The sun., 1897-10-10
VICTORIA IN POLITICS.
Il RdBiD TORY AND OPPOSED TO
IRISH HOME RULE.
Her Letters to TcnuJson Disclose Her Oppoui-
ticn TO Giadstone-The Queens Vehement
Dcnuncintion OF Yellow journalism and
such Prints ms Henry Inbouchcro's Truth.
Special Gable Despatch to THE sUs

such Prints hS Henry Inbouchere's Truth.
Special Gable Despatch to THE suN.
LONDON Oct. 0.-It has often been claimed for
Queen Victoria that she was the most tactful
woman in Europe. and there is a good deal of
truth in the contention. During her long reign
shc has made very few mistakes, and until this
week no man outside the inmost court circle
could have declared with absolute certainty
what were her Majesty politics. The mistake
she has now made consists In permitting the pub
lication OF certain letters addressed by her to
Lord Tennyson in the autobiography OF the poet
just published. These letters show that the Queen
is rabid Tory, and passionately opposed in
particular to granting homo rule to ireland.
The knowledge now gained throws a strong
light upon many hitherto obscure phases of
British politics in tho last generation. Incl.
dentally they ought to increase the admiration
OF every lover Of freedom for Mr.. Gladstone.
who, wo now see had to contend not only with
warning factions but with the strongest court
influence and prejudices when he was fighting
for justice to Ireland.
Il cannot In this letter allude to politics"
wrote the Queen TO the poet In 1885, but
know what your feelings must be-" What
Tennysons feelings were may be Judged from
his reply to the suggestive little note. He
wrote: since your Majesty touches upon the
disastrous policy OF the day may say that wish
/ may be in my own grave, beyond sight and
hearing when an English army fires upon tho
loyalists of Ulster" Those same loyalists
were at tho moment threatening to cut
tho throats OF their Catholic fellow country
men and were arming to resist the Home
Rule law which they feared the imperial
Parliament was about to pass. The whole tenor
Of the correspondence now given to the world
seems to justify the suspicion that the Queen
had placed herself Mt the head Of the anti. Irish
fanatics in England and the Orangemen in Ire
land and there can be little doubt that to this
fact was due the detection of some OF Mr. Glad
stones colleagues and considerable section OF
his party. while it must have strengthened and
encouraged the House OF Lords in their fierce
resolve never to pass the bill granting home
rule to Ireland.
Another letter whereof the Queen authorized
throws light upon a curious incident in recent
| politics here, and must make Mr.. Henry La
| bouchere smile grimy.
How wish.' wrote her Majesty. that you
| could suggest some means OF crushing those
| horrible publications whose object is to promul.
! gate scandal and calumny which they invent
] themselves"
That was the royal way of describing the
| modern journalist in general and newspapers
! like Truth in particular. With this knowledge
! OF the Queens hatred of Laboucherc's news
| paper. there is cause for wonder now that
| she rcsolutcly refused in 1892 to allow Mr.
| Gladstone to take into bis Cabinet the actual
| editor and proprietor of one OF those horrible
| publications"