The Irish standard., 1900-04-21
RECEPTION TO QUEEN VICTORIA.

RECEPTION TO QUEEN VICTORIA.
The following editorial from the
Dublin Freeman's Journal, the great
organ of Irish nationality, will give a
true idea Of the reception accorded to
Queen Victoria by the, masses of Irish
people:
Il pray that God may bless Ireland
with increasing welfare and prosperity"
were the words put into the mouth OF
her Britanic Majesty, as she landed at
Kingstown, by the Tory and Unionist
wirepullers, who in the very eleventh
hour OF her existence induced Queen
Victoria to visit Ireland that her pres
ence might aid them in their efforts to
kill Home Rule with kindness, and
destroy any national idea that remained
in the country. The influence of the
British ministers in touch with the
Court during her long reign, and Of
those responsible for the visit has been
to destroy that welfare and prosperity
for which her Majesty now prays. The
hypocrisy OF the utterance is apparent
to anyone not imbued with the turnkey
influence that has led the residents OF
the Irish capital mostly Protestant, and
mostly official, to parade their puny
position as symbolic OF the whole coun-
try. Fler Majesty, to whose person,
full OF great age, no word OF disrespect
or insulting manifestation has been or
will be offered, has been made political
stalking horse, and the absence OF de-
monstration on the part of holidaying
and curious crowds that lined the side
walks OF the city as she passed through,
must have impressed her advisers with
the fact that the game OF bluff and bunt-
ing will not go down witt, the people.
The Queen was received with respect
by the people, who raised no cheer as
the royal cortegc passed by, the ZEN
thusiasm" Of the occasion being left to
the Kildare Street Club, Trinity College
and other centres OF British, propaganda
in Dublin. Even the huge chorus
raised by the Trinity Collegians and the
Unionist officials of the Bank of Ire
land could not cover the fact that the
more immense crowd of curious sight
seers remained perfectly silent Pos
sibly the aged appearance Of the longest
reigning English monarch kept them
from expressing their true feelings. But
there is no doubt whatever, the hundred
English newspaper scribcs sent over
to color up the occasion to the contra
ry Notwithstanding, that the attitude OF
the great mass Of the people who went
out to see the royal show was one Of
liberation merely.
Unquestionably the "genteel BASTARD
ism" OF Dublin, on which John Mitchell
had occasion to animadvert in his time
as we have even now, paraded itself
for all that it was worth, though it could
not find occupants for the stands which
enthusiastic spectators anxious to turn
an honest penny had erected along the
route. The officials of Dublin Castle,
the shoneens, and the place hunters
turned up in numbers. and banded them
selves under the banners OF bondage
that waved over their heads, and haunt-
ed on the carpet OF Aunkeyism that lay
over Dublin. Belfast sent its quota Of
rlyet-throwers and riff-rah, all the rail-
way companies gave extraordinarily
cheap excursions, never given before at
SO low a price, but yet an enthusiastic
reception could not be wrought UP for
Englands Queen, who prayed for the
prosperity OF Ireland, and at the re-
quest of those politicians who have
never ceased their efforts to cripple her
rcligiously, politically, socially, and
commercially.
1t is a mockery to suggest to the
people OF Ireland that 'the defender
OF the faith" which is not a Catholic
faith comes on mission OF peace where
Catholic disabilities still obtain, and
where the structure OF British govern
ment is based on the foundation Of anti
Catholic prejudice. The Queen has
come to review her garrison. They
have paraded themselves in their taw-
dry rags before her, but the people still
remain impassive as to royal patronage,
determined as to their rights. The
silence OF the Irish people on her pas
sage must be lesson to the Queens
advisers, who so strenuously try to stifle
Irish aspirations.
The Queen, as she has taken care to
inform us, has always been a staunch
Unionist. But that her visit is to be
taken as celebration OF the centenary
OF Pitts "blackguardism and baseness''