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macy with which English affairs are conducted . And /« w are these affairs Conducted P We See the Minister of ihe Crown forcing the recognition of a right , in order to let it be violated , and avowing the indignity offered to . a British subject , anct to the British nation , as a thing to be redressed by raoriet !
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PKIfCE ALBEKT . A cpRBESPQNDEitT complains of the manner in which we have recognised certain merits in the Prince Consort , and we are induced to print ; his letter , because we believe it expresses feeling very common ; amongst many of a class for whom we have a great respect , and whom we desire to understand , our real meaning—the workingclasses : — : , ' : . ¦'• ' . ¦ : ' . ' ' ¦ ¦" ¦ . ' " : '"'' " Deae SiR , —The aiustribus person above mentioned has been frequently adverted to in your journal of Iatej and lavish encohiunis have ' -been paid to him ; he Has been ! set forth not only as a mail of the age , but as a manin advarice of the age ; not owty as an individual who sympathises with the people , but as a man who desires their social and political elevation , and acknowledges the equality andfraternityof the race ; in short as a man thoroughly imbued with democratic sentiments .
"Now , sir , however beautiful this may / appear in print , I humbly conceive the position of the man will not warrant the assertion ^ Is it to 1 be supposed that the consort of the most powerful : sovereign in the world , who has the prospect of being father to a longline of prinqes , should be so blind to his own and their interests as to use his influence to destroy the sources from which it is custoiaaryto . seek alliancesJ Is it not much more probable that he will throw the whole
weight of British influence ( at his disposal ) into the scale of the aristocracy , and strive to keep the reigning families upon their thrones ? Indeed , judging from the countenance which Britain has' us yet given to the cause of the people in the struggling nations of the continent , ¥ e must conclude that Government , however liberal , is the inveterate enemy of ^ democrac y . This is ; Kossuth ' s conclusion , and indeed the only one that ' could be drawn from the facts . A Glasgow Reader . "
Our friend misconceives our statement , and the actual statement of the Prince himself . He specifies certain very desirable objects ^ the social and political elevation of a people , and assumed that those objects are packed up in the one word " democratic . " Now , it is a fact that tke same objects have been sought b y men who were not in any sense democratic in their principles . The word democratic means " belonging to an opinion that the entire bulk of the people ought to be tho governing power ; " a political preposition
which we will not now discuss , but which is quite separate from the objects mentioned by our correspondent . Many persons believe that the social arid political elevation of the people , even the equality of tho race , can bo better attained under aristocracy , or even autocracy , than under democracy : and history supplies materials for discussing rather than for settling that question . It may , indeed , be said that the only genuine de * mocracy ev ^ r witnessed in the history of tho
world is that of the United States of America ; while the rule of many aristocratic governments—such as that of England , or of Venice at * its best —• 'has resulted in very general happiness ; and tho nearest approach to social equality lias boon attained under the absolute despotism of the Mussulman system , which recognises no distinction except tho possession of power , —and where the boggar of to-day may to-morrow change p laces with tho ' Paslia , tho possession of politico-military power conveys but a social distinction .
'J'lie reason why wo consider Prince Albert , as oho of the men in the vanguard of the age waa Iwlore our readers .- " Wo regard his principles as " <••<> fovlli particularly in the speech-which . ' -lie delivered at tho Mansion ITouho , in March , 1850 ( not . 1 . 84 , 1 ) , as we erroneously . stated ) . If wo « j H « nb « undue merit to tho author of that speech , '' ,. ** ™ adev was able to correct it , since we sup-] ' » ou Him witli tho data . Whoever the author of tha ; t (*]> eo « k wan , wo way that he is a man who
¦• 'j'lei'ataridfitlio relations between a truly oatholic i >( '' « p > n , the moat cultivated and scientific pliilo-M . ° l % , and tho industrial tendency of tho present < ay . \ yr be jj ovo j > rm . Albert tp have boon I ° author of that speech , from tho internal ovii ( mico oflbred by many other addresses which lie ,, , «« vorod ; and believing noy' we bolidve that »« luw grasped ( he groat idea of tbe ago . ' no iact that the author is a Prince doow not ovout uh from recognising tho living force of 1 / 110 words . Tmtli is vital , whothor it como from
the lips of prophet ; peasant , or prince ; and no bigotry of class can close bur ears to the fact ; that the man who utters these sentiments is a man capable of appreciating truth in / all its
greatness ; :. . ' . ' ' The position of the ^ an does not modirythetruth , which is greater than the man is . 33 ut what , Prince Albert may " prdbabl y" do we cannot judge j we expressly concurred witn those who say that he ought nottofiaveastatue , beeausethe whole of his conducir is not yet before us ; but what he has done in " the catfseof thepeople , " or of the " strugglihgnations ! , " we are glad to 1 be ignorant . Prince Albert ' s position cuts Mm off from interfering With politics , foreign or domestic ; by the principle : of our constitution the Sovereign is irresponsible ; but ban only act through Ministers who are themselves and we do not desire to see that
responsible ^ responsibility ; of Ministers diminished'by then sharing it with the . Crown . If Prince Albertwere to meddle iii " the cause of the people' * he would commit a crime . He cari do nothing save that- which is permitted to a private gentleman of Mgh rank . But whether he be public or private , whether he commit any crime in future or adhere to the modest course to which he has hitherto confined himself , we still sayv'th ' at the' speech of March , 1850 , comprises in it a few words of sublime truth which wfll immortalize him far longer than any statue of bronze or stone ' . .
