New-York tribune., 1879-05-10
GLADSTONE AS A WRITER.
NOTES ON HIS LITERARY CAREER.


tFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNEl
LONDON March 1.-Two little square volumes IN
yellow-hrown muslin covers have been published
by Mr. Murray bearing on the back in big letters
this strange ttle "Gladston6s Gleanings" In size,
In form, PRINT and in their general appearance Oh
sacrificing everything TO cheapness tthey arc
priced haf-a-crown apiece) they closely resemble
the 1auchnitz series. Ii has been noticed OF late
that Mr. Gladstone has fallen into the habit OF
sending his communications for the press first to
balfpcnuy evening paper. Unfrendly observers
comment on this as indicating his downward pro-
press TO Democracy. Ii has been said of him
that he yearly shows a more marked tendency 10
appeal from the upper classes. who criticise him, TO
the lower, who worship him. Not unnatural, II
true. don't know that it is true but it is certain
that in looking about for seat in the next Parma
mept he has abandoned England, where admiTa-
ton for his genius Is tempered by occasional DIS
content with the use he makes of 1t, and has be-
taken himself to Scotland, where he Is still the idol
of every electoral temple. He is to stand for
Midlothian county where the Tory Duke OF
Bucceuch has been supposed to be all powerful,
and where one or two Liberals of some position are
known to be hostile to Mr.. Gladstone When
the local managers were consulted by the Liberal
whips about a candidate. they replied, " We want
young man, the less known the better" and
so they took Mr.. Gladstone. He is certainly
one of the youngest men in England, for though in
his seventeen year, there are few who could hold
their own against him in trial of either physical
or mental endurance. As to being unknown he is
unknown personally to most of the Midlothian cleo
torate. and wholly stranger to local disputes;
which answers the definition sufficiently. People
who know TO what lengths Mr.. Gladstone carries
his reverence for aristocracy surprised that he
should beard the Duke OF Bucceueh in his den. But
II De- ef;oI Ios
leader Of his party, has finally given in his aiegi-
ance, and there are said to be reasons why Mr..
Gladstone is displeased with the reconcilia-
ton. Moreover, if he cannot be friends with
q Duke ii is something to be an enemy,
and there are other more solid and satisfactory rea-
sons for his decision to contest Mldlothian-among
them the political svmpathics of which traces are
to be found in these "Geanings."
Such a catchpenny utle as that which appears on
the covers Of these books might pass for another
example of Mr.. Gladstones recent habit of appeal
ing to the widest and newest social strata. The
trick of ALTERATION easy If is to be i'm
itaed. may hear presently of a collection of po-
litical harangues entitled "Dzzy's Devices" or of
more melancholy maunderngs in metre as "Tup-
per's Tribulatlons." But this jingle may be only
publishers pecularity, or bit Of boOkbinders'
laundering The title-page gives us "Gleanings OF
Past Years. 1S43j7S." The first volume is political.
More than half of 1t is occupied with address on
the Death of the Prince COnsOrt and with three
reviews of his Life. Then come articles on the
County Franchise, and the volume is completed by
the famous paper on Kin Beyond Sea-" contributed
TO Tie North Ameicda Recie,o, This last is repub-
lshed as it originally appeared only with one or
two notes, and a few corrections, of which part
were sent to The RevieW, but arrived too late" Mr.
Gladstone has not even corrected his odd blum
der in Illustrating the personal responsibility of the
Sovereign in England by the remark that he can no
more be assaed than at chess the king be put in
check This affords decisive evidence that there is
one form of mental activity to which Mr. Gladstone
is stranger. He has never played the game to
which he rashly refers. Nor does he pay much
attention to the many attacks which this paper-Of
which the substance reprinted here in almost
every important journal, with elaborate comments
thereon-brought upon him. One reply he does
make. He had said that "the struggle with the
South for the first time and definitely decided that
10 the Union, through its Federal organ zatiOn, and
not to the State Governments, reserved all the
questions not decided and disposed of by the ex-
press provisions of the Constitution itself" He
now says in note:
This is proposition of great Importance in
disputed subject matter and consequently have
not announced it in dOgmatic manuer, but as
portion of what we seem to perceive in the progress
OF Inb AiileIlCdu OOHolItullO1' ~ CAplcSsoS du
opinion formed by me upon an examination of the
original documents, and with some attention TO the
history, which have always considered, and have
often recommended to others of the most
fruitful studies of modern politics. This is not the
proper occasion to develop its grounds; but Imay
say that not at all disposed to surrender il in
Difference to one two rather cOntemptuOus
critics."
AS 60 which, ! will only remark that If Mr.. Glad
stone had in mind, when he first stated his PROPOSE
tlon the Ninth aud Tenth Amendments he adopted
an odd phraseOogv. That be is capable of MAN.
taining that or any other proposition with infinite
ingenuity. nobody will doubt. But people will be
curious TO know to what he refers original doc
uments" and how he would develop the grounds of
the view he has put forward. Perhaps Mr.. Thorn
dixie Rice will give his attention to the matter, and
persuade Mr. Gladstone TO write another article for
his excellent review with the American COnstitu-
tion for subject.
The second of these two volumes is devoted to
personal and Literary" essays. andis of much less
interest than the first. Mr.. Gladstone has neither
the gift of easy narrative, nor that critical insight
and method without which all purely literary dis
cussion becomes a vain beating of the air. He makes
many acute and fanciful observations deal
ing with literary subjects. He is often forcible,
often suggestive. His knowledge ranges over a
wide field. On whatever he writes, there is the
stamp of an original and vigorous intellect, and
there are abundant marks of conscientious effort.
Yet when all is said, when you have faithfully fol-
lowed him along his rather devious and difficult path,
YOU seldom emerge into any clearer light AT times,he
shows himself sensible of hls own deficiencies. In
q Quarterly Rere,c article October, 1859 on Tenny
son Mr GladStoue's dislike to MAUD took the
form of hOmily against war, at once commonplace
and out of place. He says in a note that a
feeling which had reference TO the growth Of the