The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-31
Mr.. Gladstone On American Instttu-

intellectual phenomenon of the period.
Since his abdication of the leadership OF
his party in the House of Commons his
full than at any previous time OF his long
and distinguished career In point OF eio-
auence, if we include in our definition OF
eloquence only inexhaustible abundance OF
pertinent ideas and copiousness OF choice
diction, Mr. Gladstone, since the death OF
Macaulay at least, is the first man of his
age, and this is equally true OF
him whether we regard his spoken
or his written eloquence. man
may be a grea. orator and great writer
without being great statesman, as was
conspicuously exempliied in the case OF
Lord Brougham, and in lesser degree in
the case of the late Lord Derby, the father
of the present Earl. Eloquence, even Mt its
highest, is only an instrument, and some
OF the greatest statesmen of the world, like
Cromwell, for example, have been quite
deficient in it. But Cromwell lived before
the era Of what is called parliamentary gov
crnment. The present verdict of the English
r.
wise or a safe statesman, owing to faults Of
temper and defects of judgment, but OF his
peerless gifts as an orator and a writer
there can be no question. Lord Beacons-
fields recent satirical description OF him as
O man who is inebriated with his own ver-
bosity had that degree OF truth which is
required in successful caricature, the
marvellous copiousness of Mr.. Gladstone
being his most striking quality. The
variety of topics on which he has written
with more or less success and applause
since his partial retirement from politics
is truly wonderful, especially in o
man SO far advanced in life. He has writ
ten profusely on the Catholic question, on
the Eastern question, on the discoveries OF
Dr. Schliemann and other aspects OF the
Eastern question he has reviewed the
''Life of Macaulay," has published new
book on the Iliad and Odyssey, and now, rs
the latest and not least interesting of his
public. in an American periodical,
with comparison between the United
States and England, setting forth his views
of the resemblances and differences in the
character and the political institutions OF the
two countries. His article on "kin Beyond
american Reviep, will pique public curiosity
more than anything that has been written
by foreigner on the American government
since the great work of De Tocqueville.
In describing the practical working of the
institutions of the two great branches of the
Anglo-Saxon race Mr.. Gladstone brings to
the task an order of qualifications, on one
side at least, superior to those OF any pre-
vious writer who has discussed our national
character and our political institutions.
No man understands more thoroughly
the principles and practice Of the British
constitution, and no foreign writer who has
undertaken to estimate our government and
people has fallen into SO few blunders
either of substance or detail. 1t is evident
that Mr. Gladstone has studied our history,
that he is familiar with the writings of our
higher statesmen, and that he has reflected
with more or less success on our political
problems. We can only call attention to
one of the chief points of MI. Gladstone's
article.
He frankly admits that the United States
are destined to outstrip and eclipse Great
Britain in industrial and commercial great
ness. After describing with much pomp of
eloquence the surprising growth of the
wealth of England during the last forty or
fifty years Mr.. Gladstone says:-"But
L
portentous rapidity America is passing us
by in a canter Yet even now the work Of
searching the soil and the bowels of the
territory, and opening out her enterprise
through its vast expanse, is in its in
fancy The England and the American
of the present are probably the two strong
est nations of the world. But there can
hardly be doubt, as between the England
and the America of the future, that the
daughter ut some no very distant time
will, whether fairer or less fair, be unques-
tionably stronger than the mother" In
another part of the article Mr.. Gladstone
says, in the same vein, speaking of Amer
ica:-''She will probably become, what we
are now the head servant in the great
household of the world, the employer of all
employed, because her service will be the
most and ablest. We have no more title
against her than Venice, or Genoa, or Hol-
land has had against us"
1t is creditable to Mr.. Gladstones cour-
age, as we'll Us to his foresight and sagacty,
that he recognizes great danger to which
England is exposed by our advancing SUI
premacy, which threatens to supplant her
in the markets from which she derives her
wealth and to reduce her to position like
that which Holland now holds us compared
with England. When we shall have taken
away her markets England will feel the
stupendous weight and oppression OF her