New-York tribune., 1902-08-10
THE c0RoyATFoN-4ND AFTER.

lord Salisbury did not attend the coronation.
That is perhaps the most suggestive OF all Tue
details of yesterdays august ceremonlal at
Westminster The reason for his absence Is
obvious straightforward and unmlstakaDle'
He acted under the advice of his physician anu
with the permission of the King. His absence
was not according TO his wish, or the WISH OF
anv man. but at the imperative mandaIe OF
prudence 10 a man of venerable years anu Iall
ing health. 1t was effected through QUE VI
those inscrrtable DEGREES of that which men
call fate. falling apparently al RANDOM ol "s
chance and vet invested with an aptness which
no long premeditated study could have sur
nassed. Next after the essential presence OF
tba King himself. the chronicler will record
and the philosopher will reflect upon the abb
sAnce Of the great marquis who had for so
long time been one of the chief bulWarks
of the British throne For that absence
was a token. unIntentional but immeasurably
imDressiye of the transition from the old era
TO the new which has now occurred in BRUSH
history. A new sovereign has been crowned.
who is likely to reign long: new dynasty mas
been established. which IS likely long to en-
dure: and the consummation of these changes
is marked with the absence of the last great
historic figure typical of the olden times, WIN
Lord Salisbury as Prime Minister present at
the coronation. the reign of Edward VII would
have been personally linked with that Of Ed
ward VI With him absent and forever retired
from public life, the reign of Edward VII be-
longs to the twentieth century alone
There are other tokens of the new era There
is new Prime Minister. with new colleagues
The Cabinet is organized in q new fashion.
The practical business trend of affairs is shown
in the omission of the Irish Viceroy from the
Cabinet and the inclusion instead of the Chief
Secretary-as the King himself long ago gave
place 10 his own Chief Secretary Of State as
the working executive head of the government.
The conferences of colonial ministers are new,
betokening a novel and important move
nept throughout the empire. New colonies of
great extent and of vast possibilities, are at
this moment being incorporated into the en-
pire. adding new elements to the varied whole.
There are new problems to be faced and TO be
solved new alliances to be cultivated-what
would Pitt or Canning have said to the treaty
with Japan,-and new burdens TO be borne A
certain distance may be needed, for perspective
to give us just estimate Of the Importance OF
events. and thus we may not now fully ap-
preciate the magnitude Of the changes which
are occurring in our own times. The future
historian will surely esteem the accession and
coronation Of Edward VII as marking a new
epoch In the history of Great Britain and Of the
world.
The one immutahIe factor, however. remains,
regnant and supreme Men change their skies
when they traverse the seas. They change
their centuries in the long lapse Of time. Their
minds remain unchanged by time or place. To
day the British race is the il spirit that 1t
was centuries ago, at the beginning of the Illus
trious line OF sovereigns of which Edward VII
is the latest. The "Anglo-Saxon grit is still
there in undiminished measure. The self-con-
troll amounting almost to stolidity, the dogged
resolution and disregard Of hostile odds, the
swift jealousy OF rights and privileges, the en-
terprise of a warrior race that looks upon all
the world as its field Of conquest-these rugged,
masterful features, together with innumerable
fine and gentle traits, are all there as they
were in the days Of the Black Prince. The
change is objective not subjective. New men.
new issues, new circumstances, surround the
new King. But he is still King of England,
and England is England still. It is in that fact
that the most auspicious promise of his reign
abides.