The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-23 00:00:00

,

- RETIREMENT OF MR. GLADSTONE.

M. The following correspondence, which embodies Mr. Glad-
tur, stone's formal retignation of the leadership of the Liberal
DartY has been publiitied
•
"11, Carlton House-terrace, S.W.,
••.,
January 13, 1875.
"My dear Grativille,—The time has, I think,
, arrived when I ought to revert to the subject of the
• letter which I addressed to you on the 12th of March.
• Before determining whether I should offer to assume a
charge-wilirch might extend over a length of time, I
have reviewed with all the care in my power a number
of considerations, both public and private, of which a
Portion, and these not by any means insignificant,
were not in existence at the date of that letter.
• "The-result has been that I see no public advantage
• in my continuing to-act as the leader of the Liberal
party, and that at the age of sixty-five, and after forty-
, two years of a laborious public life, I think myself
entitled to retire on the present opportunity.
Tbis retirement is dictated to me by my personal
views as to the best method of spending the closing
' years of my life. I need hardly say that my conduct
. in Parliament will continue to be governed by the
Principles on which I have hitherto acted; and what-
ever arrangements may be made for the treatment of
general business, aa:Ld for the advance or convenience
of the Liberal party, they will have my cordial sup-
port.--Pelieve me always sincerely yours,
"W. E. GLADSTONE.

"The Earl of Granville, K.G , &e."

