The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-09 00:00:00

SUN,

LITERAT U tE.

LORD GEORGE BENTI.NCK. A Political
libiography. By B. Disraeli, 111. P. Third
Edition. Colbyrn. .

eery numerous admirers of Mr. Disraeli's
writings have latterly had cause to lament those po•
litical avocations which have induced him to lay aside
the noveliserepen—that pen which he wielded with
such peculiar, grace. The eloquent Parliamentary
spee -hes of the Member for Buckinghamshire, and
the zealous lebours of the Protectionist chief, have
not compensated to the reading multitude for the non-
appearance of :any new " Coningsby," or "
or " Wondrous Tale of Alroy," or " Contarini
Fleming," &c., &c.- In these regrets we must con-
fess that we have participated, because, differing
widely from Mr. Disraeli as a politician, we have
always.
justly appreciated his genius and admired his
fascinating powers as an author. The new
work recently issued, and which has already
reached a third edition, differs materially from
his former productions, but, nevertheless, we are
rejoiced, if not a little surprised, in being enabled
to award:: to it fully the same meed of commen-
dation which we have, from time to time, be-
stowed upon the forme'r works of its author. Under
the peculiar circumstances in which it appears we
should have been willing to look with an especial
leniency upon the partiality to be naturally expected
in the record of a friendly biographer, while the total
dissimilarity between our political eepinions and those
of Lord George Rentinck could only dispose us to
regard with a more impartial admiration his per-
sonal characteristics, and to sympathise most sincerely
with those who sorrowed for a noble life cut short at
the moment of its highest promise. That admiration
and that sympathy have been amply evoked by
a perusal 'of the biography, but our in-
tended "allowances " for the partiality of the
historian have not been found in any way
necessary. The unaffected simplicity with which Mr.
Disraeli.bas penned this record of his " comrade in
arms," and the delicacy with which he has kept him-
self in the background, scarcely making more than
the most casual mention of one who was a principal
actor in all the events which he relates, can only be
appreciated by those who have read the book, and the
most discriminating among them will, we doubt not,
be of opinion that) nothing in his former works has
charmed them more than these graceful characteris-
tics of this, " political biography." Duly aware of
the importance of a true record of a competent wit-
ness, Mr. Disraeli remarks near the very commence-
ment of his task :—" should not be forgotten that
the most authentic and interesting histories are those
which have been composed by actors in the
transactions which they record. The con-
temporary writer, who is personally familiar
with his theme, has unquestionably a great advantage;
but it is assumed that his pen can scarcely escape the
bias of private friendship or political connexion. Yet
truth, after all, is the sovereign passion of mankind;
nor is the writer .of these pages prepared to relinquish
his conviction that it is possible to combine the accu-
racy of the present with the impartiality of the future,"
a difficult and well-nigh impossible undertaking, but
in his endeavour to accomplish it, Mr. Disraeli
has been sufficiently successful. Another point
which has also afforded us much gratification in
this work is the 'manner in which mention is made
of the late Sir kobert Peel. Iu many of Mr. Disraeli's
sentiments respecting that statesman we do not, of
course, concur ; for' it is not necessary to observe that
we look upon that great and good Minister in a very
different point of view to that in which he appears
to the eye of his former supporter, yet this very cir-
cumstance induces us to regard with greater pleasure
some portion of Mr. Disraeli's elaborate criticism on
that Minister. Some extracts from that criticism we
subjoin, not because we entirely agree with them, but
because they afford an interesting specimen of a very
interesting: portion of this work :
" Nature bad combined in Sir Robert Peel many ad-
mirable parts. In him a physical frame incapable of
fatigue was 1 united with an understanding equally
vigorous and:flexible. He was gifted with the faculty
of method in the highest degree, and with great powers
of application which were sustained with a prodigious
memory; while ho could communicate his acquisitions
with clear and fluent elocution. Such a man under any

