The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-27
"sUPPREssED PERsONAGEs..
People I'm the Underground who In
duence Courts and MOnnrchs.
From the New York Tribune

From the New York Tribune
In recording the death of the Princess
of Battenberg, one of the English con-
temporaries Of the Tribune refers to her
as a suppressed parsonage" This was
a term used by Lord Beaconsheld in GER
tain of his novels to describe people who,
although keeping in the background, and,
relatively speaking, beyond the ken of
the public, nevertheless exercise an in
fiuence upon monarchs, courts, govern
ments and national affairs in general,
an influence that is all the more pow
erful for the reason that 1t is occult.
There is no sovereign, no statesman, Off
cial or politician who Is not subject TO
some influence or another. In the ma
Jority of cases the objects of this In
fluence are unconscious of its potency
or even of its existence, while In few
such as, for instance, that of Napoleon
III, II Is good-humoredly acknowledged,
1t is a peculiar fact, however. that II Is
generally exercised by people who have
no constitutional or legal right to Inn
part any direction TO the actions OF the
great, and whom no one save the mi
tiated would ever dream to be enjoying
so much power IL Is rarely that the
husband is Influenced by his wife, the
monarch by his cabinet ministers or yet
the ministers by their parliamentary sup
porters. The influence Is usually of
more foreign and private kind, and gains
strength as long as II remains concealed
from the prying eye Of the public.
d, 6ihg ,ti''i Is 10 discover tie influences
guiding the actions of the ruler, states
men and politicians Of the people to
whose court he Is accredited. II Is not
sufficient to be acquainted with the face
OF the clock. with It's figures and its
hands; it is also necessary to know the
handspring and when once that knowl-
edge Is secured Il Is relatively easy to
Judge and even TO predict just how the
clock will 30. Some illnatured people
it to be unworthy of the profession. But
this is a mistake. There is back door
to every ottce no matter whether 1t be
that of a monarch or of a minor govern
ment official. and while it is not abso-
lutely necessary to make use of It ones
self IL is Of great advantage often to
the nation that one represents to know
Just who are the people who enter and
leave thereby.
In olden times this was far more easy
than nowadays. Kings and queens had
had the ministers of state and the dig
nitaries of the realm. Thus, in the reign
of Louis Ky, the ambassador accredited
to the court of France was accustomed
to pay their court to the Infamous Nine
Dubarry as the person who enjoyed the
highest degree of influence over the al
most autocratic king, while even In the
present century the ENJOYS of the court
of King George ~ would devote all
their attention to his beautiful Egerla,
the Warehouses of Conyngham. But in
these times when the public has been
permitted to assume the role of cen
sor and TO give expression-nay, even
force-to Is DEGREES, greater circumspec-
ton is necessary, and the persons who
enjoy the influence find 1t best to keep
in the background, and to such an extent
out of sight that their very existence
is even often unknown. save to the in
itiated.
above that all suppressed personages are
Of the character Of Nine. Dubarry and of
Lady Conyngham. Many of them are en-
inently respectable. Thus, until the death
of Prince Albert in 1861. Queen Victoria
was influenced to remarkable degree in
her actions, both political and personal,
by the German Baron Stockmar who,
having Joined the household of her uncle
and guardian, old King Leopold of Bel
GUM, as physician, ended by becoming
the principal conhdant and counsellor not
only Of that monarch but also or Prince
Albert and through him, Of Queen Victo-
ria They trusted him and acted upon his
advice because they knew II to be disin-
terested and because they knew II to be I'M
preiudiced. But his recommendations Of
ten ran confer to those of the cabinet min
listers and constitutional advisers Of the
queen, whose onerous task was therefore
rendered doubly difficult by the interfer-
ence of purely foreign influence.
For many years after her husband
death the queen permitted herself to be
influenced 70 a still more astonishing ex-
tent by her faithful but brusque Highland
glllie, John Brown. II was claimed at the
time that his influence was confined to
court circles and court appointments; but
there is no doubt that the disappearance
OF the queens once so strong prejudices
against Lord Beaconsheld was primarily
due to John Brown. who was invariably
treated by the astutc leader of the tory
party with consideration and distinc-
ton that ct first sight seemed strangely
out Of place on the part of the prime min
lister Of the vast British Empire to one
who, after all. occupied purely mental
position.
Yet another man who may be said to
have Influenced the queen for a time was
her German secretary, Hermann Sahl,
personal correspondence with all her for
eign relatives, was consulted about them
and by degrees became the adviser of her
majesty III matters extending far beyond
the province of his office.
To-day the place of Baron Stockmar
and OF John Brown has been taken TO a
great extent by Prince Henry Of Batten-