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THE G-OVERolls ' Q CLASSES .. ' ¦ ¦ ; - ¦•¦ ' . ¦¦ ¦ :,. JTo . X . ¦ : ¦ ¦; ¦ ¦ , ¦ ' ¦ ¦ . . ¦ ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ ¦ :. THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE AND THE BEST OF THE EOYAi FAMILY . A cOBBESPONDEifT of the " leading journal , being- a gentleman who rides in hack cabs , arid therefore cannot enjoy the parks of a free metropolis , complains that Buckingham palace is more mysteriously exclusive than an eastern seraglio ; , and he points out . that if Buckingham Palace were in either of those 4 espotically governed ¦ capitals , ¦ . Paris . or "Vienna ,. the grounds / of the royal residence would be open to the public . " Hack Cab , " in short , is horribly annoyed that her ' Majesty and the Prince like to have their house and garden to themselves ; his obvious tendency being to inriist that the mob should have the right of erifcreV to all the private tipartrriiehts of the Palace ; and that Vic- '' toria ' s faithful subjects should enjoy the privilege which Marie Antoinette ' s subjects assumed—of seeing every night whether the children had really "been put to bed . But the " Hack Cab" class of Englishmen betray , in these despicable impertinences to the Sovereign who . cannot answer them , a . pitiable niiscqmprphension of the
spirit and position of tho British Court . That gloomy and austere exclusivenesB of the gardens which so offends the prying and pushing " Hack Cab , " is in perfect keeping with the tone of the Court ; and if the grounds were made public the privacy of the audiencechamber would disappear : the Reynoldses would follow the Boy Joneses . The British Crown , is so respected because the British Court is so exclusive ; nnd the cxclusiveness ia requisite in a capital which is ji commercial capital of shifting principles anil uncertain aristocracies . Tho Grand . Monarquo might use the
twoezors in hia dressing saloon at Versailles , in tho prcsoneo of two hundred French gentlemen ; but then they woro gentlemen in as well ascertained positions as hi . s own , who had had SloUrs , Duck , and Oomtes before them , find who would leave ( it was thought ) ondlcfls liven of precisely tho name personjiges after thorn . Edward the handiwoie might stroll through Choapnido , to fico tho citizen ' s wives behind their lattices ; Charles might saunter down tho Bird-oa ^ je-walk to feed liiH ducka and air Iuh doga , and walk offliiB lant
night'h orgw . ; . and George ,, tho country fireiitltmian king , might ahow hiuinejii with one of the unplyaHautent old ladies in Christendom < m hi « : > n «; to hi . s lovipgaubjootH who could got within night of tho terrace at Windsor . Thoao woro days wlien Kings wor « l f lngH by gnioo of Cod , aH ' tho loyal believed , and' Whon flocicty wan kepfc down in HtiiFdomarcatiiotiH . Bu ^ iii these daVH' OoiutH haWi ' to bo circumspect they think that
ftwniMnritV'brooUs c ' ontompt ; un « l ho it < loo » when tljie families sire contemp tible , . fosoph of 4 uHfci ; i ! i . ^ ot a tomblo exai . nplo of fitfu ^ o-wlc to C <> n ^ iu ^ ntrtl spover « ig » H ; jwidtliat fioo jwk | a « y « tyl « ° f royalty , Jym , do «) troycd tho , principle of nM »» ' * n > l > y ? n Qcpnu \ nyt Huroun nl MaHohia is n <» t a mod « 5 l' for '«/ iWuropean kin ^ , for Haroun al Kanchid wart alwaypi Hollowed in Inn porogrinatioiiB by an aide who waa an adept uti th ^
bowstring . Wei gee that 'ih . &jpcirtienu Emperor 6 i Frahc ? , While affecting a belief in a new set ojF royal ideas , -gpeja back to the traditionary etiquette of the uwten . regiint , and if he can ' t have gentlemen has at least gen ^ etnenf ^ dresses ^ and shutting , lu ' mself up witk tliexa . ivc hia palaces nfefver ahows himself to the people ; ; Our pourt can afford to throw off the restraints of etiquette when out of town ; and we all admired" ^ lieen Viotoriii tnore : than eveV when % e heard -. h 6 vr' she went abtitit
goseipmg -vrito . the peasants iii the . 'Highlands , ' or how she scampered uj ) to ' Ba ' rgan ' s hous 6 and ' sblook him heartily by the hand ! Bu ^ in " town '' boy Jones must Toe handed over to the police , and Reynolds must be ignored . ; , , every , act . is ' a precedenty and rigid routine is self-defence . . We have no aristocracy to constitute " the vOourt'' properj and in a commercial capital , royalty would be comproicnised by culti * vatinff , the : casual . ! Hobinson who has made a