rcumstances, and in any sphere of life, would probably
have become remarkable. Ordained from his youth to
be busied with the affairs of a great empire, such a man,
after long years of observation, practice, and perpetual
discipline, would have become what Sir Robert Peel was
in the latter portion of his life, a transcendent
administrator of public business and a matchless
master of debato.in a popular assembly. In the course
of time the method which was natural to Sir Robert
Peel had Matured into a habit of such expertness, that no
one in the dispatch of affairs ever adapted the means
more fitly to the end; his original flexibility had
ripened into consummate tact; his memory had accumu
lated such stores of political information, that he oeuld
bring luminously together all that was necessary to
esteblish or to- illustrate a subject; while in the House
of Commone-he was equally eminent in exposition and
reply—in the 'first distinguished by his arrangement, his
elearness,!andfiis completeness; in the second, reedy, in-
genious, and adroit, prompt in detecting the weak points
of his adversary, and dexterous in extricating himself
from an embarrassing position.
"Thus gifted and thus accomplished, Sir R. Peel had a
great deficiency; he was without imagination. Wanting
imagination, he wanted prescience. No one was more
sagaciuns when dealing with the circumstances before
him; no one penetrated the present with more acuteness
and accuracy. His judgment was faultless provided he
had not to deal with, the future. Thus it happened,
htis treo
campaigns career, that while he was always looked
upon the long
most, prudent and safest of leaders, he ever,
protracted display of admirable tactics, concluded
by surrenderiug at discretion. lie was so
hat
str
adroit thst he could prolong resistance even beyond its
term, but so little foreseeing that often in the very
triumph of-his manoeuvres ha found himself in an un-
tenable position. And so it came to pass that Roman
Catholic emancipation, Parliamentary reform, and the
abrogation of our .commercial system, were all carried in
haste or in passion and without conditions
or mitigatory arrangements. Sir Robert Peel bad
peculiarity which is perhaps natural to men
of very great talents who have not the creative faculty;
he had a dangerous sympathy with the creations of
others. "Instead 'of being cold and wary, as was cora-
hhe wasewa impulsive sad even inclined to
a s ambiguous, unsatisfactory, re-
served.rm°siltilieB6B::oPrtPuW°oB.huedse,n; it was that he was perplexed, he did
not see his way,..that the routine which he had admir-
ably administered failed him, and that his own mind
was cot constructed to create a substitute for the custom
that was crumbling away. Then he was ever on the
look out for new ideas, and when be embraced them be
did so with eagerness and often with precipitancy; he
always carried these novel plans to an extent' which
even their projectors or chief promoters had usually not
anticipated; as was seen, for example, in the settlement
of the currency. * * ' After a great disaster, it
was observable of Sir Robert Peel that his mind
seemed always to expand. His life was one of perpetual
education. No one more clearly detected the mistakes
which he had made, or changed his course under such
circumstances with more promptness; but it was the
past and the present that alone engrossed his mind.
* * • In an ordinary period he would have been a perfect
Miniger, but he not a Minister for stormy times;
he wanted depthe'and passion and resource for such an
occasion. After destroying the Tory party in '46 be
fell a thinking again over the past and the present as he
did alter his tall in '30,. and again arrived at a great con-
clusion. In '3O he said he would act no longer as a su-
bordinate; in '46 he- said he would actnolongeras a par-
tisan. In '3O he visited his position upon the Duke of Wel-
lington; in '46 on the political ties of '4l; but if he had
been a man of genius, he would have guided the Duke
of Wellington, and in '4l would have given
a creed . to lisp party, always devoted to him,
instead of borrowing their worn-out ideas. * 4 * As
an orator, Sir, Robert Peel had perbape the most
avails* talent that has ever been brought to bear in
the House of Commons. We have mentioned-that both
in expesition and in reply he was equally eminent. His
statements' were perspicuous, complete and dignified;
when he combated the objections or criticised the pro-
positions of an opponent, he was adroit and acute; no
speaker over sustained a process of argumentation in a
public assembly more lucidly, and none as debaters
have united, ire au conspicuous a degree prudence with
promptness. In the higher efforts of oratory, he was
not successful. His vocabulary was ample and never
* * He
meal), 'but it was:neither rich nor rare.
was gifted with an admirable organ, perhaps the finest
that has been heard in the House in our days,
unless .we except the thrilling tones of O'Connell.
Sir Robert Peel also modulated his voice with great
skill, His enunciation was very clear, though some-
what marred by provincialisms. His great deficiency
was want of nature, which made him often appear, even
with a good'eause, more plausible than persuasive, and
more specious than convincing. He may be said to
have gradually introduced a new style into the House of
Commons, ,which was suited to the age in which lie
chiefly flourished, and to the novel elements of the As-
sembly which he had to guide. He had to deal with
greater details than his prededessors, and he bad in many
instances to address those who were deficient in previous
knowledge. ,Something of the lecture, therefore, entered
i*nto.bis displays. This style may be called the didactic.
and it' inay be'is question
wheethgerreht vsetrryugbgelset speeches
* Sir Robert Peel made some of his most
considerable efforts in th
were not those which he made during the het thhrt6ees;
'was' more
years of his , life.
position, there earnestnessx iThey
than his speeches, either Us were
and
dorme
orneathuersatl
ister or as Leader of Op-
about them,, and much less of
plausi-
bility. * Lie
hadtheob affectation of plausi-
control over his temper, which wast}:iiyeed a complete
fiery. His dispnsition was good; therenature somewhat
was eothing
petty about him; he was very free from rancour;
not only not vindictiVe, but, partly by temperament,neour; he was
still more, pethees, by he was even and
magna-
nimous. *
Far from any coldness subsisting Sir Robert Peel and the great houses which hula!
supported hue through his long career, there never was
a niter, who was treated with such nice homage, it
may be said, with such affeclienate devotion. ,The
proude:t in the land were prouder to be his friends, and
he returned the feeling to its full extent and in all
its o sincerity. * * One cannot say of Sir
Robert Pcei, notwithstanding his unrivalled powers
of eispatchieg affairs, that he was the greatest minister
that thin country ever produced, because twice placed