The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-05-24
A BIRTHDAY.

Today wherever there is an Eng
lishman, he it in the burning South
or the frozen North. or amid the green
lanes and pleasant meadows of the
home land, whether it be in the col
ony that owes allegiance to the moth
er country, or a small knot among a
mass of other nationalities, is cele-
brated the birthday of Queen Nicto-
ria.
In the list of .sovereigns that have
for over thousand years graced and
disgraced the British throne, there is
no name that shines brighter than
that of Victoria. 1t is a curious fact
that Great Britain has been eXcep-
tionally fortunate in her Queens, and
fortunate during the period that they
held sway. The reign of Elizabeth
gave woman of commanding char
acter and keen political foresight, 1t
was also a reign to be remembered for
the brilliancy of its soldiers, sailors,
writer's and politicians, and it is odd
that Queen Victoria is being advised
at the present moment by the direct
descendent of Queen Elizabeth's chief
adviser. Lord Salisbury traces his de-
scent from Cecil, Lord Burleigh, who
played so eminent part in Elizabe-
than councils.
The reign of Anne was another
brilliant period for the British mon
archy. OF Anne herself there is not
much to say. In character she could
compare neither with her ancestor,
Elizabeth, nor with her latest success
sor, Victoria, but the period of her
reign was marked by brilliant mill
tary and naval achievements, by po-
litical victories and by a remarkable
literary activity, which has caused
that time to be named the Augustan
Era of English literature.
But brilliant as these two relgns
We're, their glory pales before that OF
England's present Queen. She has
reigned from blooming youth to hon
ored age, and during that unprece
denied period has never once lost he
popularity, but has ever won to her
self and her throne the hearts of he
people. And it is not by her own pco
pie, those who owe her allegiance
that she is honored. but there is not
country upon the face of the globe
where her name has not reached, ant
where her virtues and goodness arr
not known and eXtolled.
1t is in this that the greatness o
Queen Victoria lies. 1t is not tina
during her reign tn material wei
fare of her nation and its dependen
cies has increased wonderfully, tina
her generals have been victorious
that her merchants have been pros
porous. that writer's of the creates
brilliance have put forth their bes
work, that the secrets of science hav
been discovered and made to minis
ter to the wants and needs of man
hiht' hCSN N'i maj III
reign as one to be remembered in his
tory, but what makes it, the most re
markable is in the character of tn
woman. 1t is as the woman far NOR
than as the Queen that she is admire,
and honored. When one thinks of tn
characters of Queen Nictoria's imme
date predecessors, when one read
Thackeray's Four Georges, or tn
Memoirs of Madame D'Arblay, ant
sees the pictures of court life and o
society that are there portrayed, on
fully realizes what Queen Victoria is
and what by the beauty of her char
acter and the purity of her life, sh
has done for the people who are for
tunate enough to have her reign owe
them.
So thoroughly is Queen Victoria ad
mired and beloved that no matter i
what country of this globe they ma
be, men of British blood find all res
dy to join heartily in the sentimen
when uttered of
GOD SAVE THE QUEENl