Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-03
THE FACTS ABOUT THE QUEEN.
why EngIishmcn Smile When Ameri
cans Gush About Her.

THE FACTS ABOUT THE QUEEN.
why Englislimen smile when Amcri-
cans Gush About Her.
tMoncure u. Conway in Cincinnati Commercial
Gdzcte.l
II is about time that Americans should
be given Il hint that they are in danger of
making themselves little ridiculous in
the way they sometimes indulge their sem
timental side in speaking of Queen Vic.
toria. Not long ago l was present at the
annual dinner given by the Novimagians,
club Of antiquarians, good many gen.
tlemen and ladies' being there, when ex-
Governor Halliday, of Virginia, made
spe ach, i'll which he fairly decorated
"Thnt Noble Woman" with rhetorical |
Kohinoors and left her framed in q con-
stellation of admiration points The
English people smiled and winked at each |
other; there were whispers about dis |
tance lending enchantment, and about
the curious notions prevailing in the
American provinces. And now comes
Grace Greenwood, who has settled her.
self in London for a time in order to
write Life of Queen Victoria, for the |
young. | found her also taking the most
picturesque views of Victoria and her
career, and gathered from her remarks a
lesson as to how mythology is made.
Some paragraphs in American papers,
about the time Of the queens birthday,
show how potent is the perspective of
three thousand miles in making romano
tic figure out of as prosaic figure as
ever sat on throne. The English peo-
pie are loyal TO the throne every man of
them would shed his last drop of blood
for his queen; but. personally, queen
less loved, or even cared for never reigned
in England than Victoria. If one hears
any enthusiasm expressed for the queen
in this country, unless 1t be in the neigh
borhoodof Balmoral, he knows the speak
er to he an American. 1t is ascribed to
American good nature. combined with
provincinlism. Nodoubt Americans wish
to say the neat thing, but they arc less
provincial than the English ms rule, and
it is n wonder they should be deceived by
the formal compliments which usage 1e
quires the chairman to utter when pro-
posing 'the health of her majesty
a Truly Loyal subject.
have never heard or read but one
toast speech which expressed genuine
personal admiration, and that came the
other day from the region of Balmoral, to
be copied by English papers as n joke. 1t
is vouched to be IL verbatim report of a
speech ut an agricultural show dinner,
aNd is worth quoting. The chairman be-
gan
"Now, gentlemen, will We a fill your
glasses, for I'm aboot to bring forward
the queen. (Applause) Our queen,
gentlemen is really wonderful woman,
if ! may say it she's one o the guild auld
sort, nae whigmalceries or falderuls aboot
her, but douce daecent body. She's
respectable beyond a doubt. She has
brought up grand family O. weel faured
lads and lassies her auldest son being n
credit to any mother, and they're a weel
married. One daughter is nae less than
married to the Duke o Argyll's son and
heir. Cheers. Gentlemen, yell may
be no believe il, but l once saw the queen.
(Sensation.) / did. 1t was when L took
my auld brown COW tae Perth Show.
remember her well such color, such
hair-Gnterruption and cries of, is it
the COW or the queen We are proposing?
The queen, gentlemen l beg your par.
don, but | was talking about the COW.
However, us to the queen, somebody
pointed her out tae me at Perth Station,
and there she was, smart and tidy-like
man ut Lame slips away ye need ma re
(Cheers). Now. gentlemen, the whisky
guid, the night is long, the weather j,
wet and the roads are soft and will harm
naebody that comes to grief, So off wi
yer drinks tae the bottom. The queen.
(Cheers)
Her Najesiy's Unpopularity.
The queen is certainly not liked by tn
English people. have formed prett
large acquaintance in the course OF twen
ty years residence here, and I do no
know enc English man or woman VIII
personally like or admires the queen
She is varionsly objected to as morose
morbid, stingy, grasping, ugly, suller
ill-humored, and torpid if not stupid.
do not say that these opinions of her ar
correct, but they are generally held
though of course, not publicly express
ed. There are number of English RAJ
icals of the Bright school who set hig
value on the queen really because she hi
brought large degree of unpopularit
on the throne They would like her
live long time, because every year I'll
people learn more and more how unin
portant the throne is to them, and al
gradually forgetting the traditions
court splendor and gayety Their appr
citation Of the Victorian reign is MS lit
complimentary to the queen personal
as the dislike Of the average people. III
queen has offended the most inhuenti
women of England by her hostility to 9
movements for enlarging the sphere
occupation and influence of her sex. IT
thinking and literary people are asham
that her only effnsive patronage should
accorded to military men whose glori
have been won by attacks on small tribe
Tho grent conservative middle class
upper and lower) sneer at her heapi
up idle millions of money and givi
none of it to the Prince of Wales, VIII
he performs most of the ceremonial
ties for her. Again say, am not mt
ing charges against the queen. but
porting them, and if any one thinks
ungracious to report them, respect tn
sentiment and demur to their judgmel
1t is important that Americans should I
be misled by the loyal silence of Engli
writers and speakers concerning facts
pregnant with importance as these.
long as our countrymen Mt home or abrc
indulge in eloquent platitudes about