The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-27 00:00:00

DEATH OF THE MARQUIS OF
WELLESLEY.

This illustrious statesman, after a short illness, ex-
pired at Kingston House, Brompton, yesterday morn-
ing,
.at four o'clock. Few public characters can be
named, who have acquired greater distinction by.
their services, in a variety of situations, than the
:Marquis of Wellesley.. Ne..one can fail to be struck
with the extraordinary nature of his career, and by;
the brilliant qualities which he brought to bear upon
• the civil administration of
Richard Wellesley, Marquis of Wellesley ofNorragh,
Earl of Mornington, Viscount Wellesley, of Dangan
Castle, and also 9f Ireland, was born June 20, 1760.
He was. the eldest cf four other brothers, and one
sister, by his father Garret, who was born in 1735,
and elevated to the rank of Viscount Wellesley, of
Dungan Castle, and Earl of Mornington, in 1760.
His brothers alluded to are William, created Baron
Maryborough ; Arthur, Duke of Wellington; Gerald
Valerian, who is in holy orders, D.D. a Prebendary of
Durham, Chaplain to the Queen, and formerly, Rector
of Chelsea ; Henry, created Lord Cowley ; and Anne,
who married, first the Hon. Henry Fitzroy, and
• secondly her former husband dying in 1794, Charles
Cullen Smith, Esq.
• The Marquis of Wellesley was sent at an early age
to Eton. Here, it is said, he distinguished himself
by a display of' those talents among his fellow stu-
deets which gave a strong prognostic of the eminence
he was destined to obtain on the great theatre of the
world. To the last he retained his taste for pro-
ducing those classical pieces of skill, which came in
a Latin form with peculiar grace from his pen, and a
• Very beautiful specimen of which appeared in the
leading Review of the day, about two years ago.
Other specimens are to be met with in the " Flora
Etonensis."
Having finished his studies at Eton, he removed to
Cambridge ; but the death .of his father inducing
him to enter early on public business, he returned.
home before completing his residence, and was ap-
. p_ointed a member of the Irish Privy Council, and a
Knight of the newly-instituted Order of St. Patrick.
• In addition to these honours, he was chosen one of
the representatives of the Royal borough of 'Windsor,
and in'this situation took an wave part in'the ,impor-
, tant debates which the disturbed state of Europe oc-
:: casioned in both Houses of Parliament. His views
and expressions were both calculated .to inspire the
Ministry towards pursuing the warlike counsels which
had been proposed.
... In the year 1797 he entered on that wide and mag-
i nifieent scene of action which his appointment as
Governor. General of India led him into. The Indian
-. Government at this time presented difficulties which
—st:ulents of the first order were required to control.
• Party Spirit had not only begun to show itselfin a variety.
of forms, but Tippoo Sultaun of Mysore, the most power-
; Jul enemy of the British authority, had again re-
; ..covered force and resolution. His Lordship instantly
ae:adepted measures for the firmest resistance. France
; u .had. entered into union with this wily Indian, and his
Le Slit movements were to counteract their junction.
tonaparte having landed in Egypt, Lord Mornington
dispatched a considerable part of the Indian army,.
41''440r Sir David Baird, to join Sir Ralph Aber-
ea'Crorntse who had the command of that from England.
The bold design of sending these forces up the Per-
sian Gulf having succeeded, his Lordship saw his
ss.s
issued
crowned with triumph. Orders were next
lesued to obtain possession of Perim, a small island
situated at the entrance of the Gulf of Combay, which
forms a communication between the straits of Babel-
... mandel and the Red Sea. By the possession of this
Place, he saw that the passage of the invading army
• would be effectually stopped, and India, in conse-
quence, be provided with a permanent and sure de-
fence. The Indian army, in the meantime, having
assembled under General Harris, received directions
to proceed against Seriogapatam, the seige of which
city was accordingly commenced in April, 1799.
History has- few recitals of a military nature more
horrible than this war furnishes. But for the press-
ing and energetic letters of the Governor-General, the
, attacking army would have raised the seige. But,
„ urged by the strong exhortations of Lord 'Wellesley,
,s General Harris carried on his exertions with renewed
ss -vigour, till the fortress was stormed by a desperate
assault, and Tippoo himself slain ; intelligence of the
?' important event was immediately communicated to
-1: the Government at home, and the Earl of Morning..
• t 44-1 was created, as a reward for his services, Marquis
a:1 of Wellesley.
