The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-23

SlTsd OF pare bsefaf5fe. In the reign OF
Victoria the wooden walls Of highlands
naey have been replaced BIZ fleets OF iron:
th@ sxifi-ssiiing packet ship. have made
roysm for trans Atlantic steamers that
errss the ocean in less than six days
'fhe reign Of Victoria has been rich in
great political reforms Of vas. and rerrua-
nest consequence The suffrage has been
20 enormously enlarged since the reform
act Of is22 tia. England falls little short
Of universal suffrage. and is almost ready
she oblitera,ion of the house OF lords as an
hereditary body. The Earl Of Dysart
fraakly says that he has no use for the
hosse o! lords until IL is made an elective
boay like the United States senate With
ths enactment OF home rule for Ireland.
hcfse rule for Scotland, Wales and Eng
land wi;i certainly follow. The drift OF
fhss English voting masses is in the dsrec-
tica Of democracy with an ominous
co.or Of socialism in il. Indeed, conserva-
tive English statesmen confess with ap-
prshensioa that socialism has made larger
strides in England than in America. The
penal code in England has been entirely
reformed since ls4s. and so has prison gov
eminent. 1t is safe 10 say that Tenny-
soa's vision of uobler manners and purer
Lars has been realized in the reign Of Vic
torsa.
While England has had few wars with
civilized nations TO develop high military
ta;snt. nevertheless her wars in India,
from the Afghan war of 1889 to the mutiny
OF 1857. produced brilliant crop OF splen-
dill soidiers-Hapier. Cough. Rose. Pol
lo;ss. Sale, Outram. Lawrence. Havelock,
Nicholson, Gillespie and Lord Clyde. The
m,sritay virility Of Ensiaad has suffered
nc decay In victoria's reign.
The creates: glory Of her reign. next to
its humane growth in better laws and
puser government. is its literature. The
Literature Of the Victorian age SURPRISES
ths, Of any period of English history save
hist Of Elizabeth and tina. Of the reign of
George the Third. To the Victorian age
belong Carlyle. Tennyson. Browning,
Dickens. Thackeray, George Eliot.
Froude. Ruskin. Cardinal Newman and
Matthew Arnold. While the great poets
of ;hc century. Byron, Keats and Shelley
do not belong TO the Victorian age. the
greatest writers of English prose of this
century. whether ia history or fiction, be-
ioHg to the Victorian age.
While Queen Victoria is not great
woman. she is a thoroughly good and
sensible woman who has filled most con-
spscuous public position with unbroken
mora! dignity and political discretion.
Her long reign has been full of glory,
peace and prosperity for England and
dr-ing her reign England's differences
with the United States have always been
peacefully solved and settled with due
respect to the rights and obligations Of
both nations Remembering as We do that
to the good will Of Prince Albert while he
lived, and TO the desire of Queen Victoria
to respect his judgment after his death
We owed largely England's firm refusal
to Join hands with France in premature
We of the United States can well afford to
hold the venerable and vencrated queen
of England in grateful respect and regard
and drink her health with hearty good will.
The two great civilizations of the world
are represented by England and tho
United States. Identity Of speech, inner
itance of blood. laws, religion and liter
atare ought to always keep us the best Of
friends. England may need our friend
sh!p some day. just as We needed the good
will OF Albert and Victoria in 1861. but
whether England ever needs cur good will
or not We are naturally friends. not enc
mics. Intelligent Americans. while they
clierlsh patriotism. do not believe in Po-
gramism. and today. on the birthday OF
Victoria, they think of England as proudly
as Shakespeare did when he made John Of
Geunt say
This royal throne OF kiags. this sceptered isle,
This earth of majesty. this seat OF Mars,
TGis other Eden. demi paradise.
This fortress built 10y Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand OF war:
Tits happy breed OF men. this little world.
Th!s precious stone, set in a silver sea
uaich serves IL 10 the Office OF a wall.
or as moa; defensive TO house,
Against the envy of sess happier lands;
TEis blessed plot. this earth, this realm, this
Engiand.
This nurse. this teefning womb OF royal kings
Feared by their breed, AMI famous by their