The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-11-04
THE KEY TO eLADsToNE's CHARACTER AM
CAREER.

THE KEY TO GLADsToNE's CHARACTER AND
CAREER.
Mr.. Gladstone is the subject of a notable arli.
Gle In sCRIBSER for November, by writer whose
name for political and personal reasons, is with
held. The anonymous essayist, while critlcising
the English prentice with fairness, freedom, and
even severity, still speaks Of him as perhaps,
taking him all In all, the most remarkable man
that the EDglish'speaking race has produced In
this century," The key Of Mr. Gladstone's ca
reer is given In the statement HE is Scotch
man who has been called to deal with and gov.
ern Englshmen'" We quote as follows:
"Mr. Gladstone is a scotchman on both his
fathers and mothers side, and half Highland
THAT is to say, d Celtc) ScOtchman He is with
the significant exception Of Lord Bule, who was
a mere GoGal tavorite), the first Prime Minister Of
England who has come from the northern half
the island He is, indeed, the first scotchmHn,
except Brougham, who has ever paid leading
part in English politics. Bolingbroke, Walpole,
Pultenay, Chatham, Lord North, Charles James,
Fox, VIM. Pitt, Lord Liverpool, Canning. Lord
Grey, Lord Althorp, Lord Melbourne, Sir Robert
Peel Lord Derby, were all Of them EpglishmeR
by blood The Duke Of Wellington and Lord
PalmerstOn though nOminally Irish, we're really
Englishmen. Burke was an IrishmaU, and
Burke's career (unlke ss, In many respects, he is
to Mr.. Gladstone) strikinRly illustrates some OF
the features Of the Celtic character This Scottish
strain in Mr.. Gladstone has had two remarkable
effects It has kept him from ever quite under
standing and being in full sympathy with the
oho I'D hon tad
the English from ever quite understanding him.
It is not merely because Scotland is Liberal that
he is welcomed there with such transports Of en-
thusasm. It ia because, In spite Of the contrast
between his High Churchsm and their Presbyte'
rianism, the Scotch enter into and enjoy his
modes OF thinking and feeling in way which
Englishmen, and especially E glishmen Of the
upper class, Go not and cannot, He is not typ.
ical scotchman; but his intellect belongss so much
more to the Scottish than to the English type that
the average educated Euglishmen is perplexed,
by features he cannot account for, because he
finds thing In them like himself. Let US see
how this comes out,
"The distinguishing note Of Mr. Gladstones ma.
tuIe is the combination IN 1t of extraordinary in
tellectual activity with extraordinary emotional
warmth. For fifty years he has given himself 10
rest. When he is not studying, he is Ia king or
writing, and that not merely upon public affairs,
but upon theology, history, scholarship, art, or
social topics. His apprehension is wonderfully
quick. Long training enables him to seize in a
moment the salient points Of question; his
mind falls to work upon them spins web Of ar
gument, clothes the argument with words-worcs
that come fast as the Ow-hakes driven before a
WWylf L., In thah haarf f,fo ctIb
feet he ia also working all around 1t, discovering
q multitude Of reasons for and against each OF
the views which, in succession, presents itseli-a
string Of limitations and qualifications under
which each Of the propositions he accepts must
be stated. This ingenuity Of fertility of mind
gives his speeches and writings an air Of com.
plexity which many people find beWildeTing.
Theg often call 1t subtlety. But he Is not unduly
subtile-th6t Is to say, addicted TO foe disinc
tons Of thought In one Of his pieces of sustain
ed argument each sentence or paragraph is sufi-
ciently clear; 1t is the perspective Of the whole
which confuses the mind of a listener who can.
not recolect the relation which all these wind.
ings and turnings and by paths bear to the mai
direction Of the track along which he is being led.
Together with this manifOldness Of mind, he
has, like most men whose intellectual Interests
are keen, q fOndness for abstract principles and
passion for working them logically out. Where
other men see only scattered facts he discerns a
principle, epjoyg 1t, follows 1t boldly. In per.
son with less wide experience Of the world aud
less complete mastery Of facts, this tendency
would be dangerous. Even he is sometimes led
by II to discern principle where none discerni'
BILE by other eyes exists, to lay upon minor
prirciple more than 1t will bear to travel faster
and farther toward some momentous practical
conclusion than his audience or his party are
prepared to follow. still 1t is splendid faculty
the sure index Of a penetrating intellect, Q
weapon with which, when wisely used, brilliant
execution can be done in debate.
Now let us see how these powers OF thought arc
welded by his emotional nature. Active, mar
velously active as his intelligence is 1t is not 81
remarkable as is the intensity Of feeling which
he throws into everything he does He is al
aglow, and always aglow. Any one meeting hin
In company or hearing him speak for the frs
time, would think that the subject he might hap
| pen to he descanting on was one which had beef
vppermost in his thoughts for years such is tn
earnestness Of his manner. When the same p I
son heard him again and again equally ferven