''"''ft Further to commemorate the distinguished services
'o'•which he performed in India, he received, in addition
'erf' to his title, the honour of having his family arms aug-
l'oraented, with an allusion to the scene and circum-
11';',stances ofhis exertions. The addition to the former
bearings were, in the language of heraldry, "an es:
57-:tocheon purpure, charged with an estoile vert, bor-
nii.dered and radiated or, between eight stripes or spots
*l.'sself the Royal tiger, in pairs, salterwise gold." To the
dexter supporter; which is a lion, was added, "In the
tt paw,- 'the French Republican tricoloured flag de-
pressed, and the staff broken." The sinister supporter
—ares aloe ordered to be altered from a lion to the Royal
,reetiger of TippoaSultaun, vert striped, ducally collared,
lessaad chained or, holding in the paw the standard of
Tippoo depressed, and the staff broken. To the crest,
rfesof Wellesley was added "the standard of Tippoo Sul-
taun," and to the crest of Colley, which was a man's
arm grasping a sword, instead of the sword " a flag-
staff with the union standard of Great Britain, sur-
mounting the tricoloured flag of France and the
standard of Tippoo." ,
. In the year 1805, his Lordship returned to Eng-
land.. Opinion, however, was not universally in his
favour. He was said to have been extravagant in his
i cravernment9 and guilty of oppression towards the
• •
native Princes Articles of impeachment were pre.-
.
aerred against him in the House of Commons, but
these dropped, and a vote was given in his favour.
Among others who were violently adverse to him
on his return were many of the Governors of the East
India Company, several
.of whom strongly remon-
strated with him on the expense and extravagance of
• • his Government. His answer was short and sarcastic.
" Gentlemen," said he, " I can't govern kingdoms by
the Rule if Three."
Marquis
On resuming his seat in the House of Lords, the'
Marquis Wellesley again became a frequent speaker ;
and, in the year 1807, on the Duke of Portland be-
Coming. Minister, he was selected to accept the office
of a Minister of State, but declined it.
- In 1809, he succeeded Mr. Frere as Ambassador to
the Court of Spain, and had the fortune to land at
. Cadiz on the very day in which the battle of Talavera
was fought, and, amid the rejoicings !which were
tnade to celebrate the surrender of Dupont's army to
the patriot forces. His arrival was attended with
every demonstration of public respect. A French flag
Wa.tspread upon the ground for him to walk on ; his
carriage was drawn by the people to the Town-house ;
and what was a more singular proof of the heartiness
of his welcome, they refused the gold which he pre-
pared to scatter among them.
On the Marquis of Wellesley's return from Spain,
Lord Grenville, on the 30th of March, 1810, moved
:f• or the appointment of a Secret Committee, to whom
-ie,..ltshe papers relative to Spain should be referred, that
ova those
documents might be prepared for publicatien.
c.Tne Marquis of Wellesley, on the occasion, implored
gic the House not to interrupt the acceding to this mo-
ai; t'°o; or to obscure, by their own acts, the lights ne-
se cessarty for the full and clear knowledge of the ques-
tions involved. "A. most material part of the cor-
e( respondence consisted of his own dispatches during
, his, late embassy." He begged the House not to rob
age public of the adVantage of an open manifestation
''' his conduct, and that the record of his transactions
in Spain might be preserved, to the world whole
• and entire. •
• On the Bth of June, in the same year, the Marquis
• made a full vindication of the several acts with which
.t! he
Was charged. Before proceeding to answer the
.`,l, :grounds of objection against himself, he laid before
.4.. their Lordships a brilliant sketch of the plan of Bri-
14l' ,t $ll *rations as they had been crowned with success
'i• n
the SPanish peninsula. He then proceeded to an-
wer the charges severally of which he was accused,
11:'[. laud:vindicated himself from the topics of censure as
theY ankte. His peroration on the occasion, and as
; delivered, had a maguitieent effect. He reviewed the
*natives of Bonaparte in a masterly manner, and laid
tlkul to his audience the vastness of his designs, and,
as los Unprincipled' means to carry them out. "To him,
;Y• faid- he, "force and fraud are alike—force that will
tt4°Pk_ to all the base artifices of fraud—fraud that will
„"ecome armed with ell the fierce violence, of force.
. seer
t. ery thing which the head of such a man could con-
s, lrol, or the arm execute, would be combined and con-
• rotasated into one vast effort, and that effort would
strained ter the humiliation and destruction of this
• country."
rn answering those who cried out that Spain was
• 411 desperation and lost, he spoke thus :—" For my
e! art, my. Lords, I can discover nothing in the aspect
of Spanish affairs that wears anything like the hue
or complexion of despair. If, indeed, it had ap-
Peared that the spirit of courage had began to lan-
gnish in the breast of the patriotic Spaniards, then
'fight it be believed that further assistance to the
cause would be unavailing. But fortunately there
w• 4.9 not only life in Spain still, but her patriotic
'B4 still continued to beat high. Our generous
sentiment should be, still to stand by her
a.. " her moment of resistance. The struggle in which
\I".. to •
Zrthl was -engaged, was not merely a Spanish strug-
cs but one in which the fete of England was insepa-
ais"Y blended: Should we not, tlievefer?, stand by
• "Iwr to the last--should we not at such a moment, if
s."'.`t appeared to be et the crisis of her fate, extend
• 6Ver tie: a. more srixichi4s ? For in nature, and,
• shove . quain; 'how often 49 the apparent
•v all se. s
sere so ' ,s `son been the presages al. vine
p ms of aissolu,...
" g•ontinavd. Al°o-6
',lle. Therefore my Lords ggie Z
• ,4ord, " I wouldcling " • tang
I
to Spam in he. .
therefore I would watch her in her last agona....
would wash and heal her wounds ; I would receive