New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-05-14

to him as IL he were sort of harbor OF refuge iro
Mr.. Gladstone or Mr.. Dsrae haroor Oh vesseI
a very useful and necessary tbingi pu. acconnt
which ia always there will not give goou t I'm
of its cargo In slnqclsh and timid moments Ell.
gland may be disposed 10 put INTO .nae fPbnr long
and repairs; hut she Will not hns abe is TO rot
and fsu in n;eces1 The ridicule is capped Dy 'ne
remark that no one thinks OF calllE " safo y.
Chatham safe" statesmen, anu tmaT fbreafens.
Sna &c the sentences have quoted are lllustIil,
tions Though by no means the iinest OF ie PoMoi VI
that delicate irony with when s" Nth g which words
are employed in unusual connections, anu VII" WIN
Witch an ARGUMENT can be stated ana reiuted III tne
VIZ santence Lord Russells needless inventive
% S mind is we'll characterized by the description
81 p" tbe new scheme which he has toreshadoWed ior
preserving the integrity OF the Empire by t,e us
Indignation of Ireland INTO icur provinces i1o
nses of irony are perhaps in no other essay 80 AMPLY
exhibited as in the study OF Lord Halifax, winch
nave mentioned above one OF the most character
somewbat known in the United States as Sir Charles
Wood The assumption OF great name by
politician distinguished only for mediocre a6illtles'
su guests the cry of Cicero, when he saw bis dinu
tive son-in-law grit with gigantic weapon, VINO
has tied Dolabella to that swordP The name Is
more than the man-nay, the shadow OF great
is more potent than the substance OF meagsr
Politician cit is almost pity" 1t is sugeesteu,
THAT families are not allowed to register titles, as
the proprietOrs of magazines and newspapers are
in the habit Of doing, not SO 81 HI nrave Ifr
ing their employment by unauthorized anu
unconnected persons" Sir Charles WOODS Varle1
experience in the great number of places ne mas h9u
beginning with that of whip under Ear OIey, nas
fitted him in the temporary absence of the head OF
Department, to take his place and to throw every
thing into confusion at moments notice.; He
cannot speak he proved failure as Finance MINIS
ter; he is not wit, nor a scholar and his STEADY
progress IN Office is difficult TO understand jnousn
" partial explanation NAV be found III the fact tnat
he was the son-in-law of Earl Grey, whose 1anliy
off aS well known
which they are gracefully blended IN the puDhc
service and especially in the distribution OF patron
age" Yet some sources there must DC loL M IePu
ton and the search for them results III te dscpNey
that Lord Halifax is man OF great quckless
of superficial apprehension and acquisitions; ana on
the testimony of some of those who nave been aSso
cafed with him in administration it is observed that
"he sees with marvellous rapldltY all thag lie uoIs
see of any question which is submitted TO MN, winch
is the minimum r,ib6 the least that can DC seen ~
about a thirteenth, say, or some smaller portion Oh
it and that he proceeds complacently 10 act ~
If il were the WHOLE This promptitude OF
wrong action upon imperfect conceptions has gwen
Lord Halifax certain reputation as man OF au-
ministrative capacity; while the readiness WIN
which he will give bad opinion, whle men Oh
sOunder and larger intelligence are SLOWLY leelinS
their way 10 Il good one makes him an ADVISER 1uli
of sagacty and resource" Nor is TINS all LoIu
Halifax has another source OF strength; lie ls
armed with a vast number of lnappllcaDle prece-
dents arising out of circumstances bearing no ANAL
0gy to those which engage public men AT tne present
time which he appeals TO In an authoritative auu
count for ms position, but his claim 20 Office lies III
his being a busy, mobile talkatlye person VINO sges
and cOnVeTscS with great number OF people; ana IL
is much better that he should talk to his large circle
of acquaintance in and out of the House OF LORDS
with bias III favor OF the present Government IMAM
with prejudice against them. u...
Ii NAV be a question whether this does full justice
to Lord Halifax. But there can be no question
about the point and felicity of the style in which
these sarcasms find expression. The book aDounus
i'll passages of "A similar Character-paSsages, the
numOr OF which is not less genuine because II mas
sometimes an acid flavor. 1t deserves much OF the
praise bestowed on it by English reviewers, and that
great deal to say, because few recent books nave
been so much praised. Ii mas been thought to denote
a power of satircal writing worthy of comparison
with Swift, and even with NOtalre. Comparisons Oh
that sort not always so tlatteIlng as lney arc
meant to be, since they imply, or suggest IMITATION
Nor can il be lust to attribute to q young author
Mr.. Hill has, think. published as yet no other
volume-thOSe qualities of intellect or ot workman
ship which, in Swift and Voltalre, only
reached their hight after many years OF
laborious composition. No small part of the
fame of both is due TO their fertility
and to the multitude well TO the superiority OF
the writings which they gave to the world. The
author of these portraits may be presumed TO nave
studied them, but of imitation. or even OF un,
conscious resemblance, | see little trace. should
suppose also, that he had read Kinglake TO some
purpose and some secrets of style may be found IN
kinglake which are not to be found IN equal
measure IN any other modern writer But MI
Kinglakes style is his own, and Mr. HlIts also Is
his own, and would not be worth commenting on II
il were somebody's else. And individuality OF style
ity that it might give q name TO writer much less
gifted in other respects, much less acute anu
instructive than the author of Political Portraits
Il. W. 5.