New-York tribune., 1907-10-28
TRAINING OF ROYALTY
Lord RoSebery's Tribute to the Good
Qaeen-The Victorian Letters.
London. October Is.


tor on great careers. He combines the historic
sense, which enables him to obtain true rer
spective of the trend of events and the tenden-
cies OF exalted character. with the literary sense
by which felicitous expression can be found for
high minded and impartial tributes TO greatness
Partisan defamation is silenced when he rises
above the political issues of the day and reaches
the heights of serene contemplation Of a career
Hike Queen Victoria's. Lord ROsebery's addres,
Leith after the unvefng of the bronze status
on the broad avenue leading TO Edinburgh was
at once splendid tribute to sovereign whoss
ruling passion was patriotism. an absorbing
devotion to her country. it's needs and its glory"
and comprehensive summary OF her influence
and inspiration In a country almost eousTl,
swayed by the spirit Of democracy and tho spiris
of tradition"
Lord Rosebery did not venture 10 atternnt 20
paint the Queen from life. To have done so on
a ceremonial occasion after the unveiling OF a
statue would have been breach Of taste: nor
has the time yet comee when independent ana
critical judgments OF her character can b, ex-
pressed with outspoken candor Possibly there
are diaries in manuscript like GreviIe's urtvat.
record of the sayings and doings Of royal person.
ages and statesmen at court. which may reveal
to future generations the Queen as she was In
daily life. Publications Of this kind would ba
DN2FanHfnq
when not officially revised are necessarily made
up of second hand anecdotes OF doubtful anthem
tIcity The only approach TO a critical char
acteF study has been Mr. Edmund GOsse's wall
known Quarterly Review" article written from,
information supplied by Of the Queens IN
innate friends-an article which has not excited
resentment from her successor on the throne
| Lord RosebeFys tribute has been deferred until
the binding radiance Of panegyrlc and almost
superstitious idolatry has been toned down. and
the beloved sovereign is left in the common light
of reverent and affectiOnate appreciation. II.
confers upon her title. 10 which she did NOT
succeed by Inheritance: the Mother OF Her Peo-
pie" He describes her not merely as Offering
| the example of a pure and simple family life In
the midst of splendid court but also as ami
mating the whole nation with a sense OF SYM .
| pathy and fellowship from the throne, as
/ watching and fostering all good causes with
/ maternal care. as knitting her peoples together
/ and establishing new relation OF personal af-
fectOn and allegiance TO the Wearer OF the Brit
| ish crown. This "brooding care Of her long
| reign" under which her Sovereignty emerged IN
! a double and incalculable empire" has been
! crudely felt by her subjects: but 1t has been
| reserved for Lord Rosebery TO define the svnl-
| pathetic relation with simplicity and precision.
| The truth may be more roughly stated: Queen
born When she succeeded to the throne the
| force and tradition OF monarchy had declined
/ under the Georges and William " and she
/ transformed the limited powers of a constitu-
| tiOnal monarch into what Lord Rosebery de-
! scrihes as authority OF Incompatible force"
/ so that her sovereignty became an increasing
resource for the welfare Of her subjects Hered-
} ity had less TO do with her usefulness as a
ruler than the training which came from CIR
cumstances by which her good qualities and per-
| sistence Of purpose were developed precisely as
| American Presidents are sobered by a sense OF
administrative responsibility as representatives
of the nation and enabled to make the best pos
| sible use OF their opportunities Lord Rosebery
I does not present the case in this way but il
| is fair inference from the contrast drawn be-
| tween her own and preceding reigns. There was
no irresistible trend toward goodness and great
ness from her Hanoverian forebears. II came
from the discipline OF responsibility ard the
training of public affairs, and her instinct for
what straightforward and high minded kept
| her an elevated plane of obligation TO her
| subjects. She may have had uediaeval ideas OF
| her functions as a consecrated monarch ruling
| by divine right. but she was also essentially
modern in her recognition OF public duty and
| in keeping faith with the nation and in never
deceiving it. She insisted upon managing the
business OF state until a few days before her
death. even when she was inCapacitated for
public work; and jealous was she OF her
reputation absolutely truthful monarch
that she scorned TO refer 70 Mr.. Gladstone IN
terms of warm friendship and extravagant
eulogy after his death. when all the world knew
that she had disapproved Of many OF his policies
and had not been attracted by his unique per-
sonaity.
The conclusion that Queen Victoria described
by Lord Rosebery as the child. the darling OF
the nation" at the opening of her reign and as
"the venerated mother OF her people at the
close. was made by training rather than born
To greatness is confirmed by the official VOL
umes OF correspondence between 1891 and 1Sol'
which are published this week under the editor
ship Of Mr. Arthur Christopher Benson and
ViscOunt Esher. Reviewers approach their tasH
this morning with praise less discriminating
than the we'll balanced periods heard at Leith
Even after the lapse of seventy years the hsuIe
of the young. inexperienced girl seated alhons
princes ministers and Courtiers and beginning
to govern the realm under the guidance OF
deferental Premier. has not lost its romantic
interest. its glamour for the imagination 4eth
was the beginning of her training in pubic az
fairs and the letters show how ordinary was
the capacity for state business at the outseI
and how useful We're her qualities OF sincerity
and directness of purpose in dealing with heF
advisers. Ministerial changes which were u'S
agreeable 10 her personally, and complications
over the authority of her chief ADVISER th'
Prince COnsort. which were CALLING 10 her pI'''O,
compelled her to dismiss her prejudices ana
protected her against ObstinaCy and seH-"lii'
and revolutions abroad and agitations at ho'l''
commercial panics and outbreaks OF CharusN'
the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny' lore,sH