The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-07-25
EARL OF BEACONSFILLD.
His Extraordinary Career.

BENJAMIN Disrae Ii. now nearly 70 years
old, has been before the English public
as literary man or as politician Tor
fifty-four years. He b gan life with
neither wealth or title nor family infu-
ence to aid him. He achieved extra
ordinary success as an author, became
the leader of the House OF Commons,
then Minister of Finance, then Prime
Minister. then leader of the Government
party. and finally Prime Minister again.
Now. with the rank of Earl, and honored
AS one of the most brilliant of European
diplomatists, he returns from Berlin,
the scene of his triumphs, the most pop
ular man in England.
Disraeli's Jewish ancestors went from
Spain to Venice in the fifteenth century.
and, giving up their family name, took
that of Disraeli. His grandfather re-
moved to England in 1748, where his
father was born in 1865. Oh Jewish de-
scent, Benjamin Disraei has been most
thoroughly an Euglishman in his in
stincts, preiudices and ambitions, and
from the time he wrote "Vivian Gray"
in 1926, he has been favorite in Eo-
glish society. In his earlier political
struggles his opponents tainted him
with being Jew, and the celebrated
O'Connell said of him: 'aFor aught I
know the present Disraeli is the true
heir-at law OF the impenitent thief who
died on the cross" For this, or on ac-
count of the quarrel that grew out of it,
Disraeli challenged OConnell's son, but
the challenge was not accepted.
In 1881 Disraeli made an attempt to
enter Parliament as q Tory Radical, but
was defeated. In 1884 he made another
attempt and was again defeated. In
May, 1886, he made another attempt, as
a thorough-going Conservative, and was
again defeated. At last, in 1887, in the
first Parliament of the reign of Queen
Victoria, he entered the House of Com
mons as a Conservative. His maiden
speech was a complete failure, and the
House, refusing to listen, clamored him
down. It was on this occasion he said,
IS shall sit down now, but the time will
come when you will hear me-" Four
years later Disraeli was a rising mem
Der, and his speeches were praised for
their ability. In 1847 he began to take
a leading part in the House of Commons,
and in 1849 he became the recognized
leader of the Conservative party, and
had the reputation of being one of the
most powerful debaters in the kingdom.
In 1852 he was made Chancellor of the
Exchequer, and became the leader of
the Ministerial party in the House of
Commons. He went out of office
with the Derby Ministry, but returned
to office in 1858, and in 1859 brought
forward his plan of electoral reform,
which extended suffrage to the whole
body OF the educated class without re-
gard to property. This was defeated.
In 1865 Disraeli was the leader of the
opposition in the House, but again be-
come Chancellor in 1867, and pressed
his electoral bill in modified form
to q successful issue. In February,
1868, Disraeli became Prime Minister,
but was succeeded by Gladstone in De-
cember. He became Prime Minister
again in 1874, and since that date has
shaped the policy of the Government,
and has carried England, without risk,
through great European crisis, secur-
ing the greatest diplomatic triumph of
the century.