The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-05-01

The Rstirsmsns Of Bsasousasld.

Nhlch 70 WORK and wait. Tbs late Conservative
Premier Is ssveniy,six years old, and, in the
natural course Of things, his retirement from
once, under existing circumstances, would
prove tantamount 70 a virtual withdrawal
from public life
1t has been a career remarkable beyond
any that have figured in the political history
OF modern England We have TO 20 back to
Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell 10 iiad in.
stances OF statesmen who, against odds so !
great, have managed to rise so high. 0fthsm
Il could at least be said that they were Of En- |
glish Stock and as for Canning, whose career |
IS someiimes likened 10 Disraeli's, the obseur- /
ity of his birth was more than Offset BY the |
useful associations formed at Eton aud at Ok |
ford. But Benjamin Disraeli was the son of |
jew, and his education, while good eaoagh |
for an attorneys CLERK, was not calculated to
etiace the faint Of his descent 10 the eyes of
British prejudice. 1t ia plain from coniempo-
rary memoirs that, for years after his bril-
liant novels compelled attention, his social
aspirations were mentioned with sneer, and /.
his hold oil London drawing rooms was most
preearlous. The attempt of such q man To
sit among England legislators may well have
neutrality-suspicious., and his reiterated failures /
during hye years of struggle were taken as =
matter OF course. What right had such man
TO expect success, without distinct affiliations
10 either political party, without money, with.
out family influence, without sven a universe
ty training, without so much as drop of
native English blood? "What does the iel-
low stand upon, was the taunt lsveled at
Disraeh in the course Of a fruitless canvass.
Upon my head, Was the reply.
II was indeed by diut of sheer intellectual
strength that the copying clerk triumphed
over the instructive disdain nud almost in
yeterate distrust Of the landholdiug class, the
Anglican Church, the university interest,
and oil the elements which make up the aris-
tocracy and gentry of the British islands
Long after he had raised his voice in the
Legislature, and had made his power as a
parliamentary gladiator fel; and feared, the
magnates Of his party showed an obstinate
reluctance TO accept his support, or, at all
events, 10 recompenso tho services by which
they profted. In gauging the secret ohsta-
| elss which Mr.. Disraei overcame, il will be
| found peculiarly useful 70 bear certain dates
\ in mind. BetwesR 1881 and 1887 he made
five unsuccessful efforts to enter Parliament,
and when he took his seat at the last. named
date the author of "Viyian Grey" was thir.
I ty.three years old, aud had been for ten years
famous man Of letters. tits true that in his
hrst session he was once booted down by the
partisans of O'Connell; but he was soon heard
from again, and during the next FIVE years he
became one of the most prominent and efFec.
I tNC ASSdAiahto VI tut WINGS RGNGkAnhithht
ia 1871, Sir Robert Peel refused TO include
him in his Cabinet, nor was it till is47, or ten
years after his entrance into public life, that
Mr.. Disraeli received the hard won reeogni-
ton implied in his selection to act as spokes.
man for his party, on the movement of m
address in reply TO the speech from the throne
In the first Derby Cabinet, however, formed
in 1852, it was impossible to ignore the leader
of the Tories in the House Of Commons, and
the Hebrew Charlatan, as he was still styled
by his opponents Of university prejudices,
was made Chancellor Of the Exchequer, a
post which he filled again in the second Min
lstry formed by the same Premier in 1853.
But his first tenure Of office only lasted for
one session of Parliament, and his second just
one year; and in each case his action was
thwarted, and discredited by the fact that his
party was almost constantly in a minority.
During the conservative eclipse which fol-
lowed, and which lasted for six years, Mr..
Disraeli rapidly lost favor the old taunts oil
'adyenturer' and "chsrlatan," and the still
more brutal reproach aimed at his parentage,
were in the cartoons of Punch and in every.
body's mouth, and, for time, he seemed tC
be the most unpopular mao in England. Il
behooves us, however, to remember that a
main cause OF the odium which he incurred
at this juclure vas his steadfaat refusal to ex
press any sympathy ior heConieaefate chus'
NJ Wt Any hosllhy toward me hmsrican onion'
"nsn We eohuA.' ms asti'uGe win tnai OF mr.
oaus'one AZ mat crisis Oh our nanonal ex
be deeply impressed by the latter's smooth
professions, or how they can fail to feel regre
at the formers downfall. + ~
When Lord Derby formed his third Cab.
net in 1866, his chief eoadiutor in the House
OF Commons found himself once mere com
Pe"eI ~ "Ae oihee WIN minority 70 sup
por' ~" IA 'ne popular assembly. when
h.aJl ~ 5a Hore Leroy fss'gnanon' lns
eansn,P VI ue party deselSed on Mr. pis
Iaen, .ne barren seep're thus transmitted wal
p'o"Puy a'd As'oe, NOW, tor the hrst ume
~ o" ui DC hSu tree heid on the moor o
tno houSe VI Commons ior the exercise o.
us s eons'fueute powers, untrammeiied eJ
.hs supe,ot eA'rins'c advantages and trad
sonn inhuehee 81 other Tory leaders. ne
dsel n's opportunities 70 wonderful enect, and
aulihg me s'h years OF Opposition which en-
susu may DC almost said 70 save created the
party when ne led to victory. Al his hrs
ehIahss anto pohues, In lsS2, he had de
eeIioeu me Torres as aunk an state OF 81
horan' stnpeiaenon, aad at had been the
yuyee. o. MS puehe me 70 reuse them from
.nen ssuPor' ana 20 leaves tae stagnanf mass
wth ms own sagacity and esorgy. From the
outset he believed thai saecess was 10 be
gnhsa oy writing the extreme parties against
me middle, trusting 70 nne to prove that the
conservatives were amer all the best friends
ehe lower Glasses could have. lneongruoas
ana pAradoxical as such a view appeared,
eyehts were TO show that only the consistent
AoVocate OF the paradox would have skill 70
grasp Tor his patnsans substantial triumph
the poiis' 10 this novel conception OF =
Iory'Democratie programme Mr.. Disraeli
elnng through the darkest hours Of eonserva'
1--WE depression, and from the moment he be,
came sole aro'ter OF his party,s policy that
conception was carried out. We need not
oweh upon the maiehless efficiency OF his
tae,'cs IN the great duel with Mr.. Gladstone,
on ms success IN rupturing the ranks Of his
opponents IN Parliament, on the welcome
gwen him by the students Of Glasgow Usiver-
s'ty, or his enthusiastic reception by the work,
lngmen OF Manchester. The election Of 1874
was disputed with Incompatible yehemence,
out u nov appeared that the Tory. Democratic
party was a reality, and that for the FIRST time
"a thirty years the sympathies Of the country
mad been rallied to the side Of the Conserva'
yves; For the hrst time, too, in . long life,
| MIR. DlsraeH had gnined The ronifian nf /.