The Express.
London, England, 1865-10-19 00:00:00

MEE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVNPING, OCTOBER 19, 186:5:

is but fair to think that it waa only the sneer of '
the eighteenth century at the inootnprehansdble
doctrine, of the nineteenth. For few, indeed,
whom that age bred up hays been feunsl
capable of understanding that recognition of inhe-
rent rights, that sympathy with moral trials, that
earnest longing to help the soul yet more than
the body, which marks the thoughts and efforts of
our own generation.
We cannot perhaps better appreciate the pecu-
liar faults end merits of Lord PALMERSTON'S
character than by contrasting him with two yet
greater men whom death within a year has struck
down. RICHARD Conan, penetrated and mastered
by the idea of a great truth, gave his life to make
it triumph over every opposition. ABRAHAM
Lamour, not less strongly feeling the weight of
principle, yet shrank from putting it in action
till circumstances forced him to act. But Lord
PakvasevoN, who filled a larger space in the
world's field of view than either, leaves lees by
which he will be known than either. For there
never was a principle to which he devoted him-
self. There were many that he supported, but it
never was because in his eyes they were right,
but because they were convenient expressions of
an irresistible public opinion. So, though he aided
in the triumph of many, there are none with
I which his name will be associated. They will i
always by posterity be attributed to the men in
humble place who made them matter of faith and '
sacrifice. Never has statesman served his country
so long, and left such an absolute dearth of
measures by which his name will be re-
membered.
And yet withal, the service was well done. A
mind perfectly balanced, • happy disposition, an
eminently conciliatory temper, a faculty of divining
the prevailing sentiment and of placing himself in
instant accord with it, enabled Lord Paurtnerou
to do work which no other statesman could have
accomplished. He was the impersonation of that
rarest of gifts, because demanding the
regulated apportionment of many rare gifts, the
gift of tact. No man made fewer blunders, no
man more readily and gracefully extricated himself
from a false position. Nor certainly has any man
living achieved a wider popularity. There most
have been a thousand good qualities to make such
popularity possible, and to make it retained in
spite of such strenuous hatred as be at the same
time excited in more earnest minds. And now
that he is gone let us think rather of those happier
features of his character when we think of him,
even while we resolve all the more firmly to shun
his defeats in determining the policy which his
successors must pursue.

his &ethics had the honour and interest of his country at
hart.
In avatars with other itniroals, Iha Mar abearves thgrit
is not now idse time *intimate fully aid fairly the patted
results of Lori Pelunsesicro's career, but it may banal that
his policy naturally never took a high Joni; it sem redid
on pest principles ;it sever looked far ahead. It occupied
itself with to-day, and with to-day's temper. The British
parliament will sot look like itself without him. It will
seem to have lost something essentially charsoteristio. I
something symbolical end peculiarly distiactive, in losing
Lord Palmerston. Political friends and polities' foes must I
of worse differ in their appreciation of the extent to
which the country has lost by his death ; bet is the ifonts
of Oorantoas all met assuredly miss him alike.
Be we to-day, says the Telegraph, tory or whig, radical
or conservative, high churchmen or low churchmen, purists
or men of the world, Henry John Templerou earned this
much of his oonntrymen —" the respect of deep regrets,
the homage of solid gratitudea." His qualities, though
not the very highest, were such as Englishmen appre cats.
This is not the place or time to define the extol colours of
his creed, nor to explain why, after making all the despotio
cabinets bate him, and after upholding liberal govera-
mesa by the sheer charm of his name, there came a time at
last when half the party which he led muttered impatient
reproaches, while his political opponents were tender to-
wards him, though he kept them from power. But this is
the plans to say that such has been the wonderful career of
Lord Pelmerstoo, such his superbly English qualities, such
the popular and public appreciation of them, so great the
dignity of his name, so deep, so grateful the regard felt to
such a servant, that the two imperial sections have posi-
tively waited, weapons in hand, to let him per from public
life is quiet and hoaour.

beyond the limits of his duties as s inagblaste to ludo's*
in • aeries of comments that were virtually 10 OM] TAW
foe asoployen as eialeat employed, missidaral4ll his pad-
Ws end abused ids authority. He was bounden administer
the law ; be was not bound to show on which side were)*
personal sympathies..

the penal southern to the bedside of the dying tea''
maw, and I. their preemie be breathed • long-drawn breath,
mud his spirit easily peel sway."
The Advertiser bee • elaseateriatio paragraph. At the
close of oar of its teals( &Aisle it eye :—" We will only
add—sod we make our closing remark with greeter pleasure
then we eau expree—thit we are enabled to state, on the
authority of one who atteoded Lord Palmerstoo's bedside
during the last few days of his lunar, ' that his sod was
peace,' and that it was the Ann belief • of tbe fried to
whom we allude, that this pesos was the result of his
laboring wherein to trust.'"

