P. S.—Since the above report was drawn up, that ardent English patriot
and loyalist, Benjamin Disraeli, being by the grace of God and the late
Earl of Derby Prime Minister of this realm, has proposed that Parliament
shall enable her Most Gracious Majesty to assume the additional title of
Empress of India, and Parliament has so far humbly assented. Being sore
pressed by many cantankerous persons to give valid reasons for this
change, he has given reasons many and weighty; such as the earnest
desire of the princes and people of India, which desire has been so
abundantly expressed that the expressions thereof cannot be produced
lest they should overwhelm Parliament and destroy the balance of the
world in general; then the imposing authority of “Whitaker’s Almanack,”
a dissenting minister and a school-girl aged twelve: and lastly the
necessity of such a title for scaring all the Russias from India. But I
believe that in deference to the well-known modesty of her Most Gracious
Majesty he has not produced the most cogent reason of all, which is that
for her wonderful and continual goodness during the past fourteen years
in abstaining from the active functions of royalty, thus not only doing
no mischief but preparing us for a Republic de jure by habituating us to
a Republic _de facto_, she merits a great reward; and that, as she has
already more money than she knows what to do with, this reward of royal
virtue can most fittingly be rendered by her grateful subjects promoting
her to the rank of Empress. And it should be noted that whereas the old
title of Queen has a certain strength and stability in the habitudes if
not in the affections of the people, the new fangled title of Empress
has no such support, so that in assuming it our beloved monarch is but
working consistently and resolutely toward the great end of her reign,
the speedy abolition of monarchy and establishment of a Republic.
A BIBLE LESSON ON MONARCHY
(1876.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account