The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-05-26
Moro than Fifty Years a Queen.

1ootcruay Inc queens birthday was cele-
DRAFTED by loyal Englishmen and Canadians.
The event really came on Sunday the oath,
but the exercises in honor of it were deferred
to Monday. Victoria now enters upon her
I'D year, the most venerable, both for years
and character, Of all the sGvereigns of Eu-
rope. Since she assembled the throne in 1887
many and great arc the changes that have
befatfen royalty in Europe or the
crowned heads of that time not one
wears the crown today. In the North
tnen relgned the old French Marshal
Bernadotte. son Of humble parents, the
soldier OF fortune In the French Revolution,
Napoleon's marshal, the chosen occupant for
Lne vacant throne OF Sweden, and finally the
founder OF royal line that still rules Swe-
deh and Norway with honor and prosperity.
mat old absolutist, the Car Nicholas,
crowned while the streets of st. Petersburg
stlll echoed with the sounds of the artillery
which had swept away in blood a popular
uprising for liberty. sat upon the throne of
Russia; and was yet good for haunting for
many years the dreams of the Turk and the
follsh and Hungarian patriots. On the
throne OF Prussia sat Frederick William Ill,
venerable survivor of the Napoleonic wars.
who had mourned the humiliation of Prussia
after Jena, and had gloried in her triumph
alter Waterloo. The French throne. which
mad been elevated so high AID sunk SO low
by the House of Bourbon, was occupied for
the last time by one of that line-Louis Phil
ippe, to be deposed and driven into exile not
many years later. The young Hapsburg
who sat on the throne of Austria, young
Frederick, was about to be driven from his
inheritance by the democratic wave that
snook SO many thrones in 1348. Maria LII,
whom no one remembers sat on the throne
OF Portugal. Italy was discordant and un.
happy, waiting for the genius of Victor
Emanuel III and Cavour to unite her. In
Denmark old Frederick vi, who abolished
serfdom and befriended constitutional lib
erty, still prolonged his mild and satisfactory
rule In Greece young Ohio. aged %, had
Just assembled the throne, all unconscious
that about quarter Of century later he
was 10 land from his pleasure yacht on fine
uay 10 De informed that while he was having
MS outing the people of Greece had con-
ciuued mat they did not want to pay
MN TO be king any longer and that
ne could consider himself as dis
charged. In Turkey a pusillanimons
deSpot named Abd-ul-meshid. who did not
much during his life but permit Christians |
TO be massacred, pretended to rule. And |
finally, upon the throne of Spain sat a youne
queen even younger than was Victoria. tire
little girl Of seven years who had already
been four years on the throne, the namesake
Oh the most famous woman in Spanish his.
sory, cnlld OF the famous house of Bourbon.
isabella, destined to life as directly oppo-
sue as possible to the life of Victoria. Vic.
torla succeeded to a country at neace and m
the love of her people. Isabella To a country
,,onr1N eu -, w wars and to the hate of her
poJp,o' Inc one has been the model SOW
oIe,sn anu motner for the lifetime of a gen.
.' Tue other for an equal time has
tation. "nu VI nei iepu-
upon the whole royalty in Eurone ia now
lar weaker IN influence and reputation than
IL was IN 1857. The descendants Of Rerno
dotte DO well In Sweden and Norwa1.
Russia is still governed by strong b.n5'
the emperor Of Austria is Respectable g.
ure; so is the king of Italy. But ROYALTY has
been banished from France, probably for
ever; in Spain child sits on the throne.
the king of Portugal is meditating abdica-
lion; and Germany, the most powerful mill
tary power in Europe, is in the hands of a
young emperor whose character is yet a
puzzle.
Queen Victoria may look hack upon the
years OF her reign with the consciousness
hat she has been wonderfully spared from
he troubles that makes uneasy the heads
hat wear the crown.