' "Carlton-house, Jan. 14, 1875.
' ,'7- "My dear Gladstone—l have received your letter
•6 of the 13th. I have oomnaunicated to you in detail
• the reasons which make me profoundly regret and
• deprecate the colaclusion at which you have arrived.
Your late colleagues share these feelings to the fullest
- extent, and have regretted the failure of their endea-
vours to persuade you to come to a different decision.
We have no doubt that the Liberal party in and out
of Parliament will feel as we do en the subject.
"The observations we have addressed to you are
' prompted by . conadderations of public advantage for
the futiire, and not merely by our sense of your great
services and our sentiments of personal admiration
, and aftachment.—Yours sincerely,
•''Gii.uswiLLE."
4 twte; •,,..
.-18,z TBEQ.U.SS ON MR.- GLADSTONE'S RETIREMENT.
"24 The Saturday Rsvisw writes :.___
1` Tothe nation the eourse taken by Mr. Gladstone
injuricaus, and to his party it is disastrous. The
••Lliouse of Commons rules the nation, and there are now
•,;1 '1( Indy two laSen left who can rule
the House of Commons;
• and it ii a,national loss that the younger of the two
44.thould.aaanounce that he is sick of politics, and is going
. a...1_0 while•away his time in Wales. Whatever may be
--the farDbPand shortcomings of Mr. Gladstone, there
"I" can be iita- doubt that he adds to the greatness and
elevates the tone of the Assembly to which he belongs.
Vhe Liberal Party has also its own special reasons for
, deploriiigthe withdrawal of Mr. Gladstone. For the
moment the. Liberals can hardly be called a party at all.
They are like sheep going astray in a land with little
pasture and many precipices, who have just been told
rby their shepherd that he is disgusted with sheep-watch-
i:lng and
'lt us
_s* going to take a publichoe and retire, but
that he will ft occasionally look round to see how they
are gefting,on. Possibly, too, the electors of Green.-
wich may have a slim notion that the purposes he now
Proposes to serve are not precisely those which they
, Were inVite4 to prosecute by seizing on the glory of
turning the late Premier. But neither the claims
the
"" of the riatiOn, nor the' wails of Liberals, nor
iv' the disanpo ''4ra
~
..,e.s. u, ti t?
- 1 '"
f
noent of Greenwich are likely to move
.cho. ro
Mr. Gladstone. He has made his
ice, and is lost to political life. Henceforth he will
0ccupy.•44,•,.0
su. Position of an English Espartero and will
~ c2nfine his political
938rega activity to occasionally offering the
lit. Med utterances of a sequestered veteran, and
to blessing.affectionately such of his Liberal admirers
w as may think it worth while to make pilgrimages to his
mountain' home.
in.one sense Mr. Gladstone is perfectly free
' tes cheese:- No one has a right to say that a man of
'who has passed 42 years in active Parliamentary
is not at liberty to spend the closing years of his
: her2s_tence as. he wishes. He, too, has his claims, and
h°l2' LuaY. claim that he should appproach the solemn
,-,11: of death in the mode which to him seems
''''-i°'" fitting- He has his own notions of the duties
-i.e•- eacll, individual man to himself and to his Maker,
4-luld he wants to carry them out. He has worked
„Oland, and this is the repose after work which he
' *B9'3'B Ile cannot forego. "Every one has an outer
41-likanci -'
all Inn. er existence, and Mr. Gladstone,
that
e Socrates, has his Dremon whispering to him
, hforth he
owh6-- .1-";.- ner existence is that for which hence-
L__ , . must most care. The friends of Socrates
hence-
bowed m reverential submission to the announce-
ter ment et the heavenly intimations by which theas-
. ~, professed. their Into be guided, and the friends of Mr.
Gia&tonednust do the same. Nor need they be much
,:ifitirP,l-, r.,ised :or disconcerted if he too offers a cock to
1"---',,„ se'LlaPins. Arr. Gladstone's theological pamphlets
'''—a3' not be very we or profound, but, like the sacri-
JAce of Socrates they accord witla the habits of his
-,tsind said the prlepossessions of his life. Some of the
objection e to them will also disappear when they can
h.be no longer associated with practical consequences in
....Irl3.olitics. .If Mr. Gladstone is to be a Welsh squire, it
-i.
,s
„lilivill not tignity
',nand io, hi that he should be four years behind-
._ ...--a . v s . appreciation of the proceedings of the
.7-re, v tican, or that he should invent puzzles as to alle-
irmee loathe diatracticu of Roman Catholics."
• - The Spectcttor *rites --
' k 4` Wdil• - - •
• . o not many 9 presume to tell Mr. Gladstone, as so
that hi
,r.hqt i' Party will, that he has acted wrongly,
eideratil t; dy is to die in harness that no possible con-
goodgood ought to be of such moment to him as the
gd•irernment of Great Britain. He has done too
Rnglishmen, and received too little at their
tiat itrgument to lie in their mouths.
mist be judge of his own conscience,
tot in England a conscience less likely to
Mr. Gladstone's. If he desires full
_ ont questions before which English
are very trivial, he is his own arbiter of
' to himself and to mankind; but none
. he owe one more service to his country-
ffort to organise that essential datum of
kl ,p,olitical life—Her Majesty's Opposition.
ot.ight, as we read our recent constitutional history,
vtivr his tarty together, to state once more and .- 4 ... yeel llis decision, to hear their mournful represen-
buions, nna,
•r* if his will remains unmoved, to take
,counsel witlithem boldly and frankly on their choice of a
