The Press.
London, England, 1855-05-12 00:00:00

LORD ELLENBOROUGIL

WE are not surprised at the eagerness with
which individuals in the most opposite con-
nections turn their eyes towards Lord ELLEN-
BOROUGH at the present time. What BENTHAM
called " appropriate special aptitude" is the
cardinal want of our War-office, and in none is

THE PRESS.

that faculty so visible as in the remarkable
Peer on whose signal talents such statesmen
as the Duke of WELLINGTON, the Earl of DERBY,
Lord LYNDHURST, and Sir ROBERT PEEL have
often recorded their deliberate testimonies.
The interest now excited by the peculiarity of
Lord ELLENBOROUGH'S position will justify an
examination of his Lordship's claims to public
notice.

The son of an illustrious judge, who had
raised himself by uncommon abilities, the
Earl of ELLENBOROUGH entered into public life,
at a period when the Whig satirists of the
Holland house school made a most unscru-
pulous use of literary weapons. The most
malignant ridicule, the most rancorous detrae
tion, were in those days heaped upon all the
rising young men in Parliament who did not
hold " Liberal" opinions. The manner in
which these melodious libels were manufac-
tured has since been revealed by Mr. THOMAS
MOORE, of tarnished memory, and amongst
the public characters most traduced was the
eminent Peer whose energy and versatile
capacity are now the objects of public hope.
But, while witlings jested and Mr. THOMAS
LITTLE sang about the fashion of Lord ELLEN
BOROUGH'S attire, and the exact hue of his
Isabella-coloured gloves, statesmen hoar with
experience discerned the force of character
which, with a bold and masculine eloquence,
Lord ELLENBOROUGH inherited from his sire.
Connected by family ties with Lord CASTLE-
REAGH, Lord ELLENBOROUGH was well versed in
the inner history of politics; and the striking
ability with which he exposed the unfortunate
vacillation of Mr. CANNING, attracted the
special notice of the Duke of WELLINGTON.
When that great man was chosen Premier, in
1829, Lord ELLENBOROUGH was one of the first
statesmen called on for his aid. In '34, Sir
ROBERT PEEL in'ited his co-operation, and
again in '4l, amidst the galaxy of names then
at the head of the Conservative party, that of
Lord ELLENBOROUGH was honourably conspi-
cuous. He was appointed, without a murmur
of opposition, to the Governorship of India.
He was the idol of the Indian army ; he re-
paired great disasters, and sustained a mighty
empire. Though his energy as an " Adminis-
trative Reformer" wounded the commercial
prejudices of " the Company," his services
were appreciated by the Crown, and two steps
in the peerage were given to one of the greatest
statesmen who ever ruled an empire in the
East. The lustre of the Earl's rank was en.
hanced by the consideration that, while the
Whigs have showered coronets on their ad-
herents, the Conservatives have always been
remarkably choice in their titular distinctions
and promotions in the peerage.
Such is the man, stamped with the appro
bation of successive Cabinets, whose bold
designs, fearless deportment, prompt eloquence,
and prolonged experience, stand out in relief
against the goutitied intellect of poor Lord I'AN-
MURE. If we were asked to what one quality Lord
ELLENBOROUGH stood indebted to his fame, we
should answer, his vigour. And without
vigour nothing great in design, or successful
in execution, can ever be achieved. Vulgar
minds cannot see how an error in plan may
vitiate a whole course of action. They fasten
upon obvious faults in details, not on the
leading error in conception, from which all the
other blunders naturally flow. Minds of
vigour analyse rapidly, and therefore see
clearly and quickly. Supported with personal
confidence, their promptitude outstrips com-
mon intellects. The latter get entangled in
the meshes of detail, and cannot extricate
themselves; but the former buret through
opposition, bound over obstacles, and by sheer
force of will and prompt action go straight to
the mark with the facility that force supplies,
and with the success that forethought insures
and deserves.
And such is the nature of Lord ELLEN-
BOROUGH'S capacity. He has the vivida via
animi which our War Department wants. Nor
is his power of a crude or untutored kind,
mere raw force, deficient in experience. His
activity is balanced by attainments ; his
speculative promptitude in design is matured
and mellowed by long previous training. He
has always had, also, a special faculty for deal-

439

ing with military subjects, and he has many
of the peculiar qualities required for orga-
nisation.

A strong man, and that man with a mind of
his own, is the crying want of our War-office.
Treble your subordinates, multiply your trans-
ports and your medical staffs, and your
commissariat clerks, and without a proper
head at the War-office there must be confusion,
and a chaos of mischiefs arising from an
anarchy of boards. The Duke of N
was, and Lord PANMUE
Lord ELLENBOROUGH would master, mould,
and dominate the board. Rebels against true
method and common sense, the boards have
been slaves to precedent, but Lord ELI-kr:-
BOROUGH, while controlling their operation,
would emancipate them from the bondage of
control. With such a man in the War-office,
we do not assert that everything would in all
places go right, but we do assert that con-
fidence in the capacity of the Executive would
be restored, and that the common sense of
the country would be left no pretence for sup-
porting a popular movement got up by nobody
knows whc, in order to accomplish nobody
knows what.

But