New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-06

embraces nearly half a century FOR. il NAV well
De doubted whether. thfoas hout h, b-ili.n,c
any sneststion Of his worth WAS mora .,sr,;,g
or more gfsniyIrs than he pro hesy Of the illus.
rious hoy, Byron. who oceup ei the ..ms f,rr,
with him at Harrow on the bill vsrv .Ao,
acquaintance formed there-left an impression 40
strong on the young entsu'is't. mind that years
therward, he classedhs appreciation Of his school.
fellow among his mOss cherished recopecsiOns Of
Harrow.
Peels Literary career fully justified the promise
Of TIE poet prophet. His entire course was ooe
Of unbroken success. | use the word in contradis-
tnction to ecst, for Sir Robert Peel always con-
tented himself with the peror snce of bis dasies
BE mastered bis stadies IS hs since mastered the
more complicated questions Of finance. Ia neither
one nor the other did he seek to do more than
enabled him to accomplish the cod INN sdstely In
view. Perhaps, indeed, that 10 his indifference to
high order Of scholastic ambition. be was mod.
ing bis character to the necessities which his birth
imposed upon parvenue who attempted 60 pay
great part in the world. Whether he acted on
this consciousness or from innate modesty and
kindness Of disposition, his course VAS eminent
ly calculated 10 alay oil prejudice and Jealousy.
and oorCiiate the esteem Of those with whom hs
came in contact He len college, with all its hon.
ors-with many friends and no enemies.
Nor was this the ligh,es, of bis triumphs. Though
no country in the world hs, high distinction been
more easy Of access than in England ts seldom at
tanned by the path which Peel had to tread. Com.
pared to his, the task Of Henry Lord Brougham
VI" ahihing one. Bred to profession in which
capacity commands success, and dariog brisgs its
own sure reward. Brougham needed only cour-
age, resolution and address to win its first hon ,rs
| The difficulties Of his position were, q. the same
time, inducements to his ambition. His success
led through collision and contest, bot 10 that col.
! lision, however rude, he had to deal with men
barred for the encounter, and with no prestige BE-.
yond what was supplied by their genius or their
wit Hence his rise and that of other men in the
same walk, was rapid and without q check.
Similar qualities could not have succeeded for
Peel A "plebian" boy, he was sen. to oonsort
with the arstocrscy of an age when they are least
tolerant Of equality, and whom Intellectual super.
iority was sure to sting their aversion to humble
birth into angry soorn. That he had to encounter
this aversion, is not doubtful and. perhaps. IL was
in some degree owing to it, that tie isolated
student won the admiration Of one Who had al
ready begun to manifest such lofty contempt for
the privileges OF his own order Certsin il 10, that
whatever obstacles Of that character arose on Sir
Roberts path, he soon and surely overcsme them.
His school friendships were numerous and On.
dured to the last
But there are not wanting men who ascribe TO
Il
higher aristocrscy, first his conservative politics
and secondly, that subservieuoy to expediency'
which was the leading characteristic Of his public
HE, and now stamps that life in the estimate o.
two great circles-his friends and his antagonists
with sublime renown or immortal infamy.
The latter OF these apparently favors the as
sumption upon which the former 10 founded. Had
| Dir Robert imbibsd principles Of public policy,
naturally abhorrebt 10 one Of his race from study
and renection-had they been the result OF dis
passionate judg nent, formed when he was unln
auenced by party bissses, prejudises or prsielic.
tons Of any hind, they could not fail to obtain Q
more ten cious hold Of the statesm an, aud become
iIseparAbly interviewer with his public existence
The man with whom the dogmas Of atDlerancs
are settled convictions is infinitely less likely to
yield them up TO expediency however urgent.
than be who embraces liberal and catholic vie vs.
and it. with the former, change were possible, tire
records Of Office is the last place no would be jasti'
| fed in registering bis conversion. In general
conversions that are sincere, love to halox them
selves with sacrifice and even so, they require,
as base, some detected error Of former belief or
some false and exploded prejudice in that to which
the convert becomes suddenly attached. These
all these--were wanting 10 Peers changes Hs
ayowed no discovery Of an error; he relied upon
no new Information all bis canoss OF belief 70.
NAMED unmodihed; and there is this additional
and striking fact, when abandoning the party of
intolerance, and becoming the champion Of the
policy which they denounced a. damnable, when
bitterly rebuked for bis treschery and scornsd Ia
every quarter where there ever shone for him one
brilliant assoc alton, bis defense Of himself never
rose above the cant Of obseqaiousness never dealt
TO bis accusers one scorbfa reprosch, or told Them
% he Justly might have done, tina. 10 Their oDn-
nection with him the obligations were all on their
| side.
How different has been the bearing of his great
rival In reply to . vote Of censure by the Peer
age, whose pures and proudest blood he boasts,
he repealed their censure with naughty SOON
Exultngly defiant he pointed 10 his principles 10
bis duty, and TO the people, a. the judges TO whom
alone he would bow. Ii may not be oat OF place
TO add here, that 4. the time Of Peels education
most Of the youth Of the higher Eoslish sobIesse
belonged to the Wing school Of politics; and those
whose faith the young statesman embraced were
Of the mirror houses, his connection With whom
might be in some degree owing to the haateur and
exclusveness Of the former.
In one sense at least bis choice Of politics was
dissdysntagesus to him. Had he espoa'ed the
popular party, there were many free constituencies