The herald., 1897-03-28

| Will be erected and large number of
books placed therein. In London there
VIII be created queens jubilee insti-
tute for nurses, which will have an en-
dowment of 3150,000 Besides all these.
91,0O0,o 600 have been raised with which
will be founded the Prince of Wales hos
pital fund for the purpose of meeting
the needs Of hospitals which are not
provided for by funds now in existence.
These are but few Of the more notable
benefits with which the public is con-
cerned, that are directly the result of
/ the observance which will make 1897
one of the rgeatest years in English his
| tory.
Sixty years is within ten of the num-
| Der which constitute what Is supposed
to be the allotted span of the life of man.
And Victoria has regined almost an or
dinary lifetime The history which she
has seen made is of the most vital inter-
est. The events which have transpired
are among the most notable in history.
1t is most remarkable fact that from
| the time she assembled the throne until
the present day, her interest in the.affairs
| not only of her empire but.of tbs world
Itself, has been of the keenest. Although
| entailing oftentimes a serious addition
| to the other cares and labors of state,
| she has invariably desired to be made
fully acquainted with the nature and
| character of diplomatic dealings of i'm
portance with foreign powers, and it is
no more than an Acknowledgement of
| fact to say that no minister ever failed
| to find in his consultations with the
| queen ready and cordial sympathy in
all that pertained to the wants and
| wishes of the people.
| Perhaps no event during the queens
reign illustrated the strength of her char
| acter more than that most conspicuous
one of 1883. her disagreement with
Lord Palmerston, whose headstrong
| rashness of policy and mode of action
nearly plunged England into a general
war with Europe. Palrnerston was for
war and the queen for peace as she al
ways has been. At this time, there ex-
listed the Austrian difficulty which was
so great menace to the peace OF Eu-
rope. Kossuth was then gaining the
victories that made him famous. In Mo-
vember, 1851, came the famous coup
d'etat in Paris. The queen considered
that the British government should re-
main passive and neutral. Palmerston
personally expressed his sympathy with
Louis Napoleon to the French amba assa
dor at the court of st. James, and this
officially as England's foreign minister.
Despite Palmerston's high standing and
his popularity with parliament and the
people, the queen promptly dismissed
him from office, an action which those
DeSl Cdpdplc VI Jd06ih6 DCiiCfC SoNeN
England from the horrors of long and
serious war.
Following this came the Crimean war
period in which the queen showed won
drous tact and diplomacy, together with
a knowledge of the affairs of nations
which, considering the multitude of
affairs that claimed her attention, seems
more than passing strange. Since then
wars have been prevented in Europe
upon more than one occasion by her ad-
vice and influence over her own minis
ters. Diplomatic troubles and friction
which might have led to war have been
smoothed over by her personal and for
eign influence upon far more frequent
occasions than history reveals to us.
That war between England and the
United States has been averted by the
queen on several occasions there can
be no doubt. There was the conflict
over the Trent affair. During the re-
bellion 1t was really the queens innu-
ence which prevented Great Britain
taking up arms for the confederacy. In
the struggle over the Venezuelan ques-
ton only few months ago, the queen
| took active interest and urged the course
which was finally adopted by her cab
met.
What changes she has seen during
her long rule. In the sixty years Mich
olas l, Alexander III. Alexander III, and
now the yOutnIul lNlCHOIdS IL nave as
cended the throne. Indeed, she followed
the politics and participated in the in
ternational policy of that empire for a
quarter of q century before the present
czar was born. She has seen the papal
throne occupied by Gregory XVI, by
the veteran Plus TX and by Leo XIII.
She has been in close touch with all the
foreign relations of France during two
republics and the reigns of Louis Phil
lipe and Napoleon III. She has had fire.
quent communication with the Empe-
ror Francis Joseph OF Austria, and
probably understands the complex
mechanism of that empire better than
any living person beside the emperor
himself. She has known Frederic Will
iap III Of Prussia, has been upon most
Intimate terms of friendship with WILL
fam Of Germany, and has combined the
family and state relationships of the
Emperor Frederic and the present
younthful ruler.
And yet this veteran diplomatist, wo-
man though she be, in spite of her great
age, exercises today an influence upon
the affairs of Europe which is not
equaled by any person who lives. Still
she finds time to keep watch and ward
over the social features which demand
royal attention. Although it has been
her custom of late years to permit the
Princess of Wales to represent the
throne on those occasions of social state
known as the queens drawing-rooms,
only few days ago she departed from
her usual custom and received her guests
In person. 1t Is &. high honor these DAYS
to be presented to England's queen, for
the occasions are rare indeed when op-
portunity offers.
With all the honors which have been
showered thick upon her, honors even
for royalty, she has steadily deprecated
the necessity of woman occupying her.
self with the cares of state. And this
depreciation Is not a matter Of policy,
but heartfelt, for while the queen wishes
to detract in no whit from the duty of
royalty, she is always a woman, never
other than motherly and domestic life
oners to her peace, a tranquility never
found In the pursuits to which SO many
women aspire.
1t may pc said for monarchy as 1t has
been said for the stage, that 1t has given
woman an opportunity and career de-
MED her elsewhere. No system Of gov
eminent yet devised by man save mon
archy alone could have secured for wo-
man such an innings as the queen has
had. All existing republican systems
have carefully provided against the pos
sibiltty of any woman ever having any
such chance by denying to all women
any legal right even to stand as candi-
date for supreme office. From the or
dinary point of view this alone would
turn the balance In favor of the queen
and womanhood as an example of what
the sex Is capable.
To tell all that the uueen's iuhiIee