The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-03-15
Wednesday Morning 11arch15

ireland, he had no hereditary right to
a seat in the House of Lords; but there
was no great difficulty in young man
of title and fortune getting seat in
the House of Commons. We soon
find him in the House, where his tai
ents, good humor and indetatigable
industry soon won him distinction, and
raised him after fifty years of service,
to the highest honors OF the State.
It is an amusing proof Of the cpr-
rnption of those times, that the "ine
old English gentleman" of whom he
purchased his seat in the House of
Commons, required the young mem
Der to engage never to see his cnnstit-
uents, never to Set foot in the place
which he represented. so fearful was
he of his ownership of the borough
being disputed. We learn from Lord
Palmerston's diary, that in Is IS, the
market price, of seat in Pariia
ment was five thousand pounds ster-
ling.
The young Lord, after getting fairly
launched in politics, went over to in
spect his estates in Ireland, which con-
sisted of ten thousand acres OF wild,
bogy land. near Sligo, on the north
west coast, He found his property
in a deplorab e condition much OF the
land wholly waste; the parish church
unfit for service ; no roads no schools;
no harbor; and the people plnndered
by middle men, who underlet the land
His tenants, two or three hundred in
number, came out to meet him, crying
out, in various languages, "Alake roads
for US, aud rid us OF the middle mel p
The young landlord went to work
with vigor. He put the parish church
in ordcr; he hired Scotch farmer to
teach the people how to make the most
OF their land he began manufac-
turing village; he made little har-
Dor, and constructed pier; he built
three good school houses, and attached
to each three or four acres of land, for
the COW and garden of the school
master. Besides these improvem ants,
he made war upon the middle man
system, and reclaimed at great expense
some thousands OF acres of wild bog.
He had the good sense to comply
with the requirements of the parish
priest and his bishop, so that they at
length co-operated with him in his ef-
forts to educate the people. He assis-
ted some Of the tenants, and encour-
aged others. to build cottages OH an
improved plan and near together, 80
as to form pleasant and c"mmodious
village. He even establis ed n lime
kiln, in order to supply his tenants
with cheap wh.tawdsh and a good fer
tilizer. He opened a slate quarry,
which, in the couase of years, became
highly profitable to himself. All his
Improvements, indeed, although at
first they were heavy charge upon
lis resources, and obliged him to Dor
row many thousands o. pounds, great
ly increased tile value OF his estates,
besides promoting the welfare and
happiness of the people.
Nor Was he attentive TO their mate
rial comfort only. In one Of his let
tiers to his brother, he says he is going
to Cambridge to see if he cannot find
some Jealous young clergyman, who
wouid curb the ardent enthusiasm
which would impcl h.iE to the banks
of the Gangcs, and c.'ntent hi nself
with winning his Jerusalem spurs by
a campaign in au Irish parish" Such
a man, he thought, would do great
deal of good hy reclaiming them from
their bad habita; "for," added he,
"they really are a good and simple
minded people, Though they quarrel
among each other without end or Iea-
son, and get most joyousl y drunk
whenever they loose a relation or
friend"
When the Improvement in his estate
began to tell upon bis income, he in
dulged, in a moderate way. his life
long love OF racing horses He bred
a good many colts which had success
upon the turf, but he was we'll satisfied
if lie won ;.s much money in this way
as his horses cost him to rear and
train.
"is yet," he writes, in 1925. "I
have just won within two pounds of
the amount I have had to pay for
stakes and forleits so that l have all
my training bills to boot; but | hope
to bring myself hone yet before the
end Of the season"
And so, suppose, he did; for that
same week he won five races out of
eight, which yielded him handsome
sum of money and silver cup.
One of the most pleasing traits of
his character was his excellent temper
and his charitable indulgence OF other
peoples faults
Lord Palmerston, without being a
very great man, was an honest man,
who loved truth, hated lies, hated OPP
preston and aggression, hated indi-
rect dealing, AID stood faithfully by
his friends. his principles and his coun
try The great error of his lie was his
Misunderstanding of the late war in
tn. United SIates-an error attribute
BILE, in part, to his eighty years. and,
in part, to the fact that only great
men are quite exempt from follies OF
their order.
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