THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

West Coast Times, Issue 691, 11 December 1867, Page 4

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

(FEOM THE MELBOURNE AGE, NOV. 23.) There is something sublime in the enthusiasm of a whole people, even though it should occasionally pass into the ridiculous in its manifestatation. The festiral month in honor and royalty begins today, and every object will be viewed from its bright side. Even the most soberminded and unimpulsive will be carried away by the occasion, although they may at times pull themselves up and wonder why they should be so easily thrown off their usual balance. It would be wrong, perhaps, to describe the enthusiasm of the people in welcoming the Duke of Edinburgh as "unprecedented," but we are r* te safe in designating it as something j ye the average enthusiasm displayed in welcoming a distinguished personage, and there are good reasons why it should be so. The Prince is welcomed in the first place as a member of the royal family, and for the Queen's sake ; but he is atso welcomed on account of his individual good qualities. His head and heart are alike sound, and he has on every occasion on which he has been put to the test exhibited much discretion and good judgment, tempered with a fine appreciation of what is due to the feelings of others — the emanation of true politeness as distincmished from mere i polish. There is yet another reason why the enthusiasm of the people of Victoria should be on a grand scale. It is that they have a duty to themselves to discharge. They are as a community wealthy— they are the possessors of the ten talents of gold, and, as much is given to them, much is required. Individuals may fail in the performance of the duties appertaining to their station, but communities are not made up of'exceptions, and, therefore, as a whole they are equal to the occasion when called upon The colony is honored in bestowing honor and performs a duty to itself while discharging its duty to the Crown. The public enthusiasm is thus enhanced, and manifests itself on a suitable scale.

As befits Ms age and circumstances, the Prince has a large capacity for enjoyment, and yet he does not seem to feel the performance of the duties appertaining to his station as at all irksome. He can submit without wincing, or at all events without any outward show of uneasiness, to the infliction of torments provided for him by the well-meaning but thickheaded family of bores. He may possibly extract amusement from what wears the appearance of annoyance, and it is well for him if it be so, for, as everything else connected with his reception is on a grander scale here than elsewhere, the penalties he will have to pay will probably be in full proportion to the pleasures he will have an opportunity of enjoying, The very efforts to shield him irom wellmeant inflictions may in themselves become galling, and the attentions of the little mob by which he will be surrounded may prove a greater source of irritation than even the rubs and elbowings of the great crowd outside the charmed circle, if lie were to throw himself into it- He seems, however, to be quite capable of acting on the defensive, and to have a quiet but firm way of taking counsel with himself, without wounding the self-love of those whose advice and solicitations he sets aside. The Reception Commission will now be relieved of one portion of their duties, and it is perhaps just as well that they have not committed themselves to anything beyond the fourth day. Their troubles will not recommence till settling-day comes round. It is one of the lingering prejudices of the past that the loyalty of the mob is unstable ; but the experience of more recent times goes to prove that the loyalty of the common people is more sincere and lasting than that of the aristocracy, whether of wealth or birth. This was no doubt the case at all periods of history, although it is only recently that the fact has been recognised. The reason why there is no apparent discrepancy between ancient and modern history in regard to the instability of popular opinion, is twofold. The historians themselves were members of the aristocracy, or were their associates or dependents. The people in ancient times were necessarily ignorant. The invention of printing was the great epoch which separated the experience of the past from the experience of the present, and the changes thereby produced — as yet only in course of development — render it necessary to proceed cautiously in applying the teachings of "historian's history to the circumstances of the present day. There is now more fixedness of purpose among the lower classes of society than among the upper, and the demonstrations of a mob may be taken as truer indications of persistent will than the most labored ultimata of diplomatists. When modern crowds shout, they mean what they express, and their loyalty is of a more lasting quality than the lip and knee service of the courtiers themselves. The Queen has evidently arrived at this opinion from the teachings' of her own experience ; and that she is in the right there can be no doubt. The loyalty of the people is disinterested ; that of the aristocracy is exacting, and is continually looking out for substantial recognition. The people love their Queen for her own sake, the upper classes for the receptions she gives. If the same conclusion has not been arrived at by other crowned heads.it is because they have not mixed with the people, and have formed their opinions of the community "from the corrupt, insincere, and self-seeking minions by whom they have been perpetually surrounded. There is another peculiarity attending the loyalty of the masses, — as their intelligence increases their loyalty becomes confirmed. The people are more loyal now than they were fifty or a hundred years ago, and they will be more loyel fifty or a hundred years hence than they are now. It is wealth and rank, and intelligence, that set themselves up as rivals to royalty. Shoddy may pooh pooh queenly virtues, but moleskinbelieves in and admires them. If the Prince goes on as he has commenced, informing himself by inspection of the characteristics of the various classes of society, he is likely to link himself to the people by the bond of mutual respect.