Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-03-09
Queen Victoria.
Baltimore American.

Baltimore American.
The first result Of the attempt upon
the life Of the Queen of England will be
an outburst OF loyal love to that we'll.
beloved sovereign, and a fierce wrath at
the would. be assassin, that people on this
side OF the ocean. in view Of recent
events can perfectly understand. This
wrath, blind at first, may become more
| concentrated when the m itive Of the
wretch becomes better known. IL may
he in doubt Tor several days, or longer,
whether IL was the spontaneous act Of a
single man like Gulteau, or the result
of conspiracy like that which caused
| the death OF the late Gar. Monarchs
are getting shot at at frequent rate in
these days. The Kings oi Spain and
| Italy have both been targets for bad
I narksmen. Emperor Wilhelm has still
"a considerable part Of "A load Of buck.
shot in his body. The Emperor OF
| Russl would not bc safe for one hour
on the streets of his capital. The orator
who defended the Nihilists who were
/ condemned the other day justified all
of the creed of the prisoners except
| reeicide. But reeicide in England would
! be disastrous folly. II would throw
| back the liberal movement indefinitely
| II II should appear that IA radical con.
| spirAcy ia at the bottom Of this attempt
| on Queen Victoria for ~ will cause "A
! conyersatiye reactiOn that, though gen.
erous in feeling. will bc utterly IRA.
! tionAl. Radicalism could not make u
| greater blundcr than 10 STAY the good
/ and much loved Queen for her success.
cor would come To- the throne with "A
stronger conservative and reActionary
support than under any other circum.
stances. These are, however, mere polit
| ical considerations; but there Is in this
country Ms well as in Great Britain n
veneration for the woman, apart from
! the respect for the sovereign, that will
make the attempted crime unspeakably
odious. IL will not be forgotten that
! this illustrious lady sent wreath Of
| flowers to lay on the bier OF our dead
| President, and that she wrote with her
own hand to Mrs. Garfield kind letter
Of hope and encouragement. She was
| honored As n noble lady before she
| showed this tenderness to the wife OF
| our murdered President; but there is
| now felt for her "A warmer sentiment,
and il any hurt had befallcn her II
would have been most sincerely lament.
ed by America.
Popularity does not exempt an illus.
trious person from dangers OF assassina
ton. The young Kings of Italy and OF
| Spain are both popular; old Wilhelm
/ oi Germany u popular; Lincoln and
| Garfield were both extremely popular.
| Queen Victoria has been loved most
! loyalty from her accession TO the throne
until now. Yet. she has several times
been in danger Of assassination. In
| June. 1910. lad named oxford tried 10
kill her again, in 1872, John Francis
made a similar attempt, and was sen.
| fenced TO death for IL. but his sentence
vas commuted to imprisonment for life.
It Is much to be hoped that Roderick
| Maclean may turn out to be insane-a
| purely irresponsible lunatic The worst
| that could happen would be proof that
| the attcmpt Was the result Of q delIber.
/ ate plan conceived in a political con.
/ spiracy. Should it turn out to be a
socialistic plot, or a Fenian plot, or a
radical plot, or a perverted religious
| plot Of any kind, England would be
/ stirred 10 It's depths, and passion might
for a while take the place OF calm rea
/ son. The temper shown toward Brad
laugh. the temper shown toward Ireland.
are already unwisc. How much more
unwise they might become II it should
/ turn out that Socialism or religious
| fanaticism. or radicAliEm, or Fenianism
were responsible for this bastard assault
on the venerable lady whom all Britons
delight to call their gracious sovereign