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

Parliament summoned to support himself was a
serious matter, and he instantly resigned.
Lord Derby, who ruled in his stead, did not long
enjoy power. In about a year the whole of the
Liberal party combined, agreed to sink their differ-
ences, and to cope with the Tories for victory. By
a small majority they won, and Lord Palmerston was
installed in office. If, however, one inquires how
the Whigs again came in, it would be difficult to
show any reason, save that of personal confidenee
in their chief. Nominally, Lord Derby's Cabinet
was ousted because it was not sufficiently reforming,
and because its foreign policy was not safe. But the
new Government failed to carry a Reform Bill, and
the new Secretary for Foreign Affairs distinctly de-
clared after he got into office that his policy did not
differ from Lord Malmesbury's. As far as we can
see, the change of Government is to be explained
only in one way. The Italian war broke out ; there
was an uneasy feeling in the country ; and politi-
cians of every shade wished to see the reins of Go-
vernment in the hands of the most able, the most
popular, and the most experienced statesman in
the land. So Lord Palmerston was again raised
to the chief office in the State. His Govern-
ment carried us through the danger of the
Italian war, united us through the treaty of com-
merce in a closer alliance with prance, carried out
reforms in India that led to its comparative pros-
perity, remodelled our bankruptcy law and our
educational system, and steered through the diffi-
culties raised by the American war and by the Polish
rebellion. Amid these and other perplexities, which
are so recent that they will be in everybody's recol-
lection, it was constantly apparent that nothing but
the personal popularity and adroitness of Lord Pal-
merston saved the Government from going to wreck
in the House of Commons. While he sat on the
Treasury Bench everything went on smoothly.
Whenever an attack of gout compelled him for an
instant to leave the guidance of the House of Com-
mons, even to such an accomplished orator as Mr.
Gladstone, defeat and disaster were the consequence.
Again and again the Government were saved from
ruin only by the marvellous popularity and address
of its chief, who has been Prime Minister for a
greater number of years than any man in this cen-
tury, with the exception of Lord 'Liverpool.
Nor was it merely his fame, his dexterity, and his
good humour that thus succeeded ; he worked hard
for success even in extreme old age. As a young man
he did less than his friends expected of him ; as an
old one he did far more. It was amazing to see
how he could sit out the whole House of Commons
in its longest sittings. At 3or 4 o'clock in the
morning he was the freshest and liveliest man there,
ready with his joke or a clever explanation to ap-
pease the irritability of a worn assembly. Besides
the toil of debate and incessant watching in the
House of Commons, his office work was enormous.
His despatches, all written in that fine bold hand
which he desired to engraft upon the Foreign-office,
P are innumerable. His minutes upon every con-
ceivable subject of interest in the last 50 years would
fill many volumes, and it is to be hoped that
some of them will be published. Moreover, in
private, he was always ready to write for the in-
formation of his friends, and he always wrote well.
We may add, in a parenthesis, that generally he
wrote standing. To get through this immense
amount of work he lived during the Session what
most men would regard as an unwholesome life.
Four days a week, when the house sat at night,
he dined at 3 o'clock ;on other days at half-past 8.
When his dinner was late he took no lunch ;
when it was early he seldom took any supper.
While young men went off from a debate to enjoy
a comfortable meal, he sat on the Treasury Bench
all night and never budged from it except to get a
cup of tea in the tea-room, where he liked a gossip
with whoever was there. For, with all his official
labours, he kept his hold on society and enjoyed life
like a youth. Lord Palmerston—and in this Lady
Palmerston resembles him—was in his very nature
genial and social. They loved society—not neces-
sarily their own society, but all men and women. In
the country, as in town, their hospitality was un-
bounded. A large family circle continually gathered
about them, reinforced by whoever was remarkable
for political or literary or artistic eminence, for
sport, for travel, for military or naval exploits. All
were welcome, and all found in both host and
hostess a sympathizing audience. Yet they were
never rich until latterly, and even at last their means
were as nothing when compared with the opulence
of many who never open their doors except to the
members of a coterie. All this was the result of a
prodigious vitality. Any doubts on that score might
be settled by seeing Lord Palmerston at a public
dinner—he sat down to it with the zest of an Eton
boy ; or by seeing him on horseback—when nearly
an octogenarian he would ride some 15 miles to
cover and think nothing of it. His mind never lost
its interest in whatever was new. He was as keen.
as any young man about the coming "Derby," and
would rather have won it than gained any political
triumph. These things are worth mentioning, for
they are elements of political success. Great as Pitt
was, he was said to have lost much through de-
ficient sociability. Lord Palmerston lost nothing in
this way, but gained a great deal. He owed, indeed,
so much to his social tact, that superficial observes
have seen in it the whole secret of his power. There
is no mistake more common than this. A dark
and heavy writer is supposed to be profound ;
pompous and reserved statesman gets the credit of
wisdom. A clear writer is regarded as shallow,
and a light-hearted statesman is said to have no-
thing in him. We, however, who breathe a religion
the Founder of which was set at naught for His
social habit, because He came eating and drinking,
may learn not to think the less of a statesman be-
cause of his geniality, his ready jest, and his 0201
house.—Tinivs.

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