The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-01-29

IfVlIHcE Va 4AfnS<S6
youngest daughter Of the Duke OF
Cambridge. uncse OF Queen Victoria
They have three children. He inherits
an annual income OF $500. 600 yearly.
Parliament may grant more. The eid-
est son OF an English sovereign has
borne the title OF the Prince OF Wales
since I2S2, A. d.
The brief address OF King Edward is
~reassuring. He pledges himself to two
most important acts to ever reign
as a constitutional sovereign, which
means a vast deal as all who know
English history must understand. n
he pledges himself TO strive to walk in
the footsteps of his mother. Il Is well
and wise to hear the new king declar-
ing under the most solemn n impress
sive surroundings:
II am fully determined to be a con-
stitutional sovereign in the strictest
sense of the word. and 50 long as there
is breath in my body. to work for the
good and amelioration OF my people
Victoria was strictly a constitutional
you will Sc her o-pposites-men who
ruled in unrighteousness and by their
own sweet will. Lord TennySon- said
that Victoria had breadth of mind
and wisdom coupled with a certain
stately innocence" She was, as we
said hen writing of her death. not a
great, masterful sovereign but queenly
and good, with numerous womanly
virtues. The able New York Evening
Post. quite apt to write we'll and in
formingly of English affairs, says this:
"She certainly will never rank as one
Of Tx sovereigns whose personal as
tendency was overpowering. Not with
a Catherine or Maria Theresa, or even
an Elizabeth. is it natural to compare
her as a ruler. We cannot ever say OF
her, as Bossue said of another Queen
of England, that any other station
than a throne would have been un-
worthy of her Queen Victoria's finest
qualities were womanIy before they |
We're royal. |
"She was a constitutional monarch. |
In that limitation we see the check |
which would have been put upon a
more maSterful character than hers. If |
it had occupied the English throne. In
Great Britain the Queen reigns; she |
does not govern"
Her first prime minister and advis-
er, Lord Melbourne. was true to Eng
land, and gave her an excellent start.
He was brave and staunch. At first she
had mistaken views and hopes, and he
soon corrected these and kept her safe
ly within strict constitutional lines.
The Evening Post cites the following
which is really Illuminating and es-
Perhaps his sharpest collision with
her was on the point of the title which
her husband. Prince Albert. was to be
given. According to Lord Shaftes-
bury reported by Mr.. RusSell), the
Queen strongly wished the Prince to
be made King Consort by Act of Parli-
ament. Melbourne evaded the issue as
long as possible, but her Majesty fin
ally insisted upon a categorical an
swer. L thought it my duty to be very
PLAIN with her. said the Premier after
wards. L said, For God's sake. let's
e no more of it. ma'am: for if you
n get the English people into the
way of making kings, YOU will get them
INTO the way of unmaking Them"
She was a peace advocate, and dread
ID war. She tried always in the exer-
Use of her legitimate powers to prevent
wars. Even in the war with
he Beers she opposed at first and when
he yielded at last it became her death
inell. h was. remarkably informed
n all Of hsr foreign relations. The
evening Post says that the Queens
me great hope and almost passion, so
ar as she could exert her influence in
oreign affaiTa, was 10 avoid war, is
eStified to by many witnesses Twice, .
md only twice in her reign has a great
Oreign war come in spite Of her efforts
o prevent it,"
England is governed by the house of
which is elected by the peo- I
lie. The Queen SENDS for a member !
f parliament to form a. cabinet-a (
government. He and his twsnty Seiec- {
ions constitute this. AnH measure
is defeated ii the drives 1
he government into ar appeal to the :
eople. An election is held and it may
e sustained or the opposition may tri-
and in that event a new govern
lent has to be formed. save in for
ign affairs the Queens power does not 1
mount to very much. In. the social 4
functions" she is powerful. She is a
lately figure-head- Her power is real
T much less In government han the
president OF he UnitsG States
Iects to exercise without impeachment 4
r great dispraise. !
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