MEMORANDA.

The Queen telegraphed repeatedly to Brackett
Hall for intelligence of the Premier's state, and to ex.
press her strong solicitude for him.
Brackett Hall was the seat of Lord Palmereton's Mend,
brother-in-law, and chief —tbe late Lord Melbourne, and
where that noblemen himself died.
Lord Palmerston had sat in sixteen parliaments, and been
elected to sit in the seventeenth. He served in *Haig
positions four mosarchs—George UL, George IV., Wil*
liam IV., and Queen Victoria.
At the time of bin decrees Lord Palmerston was the
oldest member, or " Father," of the House of Commone,
having held a seat in St. Stephen's since 1907, with the hp
terruption of only three months in the winter of 1834-5.
As • rule, he mioyed superb bodily health, and one of
the reasons wee, that, be it late or early when he escaped
from stets affairs, he always insisted upon giving himself
seven hours and a half of good sleep. If he maid not get
away home till 4 sae., be bade his servants lure him un-
disturbed till noon.
It must have been in Dugald Stewart's clam-mom that a
phrase which he often turned to good account in his
speeches, and on me memorable occasion with most bril-
liant effect, first caught his fancy and left upon it an indeli-
ble impression—" The fortuitous concourse d atoms."
He was much gratified at the time by something
which reached him from Cobdee's death. The great
freetrader was talking with his physioisa a little
while before he died, and said in • low sad paths tans
" Ah, Pahnersto• was • very gesentur 'rimy I" Them
words oinks to the Premier's ears, and psi him deep
pleasure.
During abougthe year 1820 Lord Pabosestou wee best
known as the " Man of Fashion." in great repute at
Almack's, sod famous in the waits. At this particular
period, Lady Cowper, deathbed at a later period to Means
Lady Palmerston, wee one of the leaders of fashion in that
peculiarly exclusive temple of fame.
Almost all his political coatemporaries who took a lead-
ing position, whether is the whig or in the tory ranks, were
Cambridge men. If Byron, Coleridge, and Wordsworth
are to be classed among our greatest poses, it would appear
that in other departments than that of politic Cambridge
lad, at the beginning of the prevent century, • pit
eminence over the sister University of Oxford.
In hie first 20 years of office be probably did not rise

address the Roues of Commons on any subject beyond his
own department more than a doses times ; and, curiously
*sough, on those rare condone, it was not to questions o
foreign policy, in which ass War Mioiater it might be sup-
pored that he would be chiefly interested, that his attention
was turned.
It is a curious fact that to the end of his days Lord Pal.
merston was not a graceful public speaker. He wanted
that fluency of speech which is often but the mask of
weak mind, but without which no man eau be an orator.
Ti
the last there was a hesitancy about his address ; a fasti-
dious search after the felicitously exact word, which repaid
the &ailment when it came, but which was often painful is
the search, and was accompanied with an odd gesticulation
as if the minister was jerking the phrase cut of himself.
Besides the toil of debate end incessant watching '
Hoses of Commons, his office work was enormous. HY da
spatches, all written in that fine bold hand which he desired
to engraft epos the Foreign office, are innumerable.
minutes upon every ocnosivable subject of interest in ti
last 50 yawl would fill many volumes, and it is to be hoped
that some of them will be published. Moreover, in private,
be was always ready to write for the information of by
friends, and he always wrote well. It is said by a writer ;
the Tines that generally he wrote 'landing.
Oa the Bth of April, 1818, so he wan mounting the stairs
of the Hone G ardor, a ; idol was tiro' at him by a half-
pay lieutenant anted Day's% Be wee only slightly best.
the ball strikin him above It. tip and musing nothing
more serious than a contn•loo. It war said that had he is,'
tuned quickly round whet passing the corner of
baluster the bullet must hays taken a fatal dint-deo.
would-be samisio was triad, proved to be twine' sad
fined for life in Bedlam, where ha cnly meetly expired.
With all his official I:boars, he kept his hold on society
and enjoys] life like a youth. Lad Palmerston—and
this Lady Palmerston resembles bien—was in hie
nature geoid and seen'. They loved society. Is
country, as in town, their hospitality was unbounded.
large family circle continually gathered about them,
taloned by whoever was remarkable fee political or literary
or artistic emineeos, for apart, for travel, for military
navel exploits. Is; the host and hostess were never r
until latterly, sad even at last their means were as nothing
when compared with the opulence of many who seer
their doors exoept to the members of a coterie.