The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-07
Queen Victoria in ireland.

To the world in general few things could
be much more surprising than the enthu-
siastic reception which has been extended
casion of her present visit to Ireland, after
an absence of forty years. Before the event
indications were not wanting that the aged
sovereign might be met in the chief city
of her Irish kingdom with chilliness if not
with open discourtesy. On the contrary,
st. Patrick himself could hardly have been
more warmly greeted in Dublin than the
Queen has been.
The fact reflects the highest credit upon
the Irish good sense and good heart. Ev-
cry intelligent son of Erin knows that,
under the British Constitution, the ruler
of the United Kingdom has very little
positive political power That Victo-
ria is a political quantity at all is a con-
sequence merely of her remarkable ability
as person of affairs and her wide knowl-
edge and understanding of the politics of
all nations. Her influence over English
statesmen of every sort and utilization has
been and is very great but no one can say
L
any party or in the way of interference in
any scheme of legislation proposed by the
parliamentary majority of the day. She
has accepted and has been guided by the
advice Of and has Loyalty supported Con-
servative or Liberal Ministries with equal
eheerfulness and dignity. Wherever her
influence has been exerted II has been in
behalf of patriotism, justice. and mercy.
Possessed of a constitutional prerogatiye
of absolute veto she has never but once
exercised 1t, and that only on the petit
ton of the Government, endorsed by oppo-
sition leaders in both houses of Parlia-
ment in a case where palpable blunder
had been committed in passing an act
which afterward was found TO be improper
and unenforcible, and the veto was the
readiest means for getting rid of it. IL
this country We have ample reason for
feeling kindly to the good Queen, for It
was largely through the exercise of her
friendly influence and that of her noble
husband that Great Britain and the United
States did not fly at each others throats
over the Trent affair, an incident of our
civil war
Irishmen would have to be other than
what they are if they could be cruel or
ungallant enough to visit the sins of the
whole British nation upon this feeble little
old lady. sorely stricken in years whose
pure and wholesome court and family life
and personal uprightness have made her
the exemplar of English speaking wom-
anhood. We are more than pleased TO see
that the men and women of the Emerald
Isle have opened their hearts to her In
so doing they have not only shown no
biIity, but time will doubtless prove that
they have materially advanced the inter
ests of their country. Their attitude APP
peals with grace and power to that world
sympathy and sentiment which nations
no longer dare to flout, and We shall be
greatly mistaken il the history of sue
ceeding years does not show a far better
spirit toward ireland in Westminster Hall,
and a much greater willingness TO do her
justice, than has been observable in the
past Both Her Majesty and the Irish
people are to be sincerely congratulated
urop The happy rapDrochement