The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1868-01-30
Story of a Remarkable Man.

Story Of q Remarkable Man.
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just six years ago there died, at a
little town by the sea sidein Sussex,
a member of the English Parliament,
who united in himself some of the !
most opposite, and one would imagine,
conflicting characteristics. lie was
tho nephew Of an Earl; his mother
was the daughter Of Bishop he was
the defendant Of a staunch line Of
Tory ancestry associated in marriage
connections with dozen leading
families in tho peerage, He had
been tho leader in the world of fash
ion, and the darling of singers and
actresses and yet, with these quail
ties, he was, at the same time, the
leader of the extreme Chartist opera
tiyes the pct Of even the physical
force agitators who at one time con-
tomplated instruction for the FIVE
points, since conceded in peaceable
ways. Ho was at once confident
and friend of Louis Napoleon, and
the champion of Mazzini.
This remarkable man left no enemy
behind, aud despite his extraordinary
pursuits aud companions, left the pre-
fix of "honest" to his name. To
this hour the memory of "Honest
Tom Duncombe" is treasured, not
only in the immense metropolitan
constituency which he represented,
but in all the large cities Of England.
These circumstances would alone give
an interest to the two volumes Of
memoir which the son of the deceased
has this week published to the world,
but the strangeness of other portions
of its contents gives particular piquan-
cy to the work. No English Journal
has yet had time to notice this book,
but it is certain to produce a senso-
tion, as a sketch-of singular phases
of human character aud society.
Mr.. Thomas Slugsby Duncombe,
NJ. p, had all the advantages of birth
and fortune. He was at Harrow, one
of the best of our public and aristo-
cratic schools he was in the crack
regiment of "Guards,' and rose from
an Ensign to a CHptaincy, and all the
paths of fashionable life were open
to him. lie was one Of the hand.
soonest young men about town, as we'll
as the best dressed, aud was the heir
to considerable landed estate. There
was about him an indcfnablo charm
of grace and refinement. He went
in for dress, and became as perfect a
dandy as London ever saw. He went
in for equipage, and his carriage be-
came familiar to every West End
lounger. lie went in for horses, and
with as much spirit,rode the best hack
in the park as he backed the favorite
at Newmarket. His vote and interest
were sought as patron Of the drama,
and he became constant in his attend
ance on the nightly assemblies of the
principal performers, behind the scenes
and before. In all these qualifications
he associated with the aristocracy,
and nothing could have been less an
ticipated than in his undertaking the
ad, ocacy of extreme Radical opinions,
aud yet he was for nearly quarter Of
a century the workingman's represen-
tativo par ccceltence.
Duncombe began life a rich man,
and ended it poor, though he was
still in Parliament and lived in ease.
He was the soul of good nature, aud
he gambled. He went on the turf.
and lost heavily. He was fond Of the
society of actresses and opera singers,
and they bled him fearfully. At
Drury Lane Theatre, not many years
ago, chosen few of the London
lions in public life, including poets,
painters, and some five or six leading
men of the public press, were favored
with sort of carte blanche to mingle
with the actors and actresses in what
is termed the "frst green ROOM, aud
it was there Tom Duncombe (as he
was always called) was, Of all, the
most conspicuous. In play, one of
the aristocratic associates-Lord Ches-
ter6eld-contrived to win of him u
sum which itself caused a mIlstone
Of debt to hang round his neck for
the rest of his life. IL was no less
than 100000 His horses were
such splendid animals that the West
End trddesmen were 10 delight when
they were stOrhing at their shop
doors. His company was courted
with aVidity by Marquises and Dukes,
aud men would have looked on him
with envy had not his courtesy dis
armed them.
But there is now the really extraor.
dinary part of his life to tell. All
the time he was out of doors this
"glass of fashion and mould Of form, "
he was, in Parliament, the vehement
advocate Of universal suffrage; the
enemy of the State Church and the
political associate of men like Fear
gus O'Connor, the Chartist chief. In
1871 he was selected to present the
great Chartist petition, signed by
100000 persons. He was one Of
the most popular speakers in the
House Of Commons. Tie. spared no
one in his defense Of the masses
against the ruling class, and said
things which from the lips Of others
would have broughtthespeaker into the
custody Of the sergeant-at.arms. He
had way Of going straight to the
heart Of topic, and dashing, win