New-York tribune., 1879-03-27
THE ROYAL MARRIAGE.
LOYAL AND DIsLOYAL COMMENTS.


FRou THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIDUSE
LoNnoN, March 15.-For the details of the
pageant at Windsor can only refer you to the ac-
counts of those who saw 1t. But may ask your
| attention to some astonishing comments which ap-
pear in the editorial columns Of the London papers
quoted in my last letter one or two specimens of
| the spaDgled rhetoric with which certain writers
have thought fit to adorn this OCCASION
| may quote also, in support of my criticism
the remark of The Spectator that the daily papers
have, usual. burst into floods of sickening sent
ment which have no response in the people" With
characteristic good sense the same journal adds
" There can be no doubt that the marriage has the
national approval, and the married pair the good
wishes of the entire community" The only limta-
tion should suggest TO that observation would be
| the same have before indicated viz. that the
"entire community" means only such portions of
the mass of the Queens subjects as read the daily
and weekly papers Nor even that be said with
ont hesitation. Witness the way Ill which the mat
ter is dealt with by popular journal which
has a circulation of something like a quarter of
million. The radcalism of The Weekly Dispatch
does not find vent in Indignation, but in satire. 1t
is grateful chat the world has thus far been spared
| the melancholy sight of the British Crown going
a-begglng from want of heirs. Through the grace
of Providence and the teeming issue Of our lusty
1
slumbers of the leges." For this and other good
reasons, the radical rejoices in this newest royal
marriage and bids the Prussian Princess welcome
! after fashion of his own:
With one hand TO his hat, n token of respect and
w W' Tue n R s bs % ' WIN oTd
huzZas whenever he is called on 10 contribute OF his
superfutes toward the housekeeping expenses OF those
foreign prnce>ses princes, the case may be, who
from time TO time agree TO share the good fortune OF our
reiguiDg hOuae
IL 81 90 nf Uor
Majesty in fixing the ceremony at Windsor instead
| of az London; and says
| IL would obviously have been inconvenent for the
radesmen and artisans Of London II during the pre-
marriage ceremony, with ts attendant processlons'
umnatiOus and expt nse had taken place IN the Zoe.
days work to such as mad the advantage OF having
any work to do; 1t would have fallen heavily upon
! those half cream-cOlOred state nags
stabbed solitary splendor III the news attached to
Buckingham Palact-uOble sceds unused Of late years
To hustle of the streets and the tumu OF acclaim
which would be sure 10 arise at their unaccusomed ap
peardnce.
This is perhaps bitter but it Is at least sincere
as the pompous proclamatoDs of loyalty which yOu
hear elsewhere. 1t is well TO bear such expressions
of opinion in mind when you turn to the narratives
and comments in those papers which are supposed
to have the greatest authority among the ruling
classes. Take The Times for example. 1t happens
now and then that this journal falls into the hands
of amateurs. 1t publishes from time to
time articles which betray their origin
in every line; articles which no journal
ist wrote, or could have written. There
is such an article in yesterdays Times on the mar
riage of Prince Arthur and the Princess Louisa
Margaret of Prussia. Current gossip attributes
the authorship of this and some others to gentle
nian whose name is well known both in America
and here ia connection With the leading journal
but not as editor, or, ordinarily. writer. don't
know how that may be, but am sure no such per-
formance would stand any chance of being printed
unless it from some person of more
than ordinary position. 1t has every mark
of bad workmanship. 1t is ambitious; it is
lyrical; it is confused; it is not English;
it is disjOInted and jcrky; it Is full of
dingy and pretentloas ornament. 1t begins IN the
highest possible key and runs through every note
down to the lowest bathos. Thus The august
ceremonial appointed for yesterday duly ran its
course with the full pomp prefgurcd in the official
programme. All was bright and lustrous from the
heralds that led the procession to the March sun
slime which anticipated July" Presently occurs
this sentence:
"If as we read we recall other festivities in st.
Georges Chapel, of winch this appears to be only
repetition that is a defect which marriage of
British Prince shares with the British COnsti-
tuition"
What defecti And what share in what defect
has this marriage in common with the British Con-
stitutioni Or what does this mean-that Eng
lishmen accept what has always been as not sub
jcct for fresh description? The awkwardness of
the phrase may be passed over. its authorship con
sdered but if marriage ceremonies like that OF
yesterday have always Deen," and II they are
therefore not subject for fresh description, why
describe them Ut six columns length Windsor, we
are told, can produce ont Of its treasure-houses
qorgeousness with which no court in Europe ex-
cept PERHAPS that of the Escurlal, can pretend to
yiep Here you catch glimpse of what is meant;
YOU pardon tho school-boy turn OF the phrase ana
the use Of an abstract for concrete term, bat you
will be more puzzled by what follows:
"Beheld by the light of foreign sun, the spec
tacle in St. Georges Chapel would wear very diff
ferent aspect to that with which Court Circular
invests it,"
whatever grandeur illustrates it and Others
which preceded and which may follow, Is no exotic
here
What have foreign suns or Court Circulars TO DO
with the spectacle III st. Georges Chapelf What is
the "aspect~ with which Court Circular g in
vests" spectacle of which the writer is supposed
TO be himself witness9 What the grandeur which
illustrates n spectacle which "may fOllowT Does II
help you to know that it is merely the natural ac-
emulation of magnifcence around an institution
strong i'll the prescription OF elght hundred years
What is the prescription of eight hundred years
The House OF Hanover sits on the throne OF Eng
land by a purely Parliamentary title. with "hch
prescription has no more to do than DIVINE rlgnt
has and which is considerably less than TWO hun
dred years old.
By and by this epithalamium takes more per-
sonal turn The career which has begun will be
watched with sympathetic anxiety, and lively de-
sire will be felt to individualze the ties between
the new household and the nation" How are ties