The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-25
Baron Ward the Lucky.
From London SocietiJ.

1t has always struck me that the career Of the
late Baron Ward, who from a stabe-boy be-
came Prime Minister OF Parma was IA remark
able instance of the union of luck and desert.
abridge an account OF him by one who knew
him well.
entered the Duke Of LuCCa's servlCe-it must
have been between 1925 and $780, He was for
some years in the ducal stables, when his clever
ness and good conduct attracted the favorable
notice of his MASTER And as he was very fond
of the English, he attached Ward more closely
10 his immediate services; and, Notwithstanding
his equestrian skill, he decided upon removing
him from his stables, and making him his under
cdet de ChdnbTe.
"Ward owed this promotion entirely TO his
high character, integrity, aud scrupuous Eng
lish cleanliness. Wards rise in the service
of the Duke of Lucca was extremely gradual
and was the result, not of capricious favor, but
of the most well grounded appreciation of his
lOng-tried worth and his rare intelligence. -.
His extraordinary good sense and practical
ability became gradually more and more
apparent. Tie Duke soon began to see that his
advice was good in matters far beyond the de-
partments OF his stable and of his wardrobe. He
accordingly consulted hlm In many perpleXed
and difficult cases as they happened 10 occur;
and he invariably found such benefit from the
advice of his new counsellor that he began to
regard him as almost intallible. The zeal
and address which Ward displayed in the ar
rangement of some affair procured for him an
unbounded influence with his master who, soon
after this, strongly urged him to accept OF port
OF state. The proposition Ward refused point
blank. The groom was elevated to the post OF
personal attendant, then Of intendant of his
stables and household, then OF comptroller of
his pyivy purse, then of Minister of Stale, and,
in fact, Prime Minister, with barOnial titles and
manifold knightly decorations. Such was the
elevation to which Ward had ascended at the
present epoch OF his history. He was the trusted
adviser OF his master in the knostiest questions
OF foreign politics, the arbter of the most diff
cult points of international policy with other
States, and the highest authority in all home
affairs. He was one of those men OF action
| who speedily distinguish themselves wherever
the game of life is to be played; quick TO discern
! the character of those around him, and prompt
| to avail himself of their knowledge. Little
| hampered by the conventonaities which i'm
| pose trammels on men born in an elevated sta
! ton, and refined by elegant breeding, he gene
rally attained his object by a coup de mann
| before others had arranged their plans TO oppose
| him.
To these qualities, so instrumental to his sue.
cess, he added a most rugged unyielding
honesty, and loyal, single hearted attach
ment to the person of his prince. Strong III his
own conscious rectitude, and in the confdng
regard of his sovereign, Ward stood alone and
fearless against all the wiles and Vaccinations
Of his formidable rivals, who, although armed
against counter wiles and counter Vaccinations
were quite urprepared against straightforward
honesty. One day about this time,
| when he entered the Dukes room, he found him
occupied with a lpencil and paper. Ward
| said his Royal Highness, i am drawing Goa
| of arms for you, As mark of the esteem in
| which you are held by the Duchess as well as
| myself, you shall have armorial bearings com.
| pounded of her arms and my own. l VIII give
| you the silver cross of Savoy with the golden
ieur de lys of France in dexter chief With mauy
| expressions of gratitude Tor the honor which was
| about 10 be conferred upon him, he asked
| permission to add something emblematical of
his native country; and as he had heard that
coats OF arms sometimes had supporters, he
would ike to have the cross OF Savoy and the
lily OF Bourbon supported by English John
Bulls. so be it,, said the Duke. You shall
have two bulls regaTdaut for your suppoTters:' >
and thus the arms OF Baron Ward may be found
in Burkes Peerage' among those OF English
men who have obtained foreign titles:- a
field gules, cross argent, in the dexter chief
a SHE'D azure surmOunted by aToyal crown, and
charged with feur de tys or; supporters, two
bulls regardant proper, In The beginning
Of the year 1884 Charles Fill, Duke of Parma
was suddenly removed from this world by q
my sterious and violent death. One Of the fret
acts OF the Duchess, his widow, forced by its
popularity among the subjects of her infant son,
was TO depose Baron Ward from his ministry
and send him into punishment. -. Ward
was removed from the evil to come,
and was called to exchange this world
for better, before the last fatal outburst Of ruin
upon the family TO whom he had devoted the
active energies OF his virtuOus and useful life
After he was so suddenly and so harshly sacri
feed by the course OF events and vain attemp'
10 concilate popular favor, he entirely retired
from public affairs, Prince Metternich truly
characterized him when, after the revolution O
l84s, he visited that ilustrious minister in hi
retirement at Brighton by greeting him as ,
Heaven. born diplomatist.' He undertook
large arming establishment in the neighbor
hood of Vienna, and spent his last few years il
the enjoyment OF domestic happiness with hi
: wife and children. In 1858 Baron Ward died a
the age of forty nine; and he has left us me
morable example how integrity, talent aut
courage can raise man from the lowest posi-
tion 10 ride on the high places of the earth, an
to be an honor to his native country"