New-York tribune., 1875-02-03

as to ,sk for The recognition OF the southern Con
federae States as an independen, ~ The Southern
States had been attended WIN great A. The
victories had been Dnlnt anu dsnossd 70 acknowl
edge that tney had fairly acquired lne gb, 1airiv
So tshed for reooqnon But mono Of these iacS Were
proved and there was no case 10 Just,ay d % made
government in acceding to the proposal ne mao ue r.
Mr Mason answered that the Government Oi I Eu .
gland was wise Governm,,nt anu '""' ~ "
pross his proposition any IuII"ci
ia not 70 he inferred from the space have given
+o Forl RusselI,s treatment of American matters
that they occnpy any great portion of his book.
Nearly half of the volume is reprint OF the hrst
iptroduction TO the Speeches and Dispatches" pub
lisbed in 1870 For this Lord Russell naturally feels
hound TO apologize Some persons may be dlsap-
pointed he remarks in the Preface and even consider
themselves deceived-with some justice They have
the pleasure of paying gain for what they have
already bought under another title. The authors
explanation is ingenious enough He found, after
proceeding some way in his task, that his memory
was not SO good as when he wrote the original intro
ducticn! Why this should lead him to reprint part
Of au old book and so double the price of the new
one he forges to state. good deal of what is new
is interesting to the student of English politics. but
the criticism which Lord Russell makes on the
House of COmmOns-that it is garrulOus and want
ing in system-may justly be applied to his own
book. Not much light is thrown on contemporary
history. Lord Russell is ever the central figure; as
if he had private Ptolemaic theory of politics
Personalities abound. They are often spicy enough,
too often something moro than spicy, as may be
Judged from some examples already given. The
worst are against his friends Mr. Disraeh passes
almost unscathed, but Mr.. Gladstone is alternately
praised and blamed and seldom quito justly. Lord
Russelrs talent meyer lay IN his judgment of men,
rd 10 oh of them wants merely
finish but the decisive lines which make the differ
ence between likeness and unlikeness. With the
stabs in passages quoted above may be compared
such euloaes as this:
There can he no doubt that Mr. Gladstone by his great
eoquence by his power OF developing the most abStuse
propositions ana embracing at once. IA his large ca.
pacty tue most logical demonstrations, with the most
captivating and dazzling rhetoric hs made for himself
eclipse. The only whom have heard III Pdrlia-
ent who combined to equal degree the most severe
ton Mr. Plunket in his speeches Tor Catholic enan
cpation. But Mr.. Gladstone will he renowned not only
for his parliamentary el0Qdence, but Tor his legislative
+ acts.
1t is especially Mr. Gladstone's foreign policy
which Earl Russell deests, believing that bv it "he
has ta~nished the national honor, injured the na-
tional interests, and lowered the national charac-
ter" Probably foreign policy is not Mr.. Gladstones
strong point, but l apprehend that the English
nation prefers mis- way of managing to the medding
and muddling" and the perpetual schOolmasteIing
of other Powers, which went in Lord John
Russels days Mr. Gladstone, to do him justice left
foreign affairs good deal to his Foreign Secretary
II was Lord Russels lifelong misfortune to suppose
that he understood them.
Mr.. Forster is mentioned in one page as my
friend' in another We hear of him as the author of
clumsy expedient" which made his measure
THE Education act offensive and insulting to the
Protestant Dissenters OF England"
Earl Russells estimate of himself may be given
again, though it occurs in that part of his book
which is a reprint:
Lastly. to speak OF my work, can only rejoice
that nave been allowed to have my share in the task
accomplished Ia the halfcen;u5y which has elapsed
from 1919 1869. Ny cIpacY, always felt, was very
nfrior that Of the who have attained in past
times the foremost place III our F1rlemehi ana III inc
councils OF Sovereign. l have committed many
errors, some OF them very gross blunhers. But the
generous people OF England are always torDeaing ana
fOrgivng TO those STATESMEN no have the good Oh lhrr
country at heart ike my better have been mlsrepre
sent"d and s.andered Oy those VINO Know hothnE OF
me but / have been more than compensated by the
political connection. and Nv the regard ana iaVoI
able Interpretation of my motives, which have heard
Lord Cistlereagh % those OF Mr. Dsraeii.
By thc side of which may be placed his later CON
clusion p. 4S3:
Ny persuasion is that have been received with quite
as much favor as deserved think wIat nave done
well been honestly supported; aud that where my
measures have miscarrled the failure has been owing
but TO errors which | have committed fIom mistaken
judgmen a mistaken appreciation ot facts.
| believe may say with many other or tho leading
men who, since the Revolution Of 1853, have mad tho
direction OF public a1r, that INV enIs have been hOn-
est. ahd that have looked 10 the hnppiness Of my
cOunrymen tho object " which my Efforts ought TO
! be directed.
Somuch commentator need not grHdge the
venerable statesman. 1t his misfortune and ours
that he has been our enemy-at gricyous cost to us
in the past, and to him in the future. But he hon
estlv served his country to tho best Of bis
ability. and his abilities in many things were great
his services often most valuable. He has been the
steadfast friend Of political aud religious liberty in
England and sometimes elsewhere; almost always
generous in aim, though often narrow in view and
pedantic in method a man who has led the career
Of Earl Russell who has filled great offices and
guided the policy Of great State at critical mo-
ments, ought to be able if he writes a book on af
fairs to make it wise treatise. Earl Russell
not do that. lie does not know how to wrto. His
Rccollectons are fTagmcntary, and his Suggestions
arc hardly ever more than vague hints that seem
based on loose knowledge of events even of those
in which he himself had a share. G. W. S.