The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-06-29
The Queens Jubilee

Yesterday the queen and empress Of the
greatest commonwealth the world ever
saw left Windsor castle and entered the
capital she SO seldom graces with her
presence. She has reigned over her vast
possessions for full sixty years, full of
honor and glory, of fame to herself, Of
happiness to her people, of ever increas-
ing prosperity to the kingdom and en-
pire, the area of which has increased by
leaps and bounds during all this golden
period. The religious celebration of her
jubilee began on Sunday. The secular
ceremonies began yesterday, and began
fifty with her reception at Buckingham
palace of the special ambassadors and
congratulations to the great sovereign
and homage to the woman in whom royal
and personal virtues are so admirably
blended
Nowhere outside her own dominions is
the queen regarded with more true af-
lection and respect than in the United
States. The ambassador Of the presi-
dent is also the ambassador of the Ameri-
can people. He bore with him more than
official messages. He received from the
queen something more than a formal re-
the president and Ito the great nation of
our kinsmen." 1t is a phrase which will
live in American hearts. They rejoice
to know that her majesty, with all her
eight and seventy years of noble and
strenuous life, is still in the full> vigor of
her rare mental and physical powers.
The queen is appalled,. it is said, at the
greatness of the celebration in her honor.
The enthusiasm Of her people has risen to
a height which none foresaw. There is
a fear lest the multitudes of today prove
unmanageable. Sir Edward Bradford,
chief of plOice, according to one authority.
computes the probable number of people
in London for the jubilee at Il, 900, 600. The
estimate is very wide CT the mark. No
such number could get there. or stay
there, or see anything, or get away again.
The railways could not carry them. But
the very eXaggeration is a good measure
of what is expected and of the magma
tive energy which has taken possession of
the minds of those who commonly have
very matter-of-fact notions about things.
The occasion is so great. being, in truth,
unique, that strange views of the real
meaning and intent Of the pre-
vail. This and that and the other thing
or person ought to make part of the pro-
cesSion. say Jealous advisers. Mr.. Glad
stone is shut out. Science and literature
are not recognized: Art has no place.
There seems to be many we'll meaning
Englishmen, mostly CT the radical kind,
who would have the jubilee a sort of
worlds fair, or a tades union demoStra-
ton, or a circus with side shows and Mr..
| Edison's photograph travelling on wheels.
with a printing press in front OF the
a monarchical pageant into a triumph
for modern democracy.
The queens advisers may be excused if
they do not take that view. The views
they do take are these:
This is a testimonial of national hon.
! age to the queen personally. 1t is because
her majesty has sat for sixty years and
more on the throne and has ruled not
| only longer than any other English SOW
| ereign, but ruled wisely and well, that
England now crowds the streets OF her
| capital and the multitude cry hosanna.
2. 1t is a demonstration of military and
naval strength. 1t is meant to make clear