Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-02
EnrI Rnssen.

The death of Lord Palmerston brings
Earl Russell, the distinguished English
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
prominently into notice as a leading can
didate for the Premiership, and it is quite
probable that he will be selected to fill the
place. To have the first seat on the Treas
airy bench of England is to be the first
man in Europe, and our readers will be
anxious to learn something of the eharac-
ter and history of the statesman who will
probably assume it.
Earl Russell has been connected with the
English Government longer, and has ex-
ercised q greater influence on English and
European politics, than any other English
Statesman living, now that Lord Palmer
ston is dead. He is sev~enty-three
years of age, or a little less than eight
years the junior of the late Prime Minis
ter, whose vacant place he is soon to fill.
He is the third son of the sixth Duke OF
Bedford, and was born on the 10th OF
August, 1892. He was educated at Edin-
burgh, enjoying familiar intercourse with,
as well as instruction from, the acute and
subtle Dugald Stewart. After an extend
ed tour on the continent, he returned to
take a seat in Parliament, entering politi-
cal life in 1919, at a time when our ablest
Generals and statesmen were unborn or in
their mothers arms.
Throughout all his career, Lord John
Russell has been an earnest Wing and re-
former. He has probably done more for
the cause of reform than any other man in
England, though-perhaps we should rath-
er say becaHse-he has not gone so fast or
81 far as his more radical coadjutOrs.
When he entered upon his career in Par
Lament, the Wing party was in a weak
and, as it seemed, hopeless minority, but
he unhesitatingly allied himself with it,
and had the satisfaction of seeing, and
aiding in, the final triumph of its princi-
piles. He made his first motion for Parlia-
mentary reform in 1919, at the very out
set of his political life, and though it was
defeated, he renewed it at every session Of
Parliament until in 1880 it triumphed, as
all good causes will in the end, ifthey have
earnest supporters, whctherthe supporters
be few or many.
Earl Russell will not become Prime
Minister for the first time, should he assume
Lord Palmerston's vacant seat. Nearly a
score of years ago he was Premier,
with Palmerston as Foreign Secretary
their positions having been precisely re-
versed at the time of Palmersten's death.
In 1852 he dismissed that gentleman from
his cabinet, and as a consequence his
fell to pieces. In 1889 he wa
to take a seat in the cabinet of the
man whom he had dismissed from his own
administration. In 1861 he was made
Earl Russell, and took a seat in the House
Of Lords. As Foreign Secretary, during
the late war, he has done more than any
other man, except Lord Palmerston, in
England, to shape the policy of England
toward us; and whether because he has
grown crotchety and conservative in old
age, or for whatever other reason, his
has not been what we had a right
to expect from so early and consistent a
reformer. Old age has certainly told more
heavily upon him than upon his vivacions
and robust predecessor, who, up to the
time of his death, retained the habits and
;prightliness of a man of forty. 0flate
MS correspondence has betrayed the irrita-
Dility and captiousness of an old man, and
his diplomacy has been laundering and
'eeble. A shrewder man than he would
nave made the attitude of England toward
he United States very different from
what it has been. We think that his ad-
ninistration will neither be as wise and
'trOng as respects foreign nations or as
with the English people as that
# Lord Palmerston. His American poll
wina~-s-vUU ~rsseHUHIIy differ
mt from that pursued under his predeces-
OF, as we think Lord Palmerston and
Carl Russell have felt and acted together
nd in harmonyin the direction of the
Citations between Great Britain and the
United States.