of his position that he should never ap-
pear, or only in ceremonial capacity. No
body in England understood more clearly
than he the instructive British Jealousy of
him, and nobody could have refrained with
more tact than he from giving it any plaasi-
nle reason. Queen Anne's husband, Prince
George of Denmark, was so wholly suppress.
ed politically that many persons are surprised
to learn that she was married, although she
was the mother of seventeen children. 1t
was of Prince George that Charles II. said ::
II have tried him drunk, and | have tried
him sober, but, drunk or sober, there is moth
ing in him )" and his father-in-law, James H.,
said, when George deserted him, "A good
trooper would have been a greater loss"
When his wife came to the throne, the prince
was made Lord High Admiral of England,
and he was already generalssimo Of all the
Queens forces. But the good sense and tact
of Albert were such that when the Duke of
Wellington begged him to consent to succeed
him as commander.in. chief of the army, AL
bert, young man of thirty-one, declined the
proposition in way and for reasons which
convinced the old Duke that he had made
a mistake.
The sagacity which appears in this decision,
and the ability with which it was stated and
urged, were shown in very different way in
the conception and organization of the great
Exhibition of 1851, the first of the greatmod.
ern events of that kind. 1t was not an anna
teur or dillettante work with Prince Albert.
He mastered the details thoroughly, and was,
in truth, the head of the enterprise. Indeed,
the impression is forced upon the reader of
his life that few men have been more amply
cult post than he. He was naturally clever
refined, industrious, and honorable His
youth was carefully trained by study and
travel, wisely directed to his probable career.
1t was his good fortune to have in Baron
Stockmar Mentor of great experience and
singular good sense with genius for politics,
who was of invaluable service to the young
prince, whom he loved as son. At twenty
one Albert married the Queen, and from
that time he lived in England, wholly devo'
ted to the interest of that country, cultiva'
ting at the time the most intimate familiarity
with Continental affairs, and cherishing al
ways deep and tender regard for the welfare
of his native Germany.
His position in England was anomalous,
but he early decided what it ought really to
he, and he maintained it with remarkable
ability. A paper of Baron Stockmar's, which
is now published for the first time, is the best
statement of the idea of that position. 1t was
undoubtedly in conflict with the modern the.
ory that the government of England is prop
erly that of committee of the House of Com
mons, and holds that the true constitutional
theory is that of a government of three CO.
ordinate branches-King, Lords and Com
mons This excludes the doctrine of the
monarch as a mere 6gurehead, and reserves to
him distinct personality and power Con-
sequently it would authorize the crown to dis
miss minister who was personally disagreea-
BILE to him, if he replaced him with one of
the same party sympathy; and it would also
empower the crown to have opinions and to
recommend policy, to be proposed not to
Parliament, but to the cabinet, and subject, if
accepted by the cabinet, as every recommen.
dation of the ministry is, to the decision of
Parliament. This was the view Of Prince
Albert, and he became the Queens private sec.
retary and most confidential counsellor, so
that unquestionably all her propositions were
his suggestions, and all important letters that
she signed were written by him. His good
sense and ability and knowledge, however,
were so evident to the ministers who were
brought into close relations with him that they