The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-07
NEW hooks.
~, Queen victoria Always . F,surehead,

u.s Queen victoria AWAY . f19urenesn!
va have received from the Macmillan |
Company a biography OF queen Victoria
=, sidney Lee, the editor OF The Dictionary |
II National Biography This book IL uss-
mi mainly because 1t does what the merely
,dLstory biographies Of the late Queen
have falied to do that Ia to say. II brings
% the knowledge OF the present genera
lion Of readers a fact Of which many
seem ignorant-that, so long as her
oonsort. Prince Albert OF Saxe-Coburg-
Ciotha, lived, IL was not true Of Queen Vic
toria In any strict sense OF the word that
she regned but did not govern. That she,
or rather her German husband. OF whom
she was merely the instrument, incessantly
tried to shape the foreign policy OF the
United Kingdom. is indisputable. although
the purpose was not always fulfilled, thanks
MANY to Lord Palmerston's sturdy ad
berefre TO constitutional preoedents and
N the right view OF the sovereigns rela-
ton 70 the Ministry representing majority
OF the House OF Commons. To middle
aged readers Of THE SUN, indeed. the fact
cannot be new, inasmuch as II was brought
out clearly twenty-seven years ago In an
article entitled. The Husband OF q Queen
based on the Memoirs Of Baron Won Stock
mar who was long the mentor Of the
Prince Consort. The opinion expressed In
The Sun at that time is entirely confirmed
in the book before US. Americans should
not allow themselves to overlook the re-
peated attempts Of the late Queen and
her consort to set at naught the British
constitutional Constitution made up. as
regards the relation Of the sovereign TO
the Ministers. Of presidents established
since the reign OF Anne. and interrupted
only during a part Of the reign Of George
III-merely because on one occasion they
happened to be right in their view OF the
position which Great Britain ought to take
toward foreign country. 1t is unques-
tionably true that. at the time Of the Trent
affair, the arrogant despatch penned by
Lord John Russell, Secretary for Foreign
Affairs, and approved, II not dictated. by
Lord Pamerston, the Prime Minister, would
have either subjected US to grievous humil-
iation or compelled us to accept the fatal
alternative Of war with Great Britain, an
alternative which, In all likelihood. would
have involved the triumph Of the Con-
federacy. 1t 10 true, also. that the Prince
Consort, then very near his death. urged
that the despatch should be recast in a
gentler phraseology. All belief, he thought,
that the assault on the Trent was the de-
liberate act Of the United States Govern
ment should be disavowed. and the Prime
Minister should assume that an overzealous
officer Of the Federal feet had been guilty
OF an unfortu late error, which could easily
be repaired by the restoration OF the pas
sengsrs and suitable apology. 1t Is we'll
known that President Lincoln and Secretary
Seward promptly awaited themselves Of
this loophole Of escape from an imminent
and dangerous rupture.
It does not follow, however, that, be-
cause Prince Albert did not happen to share
Lord Palmerston's prepossessions In favor
Of the Southern Confederacy. American
students Of English history should sympa-
thiss with his persistent attempts to warp
the action Of the British Crown by the ira
dltions and ideas Of German sbsolutism.
It IL an undeniable fact that the Queen,
who, 90 long as he lived. was the mere
mouthpiece Of Prince Albert, endeavored
to array the influence, IL not the power
Of the United Kingdom against the Liberal
movements by which the European con-
tinent was uplifted during tho middle years
Of the ninetesnth century. She. or rather
he-for his was the thought, the feeling
and the will-was opposed to the uprising
In isls for liberty and unity In Germany
unless the projected German Empire could
be headed by the King Of Prussia. who. as
II IL well known. would not accept the lead
ership. She, or rather he. was opposed to
the Hungarian Revolution. She. or rather
he, desired to prevent the interposition
by Napoleon III. on behalf Of the II allan
Liberals In 1859. and she. or rather he.
viewed with disapproval the successive
steps toward Italian unity which were made
after the Peace Of villafrsnca. She sympa-
thized with all the German prinoelings
who were threatened with dethronenent
in ls4s; she disliked to see Austria driven
out OF Lombardy; she would have been
glad to see the Bourbon tyrants retain the
power they had abused in central and
southern Italy. and she was very much m
noyed when Palmerston In 1913. without
consulting her or her husband. peremptorily
ordered the reactionary Spanish Govern
ment to liberalize It's institutions.
1t Is hard for Americans to be just to
Palrners,on. for the reason that in the
crisis Of our national life he favored the
Coniederacy rather than the Union. Never
theless. unless we are determined to read
history in the false light Of prejudice. we
must admit that. throughout his long con-
test with the Queen and with her consort,
Lord Palmerston was almost always right
He may have been hasty In telling the French
Ambassador. after the coup dt,af OF Dec Q.
1851, that he. As British Foreign Minister.
was disposed TO recognize the government
headed by the Prince President. but events
proved that he was right In attributing
great political ability 20 Louis Napoleon.
whose Intellectual capacity up 10 that time
had been moderated. That he was right
and Prince Albert was wrong even In this
matter, was quickly shown by England's
alliance with France In ths Crimesn war
On mat occasions there 10 no doubt that
tho Posl,ion taken by Palmsrston la oppo-
s'upn 20 Prince Albert has been Justified
b' l.pstsnly. Paln,sr-ton consistently sup
p'r"d the Liberal movements which were
slsAiiiy gathering foros abrosd. even st
the rtsh Of sEn,slas lim.~lf IN The cha ss