'7oee Working;hief It is not for him to dictate, though his
outweigh that of most there present, but it
,t.stor hun to advise and for them to accept, and to
e 4.9`41 tO the constituencies the reasons for their
choice. Lit the burden of leadership fall where it
P,?s7, if, will be a heavy one, but it will be intolerable
ir the selection be not accepted by Liberal members
and ratifijid by the party at large. There must be an
endof
_kr!diaciPline, and Mr. Gladstone's retirement
i?rompt measures are not taken, will end in a con-
like that which is apt to reign in a defeated
fin in .gpain. Every man will fight for his own
tn,lll, nAd the naosr unscrupulous will come to the
,„,-erut P__ a• And,. painful as it is to say it, there is another
" rernaming' to be said. This last duty done, and
We maintain that it is a moral duty of the most im-
perative kind, Mr. Gladstone must bethink himself
Whether, Until the newleadership is compacted, he can
rtlisnientiensly intervene even occasionally in debate.
theElree:tutval to hard to write, but the plain truth lies
Mr. Gladstone in the House so dwarfs
t'everY• 'ogler Liberal, the sound of his voice so
zrrifies every other orator, the words of Ms counsel so
vireig4 the advice of any other Ulysses, that leader-
. P mao;•lse an impossibility or a humiliation. There
la not a‘ Possible leader who, if he knew that Mr. Glad-
et4ne sve:re Coming after him, would not lose half his
9°97".,,b the depressing consciousness that he was
be outshone, that he might possibly be rebuked,
might be criticised into inanition. With
M-1' Gladstone iblf in the House, no ecclesiastical policy is
WkPoßs to the front Liberal Bench, and no financial
. gr.. Ue pressed with a certainty of acceptance.
likeon. in the ranks no Marshal can 1 corn-
'damn of .belief
of. thoge 12and, irialt is-fro very adnairation, from an enthu-
in hisra
powers, that we peat the advice
wto wish hi re
m no good, and pray him, if he
:1111 be'. Kingmaker instead of King, not to let his
, anS;dow- take all brightness out of the new-made crown,
Th„,..0 skauthority out of a scarcely welded sceptre."
e Economist writes:—
• 1i 1
, . 4 one respect Mr. Gladstone is unique. Many
t t
~ 1,:„"biell have written books in retirement, and some
~ tgo'e Leetentatiously commended it. But ordinarily
_ xi- se 000 ks are tame and those commendations forced.
OW that they feel no longer the excitement of the
, Loen.ats'gr•of °Zee all else seems tasteless to them, and
u can trace that languor in every phrase they utter.
, -/10 one can say this of Mr. Gladstone. His
tlll'ilags in retirement may or may not be too many;
ea eY maY or may not be models of style ; but no one can
anYthat they do not show the keenest interest in their
att writes et -
f
f he in the Quarterly, you wonder
if lie e eaUsual rigour 'of the anonymous contributor;
he Writ&l us
on the-' Vatican Decrees,' you admire the
mute research and the zeal of disputation which no
18 , elbarb.suipase. In Homeric criticism his eagerness
" 4 :411a oat greater ; it haa lung been said of him that he
.e'll:ecl ah•nauch about the sons of Friam as if they had
31•043 on a division;' and, in fact, he can pursue, with
Ilastic, Z energy., inquiries which most bookworms would 11 tedious. And in all this exceptional earnestness
4, ere iS not a vestige' of affectation. It is the simple
isleasion of an iiatense nature, which, singular tosay,
4 iaiwiable. 'and' concentrated, whirl pours itself in
abi,-;_uPed pnisuits, but which for the time being is
°rued in eacJl.
re'lgt:Thie.-is, the:real explanation of Mr. Gladstone's.
rel4,l:•:4ti'la• He can withdraw into comparative
r t,:leZt, because he can be absorbingly occupied in
lbe " ea. If he hears from a diAance the din of
overpowered with
rae47.ssl4tary battle he is not over
'l4na • ' •
his stild • F 4iAislug ; his. compensations. a.r:-aa. t hand;
live with
' hot ta1821;:', Plaoe .f. calm to him, for it 1,
ekreB• • -"t
• and ring WA aontroversies for which he
~ „,i1 •
i -1- MAI
LI resiktit ?. Gladstone has judged wisely for himself
tiZo, t donLt•li. e -leadership of the Liberal Party we
rai4,Part,
,There can be little pleasure in leading
4 V .4 In its present state, and there must be
body, i'xatio
th. A ikati, It will be impossible to please every-
'..4l-,les not Please bdy The toil of
,is ,to kit 4r4anlerit merel anybody.
o'watch. the
."146 " Inar)lZ4'4ite to a Government ent in anxious hope
if he does ali .' 40/ne mistake, and with little to say
proceed-
aMentiniEnts. hiLto detect errors in figures and poke
Yontlg members, la.,,la..ses,—is an excellent training for
!t nished statesnian.l4-" a dismal employment for a
Le pa,rt ioularly melaill, kr. Gladstone's case it would
""ntraAt- to his Go°ll', for it would be a striking
aohl
—eyed P°lidMuch of which:yell'
to. be
cY o not doubt e
the Session
e
.
ven, those who question the
l'aent. After just having
a tanfet,eBl: ist
ews
soi LI d
ilne
fpriatmi aibnlge
Minute criticis
ti,h?,(pkje;dttaisciaciloot:il:iicranbyeeatthshuree Ineseodfiotch9se who approve the
ray-
xmd of -Parr
• for Which ....1.1.3t71:1
{,..3_ P., itung-great rne
' for er PI stone is not well fitted. In framing
ar3r w°lZssPrPolbeasabilnygtbheecaounlye i
kind, is
a
' lalEar4-class comb agurea'
it'
time; .Lord Russ 11, ats--he is without a rival in our
great replies—in short,
Without ,a-riail ?zi P° Pa:rtial judge, seems to think,
CixPerience. But eurxa&illg 1113
3' the qualities which lit Mr.
Immense Parliamentary

