Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-01-07
HOW MR.. BRIGHT BECAME
fa isS..A MINISTER.
[Fkefh the Liyerpool Mercury.l

lucttnce he accepted office, and that at
| last he consented only in consequence
of the great pressure brought to. bear
upon him. A few particulars concern
ing the character of this pressure. I"
and the mode of its application, have
come to our knowledge, which the pub
lie will be interested to learn. When
Mr.. Gladstone received Her Majesty S
command to form Ministry convey
ed. we may say, in the most gracious
terms, and in the most cordial manner
-one of those with whom the right
honorable gentleman first communica-
ted was Mr.. Bright, requesting that he
would take Office in the new government.
Mr. Bright. who was not in London at
the time, returned an answer in which
he acknowledged the compliment paid
by Mr.. Gladstone, but positively de-
clined to become member of the new
Ministry. IT was sub sequently arran-
ged that personal conference should
take place, and Mr. Bright proceeded
to London for that purpose. At<the
interview the tender of Office was again
made and again declined. Mr.. Bright
does not belong to the class of men
who, like coy maiden, refuse consent in
order that they may be pressed to yield.
He had evidently made up his mind
not to act in an official capacity, and
was not to be moved from his purpose
by any ordinary pressure. A discus
sion commonwealth Bright stating
his reasons for not accepting office, and
Mr.. Gladstone combating these obiec-
tions, and advancing arguments in sup
port of the view that it was the duty of
the member for Birmingham to take an
active part in the government of the
country. As the discussion proceeded
it gradually lost its Conversational tone,
and assumed the character of a formal
debate, in'which the two greatest ora
tors ofithe day were the friendly dis
putants. Warming with the subject,
each strove to give force to his views
by bringing into play all those charms
of diction, of elocution and of gesture
with which both are abundantly gifted ;
and we can readily believe the state
ment of few who were privileged to
witness this remarkable intellectual en-
counter, that it surpassed even the lin
est oratorical displays recently witness
ed in the House of Parliament Mr..
Bright urged, among other things we
understand, that he had an objection
to the receipt of public money /; that
he had served the country hitherto
without reward and would prefer to
continue to do so that the acceptance
of Office might possibly place him in an
uncomfortable and restrained position I;
and that he believed he could render
M ore efficient aid to Mr.. Gladstone's
gov eminent as an independent support
or than as a member of the Cabinet.
To these objections Mr.. Gladstone re-
piled by mastery review of Mr..
Bright's career, pointing out that many
of the principles which he had espous-
ed had come to be recognized as the
true and legitimate policy of Govern
ment. The opportunity, Mr.. Glad
stone further commended, was now af-
forded Mr.. Bright to give effect to his
vi ews as member of the Government,
and with all the force of his eloquence
the Premier urged that it was the duty
of Mr. Bright not to shrink from re-
sponsibihty which the acceptance OF
Office would cast upon him. The dis
cussion lasted from 8 o. ,lock in the
evening until o'clock in the morning,
and at last Mr.. Bright yielded-chiehy
influenced, no doubt, by the strength
of the argument advanced by Mr.
Gladstone, but also swayed, it may be
imagined, by that powerful personal
charm which the new Premier exercises
over all with whom he is brought in
contact Such is the story of the
mode in which Mr.. Bright became a
Minister, and it is propably without
parallel in the history of forming Cab
inets. n,