The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-13

had deeper origin than mere human SYM
pathy for q husband threatened with the
loss OF his wife. 1t was generally under
stood that in the event of Lady SALIsBURYs
death Lord SALISBURY would withdraw
from politics altogether, and thus compel
his party to choose new leader. Whoever
that leader should prove to be, it was felt
that the welfare OF tho British Empire
would be lmperilled. None Of the men
eligible to the position commands the con-
fidencc Of the British people as Lord SAILS
BURY does, and the advent to power Of any
OF them would be popularity viewed as a
| danger II not calamity.
| When, In 1857, Lord SALISBURY married
| his wife, lie was plain ROBERT CECIL, 27
| years old, second son, with no Immediate
| prospect OF succeeding to the MarQuisate.
| She was the daughter OF u Judge Of the now
| extinct Court of E2chequer, Baron ALDER
| SON, and older than her husband, but n
| woman OF great intellectual gifts rs well as
| personal attractiveness. The marriage was
distastefu to young CEC1L's father, and for
long time he had to exc out n scanty in
come by writing for newspapers, chiefly the
Saturday Revie,c. The death OF his elder
pIolhtl III looD pfIllliJl'l MN w dSSulll'
the courtesy title OF Lord CRANBoRNE, and
that Of his father in 1903. made him Mar
quis OF SALISBURY. Tho lneal descendant
OF Queen Elzabcth's CECIL, Lord BUR-
LEIGH, he has proved himself worthy of his
distinguished ancestor, and is the foremost
OF living British statesmen.
Lord SALIsBURY's devotion to his wife has
never tagged, and though she has not
openly influenced his political conduct, it
is so well known that she is his confldante
and counsellor, and that his own personal
ambition would not induce him to retain
office after sho was taken away, that the
destinies Of Great Britain may bo said to
depend on her. In this respect, she is, how
ever, but one Of many English women who
have played in British politics IL part not
inferior to that played by men.
Lord BEACoSsFIELD, who was Lord
SALISBURYs predecessor in the Tory lead
ership, was, 1t Is well known, indebted to
his wife even before his marriage to her
for the pecuniary assistance and the intel
lectual stimulus which aided him materially
In his struggle for power and fame. When
she became n widow she was so, and
BEACoSsFIELD IS. She was not beautiful,
but he married her, and when some OF his
friends expressed their surprise at it, and
asked ldm why he did il: Gentlemen"
said he, 'do none Of you know what gruti-
t,tde means?" His bioRrapher JAMES A.
FRoUDE. says Of her, "Sho was his help
mate, his coniidante. his adviser; from the
first he felt the extent Of his obligations to
her, but the sense Of obligation, il at flrst
felt as a duty, became a bond OF friendship
perpetually renewed" How Mrs. GLAD
STONE, too, aided her husband, by watching
over his health and comfort, and by care.
fully shielding him from annoyanccs likely
to intorfere with his labors is well known
AT an earlier period Lady PALMERsToN
was, in public as we'll as in private life,
the active ally OF her husband. She cleo
tioneered for him, intrigued for him, cxer-
cised in his behalf, upon members of Parla-
ment, ambassadors journalists and public
men generally, all her feminine talents.
This, too, she did in spite of PALMERsToN's
notorious devotion to others Of the fair sex,
and OF success with them which, Joined
to his personal beauty, obtained for him the
nickname OF Cupid"
Queen VICTORIA, also, has not been a
mere figurehead in the government OF her
empire. She had been but two years on the
throne, and was but 1 0 years old, when she
stoutly asserted, against Sir ROBERT PEEL
her prerogative as Queen to choose her own
official attendants, and delayed for two
years his accession to Office. During her
whole reign she has, although duly obedi-
ent to her constitutional advisers, required
all important measures to be submitted to
hnr pGiI tinp hafpra he, bal
and that at the time OF the affair of the
steamer Trent she changed the wording of
her ministers demands on us. SO as to make
them as little offensive as possible will al
ways be gratefully remembered by us.
We also remember with pride, how Amer |
lean women in England have shown
their talent for politics Lady RANDOLPH |
CHURCHILL, Lady NAYLoR-LEYLAND and
Lady CURzoN wife OF tho Viceroy Of India,
have been helps to their husbands no less in
public than in private life, rivalling, in their
electioneering work, the beautiful Duchess |
OF DEvoNsHIRE, who did not scorn to buy |
with her kisses votes for the candidate she |
favored. Why their sister Americans, of
equal talent and attractions, have not in |
this country, taken the part in POLITICAL life, |
that woman takes in Great Britain, is a |
question for American advocates OF the |
cause OF woman to consider.
The Mineral Wealth of the Transvaal.
Recent explorations Of the Transvaal |
have demonstrated the fact that the gold |
which has been the source OF 80 much con-
tentiOn is in reality the least valuable OF
the riches that still remain buried in the
yeldt and in the mountains
According to NJ. DANIEL belief, writing
in the Moniteur des mterets Materials, the
Transvaal is mining country in the
largest sense Of the word. Iron, cobalt
copper, and argentiferous lead ores are
found in abundance, besides important
seams of coal in convenient proximity for
the working of the other minerals. The
Transvaal should therefore have a great
future before it as II manufacturing centre;
probably not, however, before the gold
fever has exhausted itself and the people
turn to sober industry.