The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-08-15
Prince Albert.

| tuio Couully dpuut IIlnCc AlueTt III Is
that ne was ga good young man." and a
| little of ga prig;" and if there be any
book which might be supposed to have
! the least interest for American readers,
it would probably be life of the Prince
Consort in four huge volumes. 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 a sketch of
European politics in their relations with
| England for quarter of a century-from
1885 to 1860. The Queens Journal,
which was published some years ago, was
a singularly naive picture of her simple
character, and was full Of an unmistak
able tone of domestic happiness. Those
who read it carefully could not help in
ferring 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 pal
aces.
While he lived there was always kind
of contemptuous British hostility of feel
ing toward Prince Albert Those who
recall the earlier years of his English life
will remember the constant and coarse
chalf 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, de-
scrbes the general English dislike of all
foreigners. This was naturally aroused
by the coming of German princeling to
marry the Queen, and to take kind Of
precedence of all EngIishmen, The jeal
ousy not only lasted during his life, but
appears now upon the publication of the
third volume of his memoirs, which in
cludes 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 IA tool or agent of
Continental clique which was secretly
friendly TO Russia, and even English
members of Parliament suspected him
of hindering and embarrassing the oper-
ations before Sevastopol. Yet at that
very time he was writing the most re-
proachful and angry letters to the Rus
sian and reactionary "king Clquat' 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 hostiities.
Those who suppose the Prince Consort
to have been goody-goody, namby-
PANTY character, will be surprised to
find that he was one of the most intelli-
gent ami sagacious public men in Europe.
1t was, however, the condition Of his po-
sition that he should never appear, or
| only in a ceremonial capacity. Nobody
in England understood more clearly than
he the instructive British jealousy of him
and nobody could have rcfrained with
more tact than he from giving it any
plausible reason. Queen Anne's husband,
Prince George Of Denmark, was so wholly
suppressed politically that many persons
| are surprised to learn she was married,
although she was the mother of seventeen
children. 1t was Of Prince George that
Charles II. said Il have tried him
drunk, and | have tried him sober, but,
drunk or sober, there is nothing in him.
and his father-in-law, James H., said,
when George deserted him, a good
trooper would have been & greater loss
When his wife came to the throne the
prince was made Lord High Admiral of
England, and he was already generals
simo of all the Queens forces. But the
good sense ana tact of Albert were such
that when the Duke of Wellington begged
. him 20 consent to succeed him as com
mandcr-in-chief Of the army, Albert,
young man of thirty-oue, declined the
proposition in a way and for reasons
which convinced the old Duke that he had
made s. mistake.
The sagAclty which appears in this de
cision and the ability with which it was
stated and urged; were shown in a very
different way in the conception and or
ganizatlon Of the great exhibition of
1871, the first of the great modern events
of that kind. 1t was not an amateur or
dilettante 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 fitted for very important
and very difficult post than he. He
was naturally clever, refined, industrious
ana honorable. His youth was carefully
trained by study and travel wisely direct
ed to bis probable career. 1t was his
/ good fortune TO have in Baron Stockmar
a Mentor Of great experience and singular
/ good sense, with a genius for politics,
who was OF invaluable service to the
young prince, whom he loved as a SON.
At twenty-one Albert married the Queen
! and from that time he lived in England,
wholly devoted to the interests of that