St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-01
THE ENGLISH SUCCESSION.

The seventy-frst birthday of the
queen of England was celebrated dur
ing the past week. following close on the
birth of child to the Duchess of Fife,
the queens granddaughter. The Prince
of Wales himself is announced to be in
ill-health, and already man past mid
die age in point of years-has grown old
rapidly and suddenly of late, as men
will. The queen continues well, and
the end of her reign seems as remote as
it did ten years ago, and people are
specializing as to whether there is not
likely to be in England repetition Of
Germany's experience with its royal
family. Should the Prince of Wales
die without occupying the throne, or
after short reign, the succession would
pass to the Duke of Clarence, his old
est son. and the world would be treated
to the picture of the two greatest
| nations of Europe ruled over by
| men so young as to be without expert
ence and to have their characters and
capacities still open to question and
doubt. The emperor of Germany has
shown himself thus far possessed of
vigorous and aggressive disposition,
| anxious to achieve great things for his
| people, but maSterful, Self-Sufficient,
and insistent on his own right to direct
! the way without suggestion or counsel
from others. The Prince of Wales,
son is not popular in England, as is his
father-is said to have bad health, I'M
attractive manners and Indifferent
ability. The peculiar construction of
the English constitution makes the
character of its monarchs comparatively
unimportant, because they have no such
power and authority as a German en-
| peror, or even an American president.
| They exert moral influence on the
| national councils if they are equal to it.,
however, which may at times be very
useful for good. The American repub-
lie, for example, has debt of gratitude
to Queen VICTORIA and her noble con-
sort for the stand they took during war
times which can never be repaid. Had
1 it not been for their personal interven-
ton, the Union forces might not only
have had the Rebellion to put down,
but the English army and navy
to battle against. No minister of state
ever had a more delicate task to per-
folm than WILLIAM II. SEWARD in his
treatment of the MASON and SIIDEI.L
trouble. These two men, ENJOYS from
the Confederate states. had been taken
by an officious Union captain from an
English vessel while on their way to
England, and PALMERsToN, who was
then at the head of the English govern
ment, was bent on demanding their sur
render, and an apology in tones of such
imperativeness that our government
would have been bound to resent his at
titude. 1t was the queen and Prince
ALBERT who tempered the violence OF
his dispatches by their personal inter
vention, and gave Mr.. LINCOLN and Mr..
| SEWARD an avenue of honorable re-
treat from the complication. Had a
weak or foolish man been ON the throne
the slave power might have received
through this incident the foreign assist
ance it was looking for and the cause OF
freedom might have been worsted in the
contest. The queens heart responded
to the wrongs of the black man and she
had influence enough to help the har.
rassed men who were working fer him