The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-25
VICTORIA IS DEAD


house are over and the suspense of the
civilized world is at all end. Queen
Victoria is no more and the world has
lost one of its most loved and wisest
rulers. She has Joined the innumer-
able throng of others who have laid
aside the crown and scepter and sunk
into the earth which once trembled at
their words of command. For almost
sixty-three years was she the sover-
eign of the most powerful empire on
earth. During that long time she
governed rather than ruled. for the
authority of an English sovereign is
limited. 1t was her goodness and
purity that made her the great. queen
she was. Abhoring all that is wicked
and sinful, her constant aim was to
improve the world and make it better.
Her first act as sovereign was to
raise the standard of morals in her
own court and by the example which
that afforded made the morals of all
England better. Her love of peace
was no less than her love of goodness
and her voice was at all times against
war when by any possibility it could
be averted. 1t was that desire to be
at peace with the world that caused
her to avert wal with this nation at
a time when war would probably have
meant destruction of the republic.
This was at a time when her own
cabinet was opposed to her and when
had war resulted England would have
had the cooperation Of France,
which, under Napoleon III, was eager
to engage in conflict with US. The
occasion was the arrest of the Confed-
crate ENJOYS, Mason and Slidell. Her
counsel prevailed and a message,
which if sent as originally worded
would have mean war, was 81 modi-
fed that honorable peace was made
possible. It was she also that pre-
vented a second war between Germany
and France when she interceded with
her grandson, Emperor William, in
behalf of the Gaul and in a struggle
of diplomacy came out victor over
Bismarck, but at the cost of having
incurred the. Iron Chancellor
enmity, an enmity that ended only
with his death. 1t is not venturing
too much to say that had she been less
enfeebled by age when that unfortu-
nate struggle began the war in South
Africa would probably never have &C.
CURED.
It will be for her kindness of heart
that Queen Victoria will longest be
remembered. Under her reign the
British empire made greater strides
toward a higher civilization than ever
before. 1t was due to her splendid
womanhood that legislation calculated
to elevate and enhance the condition
of her subjects was enacted. Some
of the greatest and grandest reforms
i~naugurated for the amelioration of
her people had their inception in her
mind. They were given rights and
liberties never before accorded to sub.
jects Of royalty and the example she
set in this respects to other courts wal
resultant Of good to their own sub
jects. Her life was lived that Others
might be happier and better. NJ
wonder that all the world mourns an(
hastens to pay tribute to her memory
While the government of England viii
go on as it always has and so far a
affairs of state are concerned her dealt
will not a moments hesitation
or delay, yet the influence which wa
hers will cease and the power sh
welded by the force of her own good
ness and purity will be gone forever
Victoria was born May "a, 1919, an
June 30, 1887, was crowned queen Q
England, succeeding William III t
the throne. At that time she wa
barely of age, an event chat occurre
the month before, or to be precise
May "a. She will be succeeded b
her eldest son, Albert Edward, primo
Of Wales, VINO is sixty years of age
Next in succession is the duke c
York, second son of Albert Edward
who became heir apparent upon tn
death Of the duke of Clarence,
1899. He is thirty-ive years ole
Third to the throne stands the son {
49, a-kn a Xo.k hon not uot nuif