The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-06-13
Is England on the Brink OF n Re
public?

Is England on the Brink of n Re-
public?
The newspapers seem to assume a
little rashly this morning that the
baccarat scandal will end in the
downfall of the British monarchy at
the close of the present reign, or
sooner, and they still more rashly hail
the hypothetical event as great and
glorious. As usual, we totally dis
agree with them.
We are not prepared to discuss the
abstact question whether all mon
archy is evil, we do not desire to get
entangled in a controversy as to
whether a British republic would
be a great gain for humanity. If the
British people were ripe for it. We
think there is much to say on both
sides Of the general question. For
present purposes, however, tine only
points worth considering are first
whether Great Britain is ripe for Re
~publicanism, whether she is ready TO
abandon monarchy with all that per-
tains to it, and whether the present
scandal is sufficient to finally deter
mine the course of events towards
revolution.
We believe all these questions must
be answered In the negative. We do
not think the royal family of Eng
land could be dethroned without
deluging the British Empire in blood.
We do not believe a republic could be
established in England with any sort
of solidity within half a century at
the least, and we believe that the
miseries Of the intervening time would
far counterbalance any good that
could possibly accrue from the change
in the form of government.
1t would be superfuous to speak
here Of the strong anti Republican
tendencies of the British aristocracy,
of the landed gentry and Of the upper
middle class. That is Of course axi
omatic. But the thing that is hard to
realize Is the great numerical force of
these elements of the population
and the part they play in the
political and military life of the
country. We hear much of the
effeteness, the degeneracy of the
British nobility. much of the lazy
selfshness Of the moneyed class. But
If there is fighting to be done, we are
well convinced the courage and de-
termination that was shown on scores
OF fields from Naseby to Marston
Moor, will be found as firm and de-
voted In the present age. 1t must be
remembered that in fighting for the
monarchy these classes would be
fighting for their own privileges.
Further, these classes have COM
plete control of the army. All the
officers belong to the so-called up
per" strata OF society. They officer
the navy, the militia and the volun-
teers. Besides, the rural population
would unquestionably stand by the
aristocracy. The same traditional
family devotion which would make
the great houses adhere to the mon
archy, would make their tenantry fol-
low them Except in Wales, we do
not believe there is a sign Of disaffec-
ton In the rural population. In the
Scotch Highlands loyalty is doubtless
as 1t always was, a religious principle,
and, odd as it may seem, we would
not be surprised to see the Irish peas
antry rally about an English monarch
a they once did about James the
Second.
Q Newspapers talk much about Eng
lsh discomfort, but they seldom sift it
down to its reality. In times of ordin-
airy plenty. it appears to us it exists
only in a small band of theorists, just
as it does in this and every other
country. 1t is undeniable that in sea-
sons OF want, London and the mining
and manufacturing centres contain a
reckless population of laborers, who
are readily moved to violence. But it
impresses us that they are only for
midable as rioters. The notion that
they could accomplish a revolution Is
as wild as it would be to think that
the Partisan Communist element alone
could ever obtain the mastery OF
France. As we estimate the situa-
ton, the elements which adhere TO
the monarchy either from motives of
devotion or selfishness, or both, are SO
vastly more numerous and powerful
thai any that are arrayed against it,
that the prospect of a change of gov
eminent is beyond the vision of this
generation OF men.
As for the present scandal, it has
unquestionably impaired the repute
OF the throne. Some have likened it
10 the "Affaire du Collier" which is
loosely spoken of as one of the causes
of the French Revolution. 1t is
true that, like the Queens Neck
lace. the Princes Counters may become
a by word for English mobs. 1t is
true that the Ease will bring disgrace
on the future sovereign of England
and much more deseryedlv than the