great fortune ,. and opened a greirt house—for Robinson may be in thb GatteM "ti&xf year ; or niay take advantage of courtesy to propose ; astatiie . Our Cotirt / under the inflfrieric ^ of pile oJf tt' 6 most accomplished men of the age , '' encourages arts and letters ; and proofthatPrince Albert is a great man , is in the pleasing circumstancethat when he leaves the rouibme of a prescribed list he seeks the society of successful writers , artists , and savants . . But . these are > exceptions sustaining the rulethat the British Court is the most exclusive Court ia
Europe . Hence extensive- popular igriorance of - the Court ; extreme vagueness in speaking of the royal family ; and immense inevitable error in the popular opinion of the most influential' of all our Governing Classes . ' ¦ ; . , ' : , . ... ' .-Puseii said , that there were many reasons why Pe-. trarch was npt popular krEngland , but that the principal reason was that the English , knew nothing of Italian . -There are several reasons why the subordinate members of the royal , family of England are not popular ; but the- principal reason is that the people know
nothing of those royal personsbut their names . There is a Cov / rt Circular to give us a cipher tci explain the na / tiOnal affection for the Queen ; and we can , at least , deal with Prince Albert historically , and judge him as we would of Prince Rupert—from wliat we can make out of his acts . But what can the people know iii the public fcharacters they pay for who lead a profoundly private life , ? When they are dead and gone we make s ^ u ^ rMng discoveriea ; and tho other day we found Mx . ^ findpr remarking- quietly that the Jhike of Yorkj wluo wasi generally cheered in the street , aiid
caressed < ix \ , society was a " swindler '' ^ —tlie very man whp wa 3 declared by three Bishops as the " only hope of a Protestant land . " There can be nt > doubt that he waa as surprising a pcamp as ever lived ; but should wo not have known that at the tinio , 6 r before we put up the monument-that JBtiitids iii Waterloo-place , London , like ' a note of ex-Clamation upon , Britipli enlightenment . a , nd Protestant faith . Hie had a large salaryr for a long , time ; as had alao ( their Royal , 'Highnesses , his brothon * and sistora , who perhaps , ton . the whole , were scarcely worfch what
they , cost—; being , . as'a family , perhaps the least reppectablo of all families who over enjoyed the privileges of this free and happy land . Tho perfect « ccrej ^ iveneBS of royal personages a . s often doc « them harm as good : for , a « in the case of the Duke of Cumberland , a frightened public easily gets into t'ie habit of believing ; anything bad of a inim who , in the beginning , got ' a bad ljainc , and W ^ H never fran k enoug h ty hxpluiu ; it : <> Wfty ) , —a . Rujnoiita only finding opportunity for the niVBtories of . a- oomi which is mysterious . If a gentleman of > tawtti and authority is liertr-heared in terming 1 her Mrtjesty ' a unolefr ^ Hwindlors / . ' wo may rapidly got iiHud to that wort ¦ at' candour . ' nrid there to bo of m \
are ; a few thiii ^ H extremoly patnftil chsiriurtilr both , of tliu gentlemen and tho liul ' ma who Nprahg froin the Union of ( Ji : or # o 1 . 1 . J . and Churlotty . ' U ' rf hiHtoricftl ihjiiHtJco ; but it ' s ;\ pity we hav « to Wait till im ; n are Hutu ) to af , tfteJt them- boing , bonicloH , . Jto ' o lfij . 0 to reform theni . Wo . ought' to } h > « jn <;<> nr « tt' « d by Mr , Jjand <) r to , couragwi and candour toward ^ $ he , Hvii !( f jlluMrioiu /* ,, ! Tlioro watt poor Mr . ( Iun (/ mrtit / toiprisort 1 for mentioning that Uio Majesty CUfrrtfu IV . wan ; suit 'Adonis of nfty or MOinothihgof Uiatnot-fc : ami though' | w « htivo progrowed fi ^ o fjdr kte < i » bo able to tmggent now ' ihaii ho ww an uiiwortliy Kii ff '" OVaH Mr' Tjaiulor , ^ h »> la fprc '{|) io , nnyn , a " Hwirtdlor" - •—we rtn / not nnieh bohler witJi hia rolatlvea who survive — even when wo know poei-
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November 19 , 1853 . ] T-UE L E AB'E R . lilt
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 19, 1853, page 1117, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2013/page/13/
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