The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-25

fed at Eaton and Oxford, and when only
TWENTY-FIVE years old was elected to the
Honse of Commons as member for Stock
bridge. High position and family influence
doubtless obtained for him so early q dis
tinction; but what he won as Stanley he
knew how to retain as a.man. His maiden
speech was not made until three years after
ais election, and in the course of the same
session he exhibited readiness, aptitude
and ability worthy Of an experienced deba-
ter. 1t is worthy of remark that his second
speech in the House was on the subject OF
the Irish Church, a question which caused
his resignation as Colonial Secretary in 1888,
which occupied his declining years. and
whose solution was finally accomplished by
his political opponents only a few months
ago.
Mr.. Stanley commenced his official life rs
Under Secretary for the Colonies, and was
subsequently nominated to the then arduous
post of Chief Secretary for Ireland. Upon
his appointment he, according to practice,
resigned his seat in the House and went be-
fore his constituents for reelection. AT
Preston he was defeated, but was soon after
| ward returned for Windsor; and was engaged
in those single-handed conflicts with O'Con-
mel and She'll, which for years excited Par
lament and alarmed the country. While
the Reform bill was under discussion in
1882, Mr.. Stanley's singular genius for de-
bate was exercised With. effect in defence OF
its provisions; and about the same time he
carried ministerial measure for National
Education in Ireland. A year later he
carried the bill for emancipating the West
India slaves, having for that purpose be-
come Colonial Secretary and member of
the Cabinet. Disappearing OF Lord Mel
bournes project for still further reducing
the Irish Church Establishment, he resigned
his seat in the Cabinet, and remained in the
ranks of the opposition until lS4l, when he
accepted the seals Of the Colonial office. In
1874, he was elevated to the peerage, with the
Fl tn5 Ra5saa Rra5bsaa 81 the SorR flaws Vas deter
mined on, Lord Stanley retired from the Cabi-
net, and soon after appeared as the head OF
the Protectionist opposition. In 1851 Lord
Stanley succeeded his father as fourteenth
Earl Derby, and in 1852 became Prime Min
lister. In the same year his eldest son. Lord
Stanley, was appointed Under Secretary OF
State for Foreign Affairs. The financial
plans of his Chancellor Of the Exchequer,
Mr.. Disraeli, were condemned by the coun-
try, and, in Difference to vote OF the House
OF Common Lord Derby rendered his resig-
nation and resumed the position Of leader OF
the opposition. Lord Derby declined to ac
cept the premiership in 1855, but formed his
second administration in 1883 The Reform
bill, introduced by the Derby ministry was
rejected by the House. Parliament was
dissolved, but the new elections gave the
ministers no increased strength, and in 1859
they resigned. Lord Stanley the eldest son
OF Earl Derby safe at this time in the Cabinet
as Secretary OF State for India. The second
administration OF Lord Russell fell in June,
1866, and in 1867 Lord Derby, for the third
time, became Prime Minister. On the 25th
February Of the following year Earl Derby,
whose health had for some time been infrnl,
resigned the premiership into the hands OF
Mr. Disraei., The Reform bill, the great
feature OF Earl Derby's administration was
introduced by Mr.. Disraeli in March, 1867.
Its provisions were decidedly more liberal
thun those OF the Russell Gladstone bill of
the preceding year, and it was received
with considerable favor and ultimately
passed The whole management OF the mea-
sure was entrusted to Mr.. Disraeli for Earl
Derby was too strongly bound to the old
Conservative party to take any very active
part in it. The Disraeli ministry was for
mally attacked by Mr.. Gladstone in March,
1865, when he introduced q resolution for
the disestablishment of tie Irish Church.
This resolution was steadfastly opposed by
the Conservative party, but it passed the
House in April and led to the resignation of
Mr. Disraeli and his colleagues in the fol-
lowing December. In the debates last
spring on the Gladstone bill to disestablsh
the Irish Church, Earl Derby took no con-
spicuous part. but the whole Of his influence
was steadily thrown against the passage Of
the bill.
1t was not only as statesman that Earl
Derby won for himself lasting reputation.
AS classical scholar he had few equals,
and his translation of the Iliad in blank verse,
published in 1865, is highly praised by the
most competent critics. Mir. Gladstone, the
present Prime Minister, is one of the first
Greek scholars of the day. These great
men, leading the cohorts of the opposition
or conducting the government Of mighty
nation, were deep students as we'll Us mas
tiers of statecraft With them the power
to watch over and control the destinies of
an empire went hand in hand with q
scholarship which raised martial Rome and
luxurious Greece from the dust OF ages,
and made their heroes to live and breathe,
while Bismarck worked and planned and
Napoleon formed anew the tangled web of
fortune.
Throughout his life Earl Derby was op-