The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-06-07
Growing Eing Edward
Mediaevai Coronation Pageantryi in the TUea-
tieth Century.

= . 2
tieth Century.
Il Y EW YORK. May 31-From a
NV monarchial point of view, the
~ most important event in this
second year of the new century
will be the coronation of Edward
VII, king of Great Fritain and Ireland,
defender of the faith and emperor of In
Ola. The British dominions beyond the
seas also fit somewhere into the official
title of this fortunate potentate, who,
unlike the majority of his predecessors,
has few or none of the responsibilities Of
government, and at the same time holds
one of the most exalted offices in the
world, Before him as ruler kneel more
millions of human beings, inhabiting
more varied climes, speaking more dt-
verse languages, Worshipping at more
numerous shrines, than ever before knelt
to mortal man. Fills ships or war are on
every sea; the reviie of his bugles, the
morning beat of his drums sweep around
the globe from continent to continent,
through fortress guarded islands in all
the oceans. Under the far Northern star
and deep down below the Southern cross
are his territories to be found, in the
centers of civilization and in the jungles
of barbarisn, in the regions of almost
eternal ice and in those of perpetual
sunshine. IN one the SHOW. never departs,
in the other it is never seen. = That so
vast a portion Of the earth's surface
should be under the sway of a little speck
of land, which lacks the productive pow
er to supply food for its own population
during more than few months at the
utmost, is one of the marvels of human
government, or from another point Of
view, misgovernment. All these vast ac-
QUESTIONS are the result of more than a
thousand years Of strenuous, persistent
action Countless generations have toiled,
thought, fought. died to build up this
mighty fabric in comparison with which
Rome with all it's vassal provinces was
but in area what modern dncal estate
is to one of the three geographical diVi-
sions of Great Britain. ,5&;..S i7-s1s a.1'ss y
Not astonishing, matter for surprise
therefore, is it that a majority Of the
English people should tenaciously cling to
institutions, hold fast to precedents and
preserve traditions under the operation
and in the pursuance of which so magnifi-
cent a sovereignty has been won, SO
much power and prestige, and what is
called glory achieved. The foundations Of
them all were laid in the morning of their
history as race and a. nation. They
are typ1fied in some of the most splendid
monuments and works of art that man
has made, lauded by historians and poets,
and hallowed by the highest and humblest
teachers of spiritual truth And above
nAA IAOy olAAh do OSCp llllO Inc loyal ling
lish heart as do the Wanted English oaks
strike down their roots into the generoiis
English soil. AS the one resists the light
ming and the gale, so does this spirit of
national REVERENCE for the past proudly
and sternly hold its ground against
change and innovation, and refuse to be
moved from its moorings While we may
noe sympathize with the outward mani
Hesitation of this adherence to forms and
symbols that centuries ago meant some
thing, and now really mean nothing, we
cam at least tolerate their observance and
perhaps point a moral from it. Human
sentiment is the child of human environ
ment, and no one may wholly escape
from its influence. National characteris-
tics Ere as distinctly marked as are the
CONGREGATIONS of countries and continents
That which gives the keenest delight in
one place excites horror somewhere else
An object Of reverence in one nation be-
comes source of ridicule the minute it's
boundary line is crossed.
In this light the great majority of us
nave been reading for months past the
preparations which are being made for
the croWning of the Seventh Edward: 1t
Is almost incomprehensible to us that so
practical, great and enlightened people,
who with ourselves are in the van of the
most advanced line of progress, should be
turning back the hands on the clock three
or four centuries, and dragging into the
electric light of this age the grotesuue
and taWdry imperial trappings which
were In fashion one thousand years ago.
Why, we have been mentally asking, can
not our brethren of England dispense
with this comic opera ceremonial? What
is the use of 1t? The. king Is king al
ready. He has been performing the part
he inherited many months, and, after all
that is said and done in the historic abbey
he will be no more of ruler than he is
now. With not particle more of au-
thority will he be invested after the most
reverand lords spiritual have prayed for
him, preached at him, and given him here
and there a dash Of holy oil. The pros
tration Of the lords temporal and the inn
print of the kisses on their aristocratic, if
not very attractive lips, on the royal
cneeK Will not make II more pulssanI Inan
1t is at present. Proclamation of obese
heralds, imposition of two or more anti
quated, uncomfortable and unbecOning
crowns, arraynient in cloaks, and ccpes,
tunics and stole, dalmatics and mantles
of conservation presentation Of arbs,
spurs, sword and scepter, all Of which he
Will merely touch, and very sensibly, not
attempt to stagger under up and down the
steps OF this throne, will not add to the
height or breadth Of his sovereignty by
an inch, make him dearer to his subjects
or his person more sacred in their eyes,
Why, we argue, cannot this coronation be
shorn Of its almost barbaric 2splendor-
tom foolery,'' Labouchere calls it-and
reduced to the simplicity and common
sense proportions of one of our own pres
ldential inaugurations? ls
Many of the ablest and most advanced:
thinkers in England look at the coming
coronation spectacle through ldconoclas-
tic glasses equally strong. They regard
monarchy as an anachronism and would
gladly see it swept away by peaceable
constitutional means, but the majority
Of the English people are far from being
Of this opinion-at least the governing
class If they do not consider 1t the
most important factor in the structure OF
their governmental system, it is regarded
by them as a'suseful and. perhaps, an ses-z
sentiaF one Stripped of all the oppres-z
sive nrerogatives he once possessed, the
occupant of the throne is impotent to do
mischief and may sometimes do good. In
theory the king can do no wrong. AS a
matter of fact, he would not be allowed
to do so were he to attempt IT, me con-
sciousness that they have thus constitu->
tionally bridled and saddied tnelr ruler
and, through parliament, given him real
w a set of masters in the persons OF the
ministers, reconciles the English people
p to ROYALTY so that the very weakness OF
the crown has become its greatest source
of strength George III. ruled for the
most part without the ADVICE OF ms ms MN MN
listers. Lord North, his prime minister
when the War of the Revolution was be-
gun by the colonies. was an able man.
and had he been allowed to- pursue his
own policies might have saved the Amer
lean possessions, but the obstinate king
thought he knew better. made cipher
Of his premier, and paid the greatest ter
ritorial penalty in all history, Were Ed
ward VII. to arrogate himself one-tenth
the power claimed by the third George