Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-05
Queen Victoria.
Correspondence of the Philadelphia Press

Queen Victoria.
Correspondence of the Philadelphia Press.
Victoria, however. has freaks Of kindness
which win the popular heart. She never does
things in a queeny way but she is often dis
covered doing charmngly gracious deeds in a
wOmanly way. While at Windsor, or any of
the royal retreats, she interests herself in the
people about her. Indeed this regard for the
obscure is now the cause OF her popular dis
grace 1t was to be present at ball given her ser
wants at Balmoral that she recently shocked the
aristOcracy IN negectiug to attenda state cere-
mOnial in honor of the murdered son of the
great house of Cavendish. The people at once
ascribed this heartlessness to the queens dis
like OF the liberals. and more particularly her
adherence of any one near or dear to Glad
stone; for the murdered lord was a kinsman by
marriage of the prime minister, and that, it was
argued by the people, was enough to explain
her want of tact, to call it by no other name,
in turning her back upon the bereaved family.
More German than the Germans, the queen, in
her relations with her court and aristOcracy, is
the most punctiCus of sOvereigns. She eXacts
the last degree of homage and never forgives an
omission in any of the forms of state that hedge
a sovereign. For years she shared in the scam
dals and lampOons SO freely showered upon her
son the Prince of Wales When her obstinate !
retirement from the duties of royalty had exas-
perated the English trades-peOpe, the question
of her abdcatiOn was even presented to the
House Of Commons, and, though it was smOth-
cred and its author ampooned as crazy man,
those who knew the drift of English opinion
were satisfied that the matter needed only the
support of one or two respected names to raise
it into burning question. For years the scan
dalOus insinuations against the royal anchOrite
have ceased in the English press, but her recent
conduct has given them currency. Nor
were these the inspiration of democrats eager
for republic, as is sometimes supposed.
AristOcratic scandal-mOngers were the first to
hint that there was something degrading in the
royal lady choosing rough Scotch ''giilie'' as
her constant factOtum, through whom the
proudest mobiles reached their mistress ear So
firmly grounded was this malicious story that,
when the queen visits the continent, the Jour-
nails in France significantly retail the dOings and
sayings of Brown the inseparable The queen.
however. never has paid the slightest attention
to these insinuatiOns. John Browns always on
her coach, is always at hand to perform the
offices of a valet. and holds his head as high as
trusted and confidential domestic who knows
his place secure. Unlike other queens. Victoria
has no female cOntidants. The drama of Mis-
tress Masham and Mistress Morley. played by
Queen Anne and the Duchess of Marlborough,
has had no repetition since the young Victoria
assembled the throne. Her c0nfidant was Prince
Albert, and before him Lord Melbourne. Dis
raeli succeeded, after his invention of the en-
press OF India, in gaining the cOmpletest conf
dence Of the queen. but outside of the Princess
invent intrigue and keep up cabas. In the
privacy Of her court life the queen and those
who surround her use the German language. To
win the royal favor it is only necessary to speak
German with the HanOverian accent.
For some reason the queen is not fond Of the
princess of Wales. 1t is said that the dislike
comes from the crisis in the affairs of her Ger
man kinsfOk when the English parliament was
on the verge Of joining Denmark against the
aggressiOns of Prussia and Austria The queen
quarreled with PalmerstOn on the subject. The
night after parliament broke into cheers over
victory of the Danish fleet the queen indig-
nanty told the minister that if such an affrOnt
were repeated she would go to Germany and re-
main during the war. To which PalmerstOn
bluntly responded that ii she did resolve to put
such mark of indignity upon her people she
would never be permitted to return. and re-
membering the history of her predecessors. the
quitting her realm The chief grievances
against the queen, however, are her secusion
and her stingness. Other mOnarchs keep up a
succession of state pageantries, which help
trade In countless ways. This the queen has
never done since her wldowhood. and, what is
worse, does not contribute toward the expenses
OF the prince of Wales, who is obliged to enter
tain in her stead.
This is not because Victoria hasn't the means
She is the richest and best paid sovereign in
Europe. She draws for her expenses never less
than an even 81, 0OO, 600 year. This is granted
by Parliament. Besides this she is a great pro-
prlet0r. drawing revenues from her estates that
equal the sums paid the mOnarchs Of continent
tai kingdoms. Nor does her wealth end here
Under the laws the fortunes Of ntestates OF il
legitmates. and, in some instances aliens, revert
to the crown In 1850 the queen inherited direct
million and a half from miser named Nield.
Her annual gains are further sWelled by the
revenues of the duches of Lancaster and
royalty on certain ancient royal grants in India.
Add to these the fruits of Prince Albert's lucky
investments, which were made in the heart of
the most affluent part of the London of to-day,
and it will be seen that Victoria will have stu
pendOus fortune to leave her children. The
queens wealth and her parsimoniOus boarding
of it is the favOrite grumble of John Bull, be he
aristOcrat or commOner. The Prince of Wales
with modest grant of half million from the
state and a half-milliOn more from various other
sources, likewise coming eventually from the
people, is as lavish as the queen is close. He is
always in debt. but he finds gOOd credit on his
"eXpectatiOns"
When the monarchy is brought to an end for
republic the cost of the maintenance Of roy
atty will be the main pretext-fOr every mem
Der of the queens family to the remotest degree
of cOnsanguinity is provided for in the same
generous proportion by the British taxpayers
Were all these kinsmen of English blood the
radical grumbers would be less vehement. but
scores Of the royal pensioners upon the crown
are Germans who have no sort of claim upon
the English nation. Many Of them are IN COM
which they are ridiculOusly unfit The rank of
general in the army, given the queens cousin,
Prince Edward Of axe-Weimer, is q continual
source Of jealousy and disgust to the great
mobiles, whose younger sons have to climb labor
iOusly from subordinate rank.
--->>>----
Alcohol from AcOrns.