New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-17

shI0 " OOnsIVlS Wv ~
ioSs' ne feSigneu me At and his Office TO proceed
o tne East "a . % ,mber Of the Supreme Council
d Calcutta. - acceptance of this position has
'een reear" ID as proof. that he was willing 70
surrender the highest prizes Of political ambition;
that b. felt conscious of being more historian
man statesman; wac more at home among his
DO Jks, than In Office and debate. But ID ADDISON
10 the large emoluments of the post Mr.. Macau'ay
had an object, in the highest degree worthy OF Els
abilities and aspirations. He was apPointei ieea'
adviser TO the Supreme Council, and IN tnis Ca
pacity, undertook the task of preparing new code
Of law for the government of India In the dis
charge OF this trust, he was exempted from all
merely administrative duties, and with the aid Of
four assistants, produced penal code, the Chief
portion of which may justly be asSribed to his in
tellipence and sssiduity. This code contains 20
CHAPTERS. divided into nearly 500 clauses: its
ability has been generally acknowledged; but it
was found not to be suited to practical working
The friends Of Mr.. Macaulay maintained that its
want Of success was caused by its excellence;
that il was too good to be available, that mankind
was not fit for it; and that the variety Of races
and customs to which it was applied, was 10 ITSELF
sufficient to prevent its being put in practice.
Others on the contrary assert tdat in spite OF the
great sum of money expended in its preparation,
the code is utterly worthless, containing scarcely
definition or provision that win stand the test Of an
intelligent examination.
Mr.. Macaulay returned to En- gland in 1888. He
had gained familiar knowledge of Ini ON affairs.
and OF Oriental manners and scenery. The fuits
of bis experience were displayed to the public in
his splendid essays Oh Lord Give and Warren
Hastings, which for mastery delineaton of charac
ter, vivid picturesqueness of description and saga
cious political discussion, have certainly not bean
surpassed By any of HE Literary productions.
Entering once moro upon political career, Mr.
Macaulay was elected member Of the House Of
Commons for Edinburgh in 1889, and became
Secretary of War in the same year. He did not
long remain in Office, the Wings having been d.
fested by Sir Robert Peel. He took an active part
in the Opposition, and was strenuous ad7ocate of
! the liberal measures, of which bis party was the
representative. In 1912, he published the striking
collection Of poems entitled "Lsys Of Ancient
Rome, !" in which the legendary narratives OF Liyy
are reproduced With remarkable brila1cy Of Illus
tratioD, and descriptive power. In the following
year, his essays which had bean previously pub
lisAed in this country, were collected in an English
edition. and in 1914, he contributed the second
part OF bis essay on Lord Chatham TO the E@in-
6afgk RerifU, and thus brought to close the
magnificent series Of his papers in that peri
odical. In 1916, on the restoration of the Wings
to power, under Lord JOHN Russell, Mr.. Macaulay
was ap9oin ed Paymaster Of the Forces, Wi b q
seat in the Cabinet, and for abort time exercised
the functions of this Office. On the subject of the
Maynooth endowment, he gave deep oAense to his
constituents by speaking in favor Ofthe grant to the
Roman Catholics, on which occasion he even yen-
tured to aude to the "bray ofExeter Hail." The
resentment sg anst him was 30 lively, that he failed
OF reelection in 18i7, but in 1852, his constituents
made the best reparaton in their power by reelect
| ing him by acclamation, without asking hin TO
issue an address, to attend meeting, or to bear
fsrthiDg of the expense. He thus sat onoe more
for short time in Parliament, although an attack
Of disease of the heart compelled him to avoid the
excitement of pubic speaking. After a few seq
sons, he retired from the House of Commons, and
was rdlkeu 10 buS pctIdBo II lCOf TIC was mover
married. and the title dies with him.
The History Of England, which forms the most
authentic title Of Lord Mscaulay to lofty place
in the remembrance of pOsterity was frat announced
soon after his rejection by the electors of Edn-
bureh in 1e47. Two volumes made their appear
ance during the following year; two more were
published in 1855; and further nsta.lment was
tod NJ abouf fifna in yxhip vua Eaar
of the death of the author. Few works of recent
date have been received with more enthusiastic al
mration. In spite Of obvious defects, neither small
in magnitude, nor few innunbef, these volumes pos
cess a charm, in their Efe-like representation Of
events, their sagacious exposition of secret mo-
lives, and subtle intrgueE, their graphic skstche
Of personal biography, the brilliant coloriug with
which they portray tho manners and character Of
the English people Of past age, and their wealth
ard beauty of illustration, which is yielded by
scarcely another production Of this epoch of noble
historical composition. One great secret OF Lord
Macaulays power in the construction Of narrative
was the zeal with which he was in the habit Of
visiting the localities described in his history, end
sketching his pictures from materials derived on
the spot The room s still shown at q Et..e inn,
near the scene Of the Duke of Monmouth d9lest |
at the battle of Sedgemore, which the Historian |
occupied for several weeks pursuing bis researches
in the neighborhood, with dgent minuteness, and |
writing that portion Of his narrative while the facts
and impressions were fresh in his mind.
II has been alleged by hostile pens that Lord
Macaulay was destitute Of heart--that bis life was
mainly intellectual brilliant, and stimulating, but