-Much

--
1, for tl
man n
llis n

than

thiak

alty -
(oei.

tb

SATURDAY, JAY 23, 1875.

GlAdstone for these great combats unfit him for much
small work. He is not a man to hold, as the lawyers
say, a 'watching brief.' The best requisites for that
task are—first, taciturnity, so as not to be hurried into
premature objection; and next, a light way of handling '
small objections, so as not to make too much, and yet
to make enough of them. But no one would praise
Mr. Gladstone for these gifts; he has greater ones, but
he has not these.

"If anything could incline a statesman in Mr.
Gladstone 's place to resign the leadership of the Liberal
party, we should say that it would be the speeches
which have been made during the Recess by Überal
members. At first sight these speeches all look com-
plimentary, for they are unanimous in professions of
allegiance; but when carefully examined their pur-
port is less pleasing, for most of the speakers expect
their fealty to be recompensed, and to be recompensed
by the achievement of an impossible task. The
Liberal party is, by admission, divided: what some
wish others reject; what some think an indispensable
good others think an irreparable calamity. And
many expect Mr. Gladstone to discover the word of
the enigma—the measure which is to bring them to-
gether. But he cannot do so at this moment, nor can
any one else. Such measures must ' grow ;' they
cannot be made. A new race of ideas must be formed.
Long controversies and many agitations will be neces-
sary before the Liberal party will be united upon a
single plan, and before the nation will be prepared to
accept it of them."
The Sun says :

"Mr. Gladstone having communicated to Her Ma
iesty his intention to resign the leadership of the
Liberal party, the Queen eipressed her deep regret,
and offered, not for the first time, to confer a mark of
her Royal favour on Mrs. Gladstone as she had done
on the late Mrs. Disraeli when, some years ago, she
was created Countess of Beaconsfield. We are sure all
our readers will appreciate Her Majesty's kindly feel-
ing towards one who, as he says, has served his country
for 43 years."
The Debats contains the following gn the subject of Mr.
Gladstone's resignation : _ .

"Mr. Gladstone has just announced by a letter
addressed to Lord Granville his determination to
abandon the leadership of the Liberal Party in Parlia-
ment. This news has not caused much surprise to the
English public. For the last two years it has been easy
to perceive in this illustrious statesman the signs of a
kind of discouragement and, as it were, apathy with re-
gard to public affairs. He hardly took part in the de-
bates of the last Session, and broke his rest in order to
intervene in the question of ritualism, which raised and
still raises strong controversy in England. Since that
time Mr. Gladstone has devoted all his energy and
talents to composing a vehement and passionate treatise
against Ultramontanism. The religious question ap-
pears to absorb him entirely. In retiring from the
political stage he leaves behind him a great and lasting
memory. His name will figure brilliantly among
those of the Statesmen who in this century have
reflected the greatest honour on England. He has
been one of the most sincere, able, and fortunate
advocates of the principle of Free Trade. The economi-
cal and financial results of his Administration have pro-
verbially contributed to the prosperity of his country
and to the comfort of the labouring classes. This
alone would suffice to give him a glorious name."

hands,
,Every
',and therb
be strained
leisure •to,
lartY Polities
is
'mu -
the leas ac
Men, one
'ths natic