Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-05-14

Disraeli as a surname, in grateful recogni-
tion of the mercies of the God of Israel " in
preserving and prospering the family, through
all the vicissitudes to which it had been ex-
posed through centuries Of persecution.
The elder Disraeli arriving in England in
l7is, and entering into business, acquired
fortune while yet in middle age, and his son
Isaac, was educated in Amsterdam and Ley
den, and taking to literature as a profession,
wrote the very learned yet entertaining works
so widely known as "The Curiosites of
Literature" The Quarrels and Calamities Of
Authors" and many others, some purely
historical and others more anecdotical. To
him Lord Byron dedicated an admirable letter
satirically reviewing the popular writers of
the day, especially Southey and the "Lake
School" Byron calls him the " amiable and
ingenious author" His eldest son Benjamin,
the future statesman, and subject of this art
Gle, was born in London in lSO5 and educated
by his father In early youth he was articed
to a solicitor, but soon grew weary of a law
ycr's Office and took to writing in the Repre-
sentdtire, Tory journal which however died
an early death. In his tvs enty-second year
he published "Vivian Grey" and afterwards,
at intervals, several other novels, all of a
semi-poitical type and all satirically descrip-
tive of the society of the period. He visited
Italy and Greece, Turkey and Syria, and
"reminiscences of these travels abound more
particularly in "Lothair." He was intensely
ambitious, and desired more than anything
else a seat in the House of Commons. Return
ing to England at the time of the agitation
over the first Reform Bill, 1882, he stood for
Wycombe but was defeated. In 1885 he failed
again in the same borough, but contested
seat for Taunton before the year was out.
Again lie was rejected, and was subjected to
the coarse abuse of Daniel O'Connell, which
resulted in challenge by Disraeli to the
| younger O'Connel the meeting however
never came off. In 1887 he was invited to
| stand for Maidstone in the Conservative inter-
est and was elected at the age of 32 in COM
! pany with his friend Mr.. Wyndham Lewis.
! His first speech in the House of Commons was
laughed down and he stopped abruptly with
the remarkable prophecy, az have begun
many things, at several times, and have often
succeeded at last shall sit down now, but
the time shall come when you will hear me :"
In 1889 Disraeli married the widow of his
| former colleague, and her ample means aided
him materially in his onward progress Re
had promised O'Connell "castgation Z" for
the insults heaped on him during and after the
! Taunton election, and he kept his promise
the club of the great vituperator was palsied
| by the rapier OF his antagonist. During the
debates on the Corn Laws he especially dis
tinguished himself the opponent of Sir
Robert Peel, and was looked upon as the
acknowledged leader of the "Young England
| party, or what would now be called the Glib
| eral Conservatives" He was now member
for Buckinghamshire, and represented that
constituency during the remainder of the time
that he sat in the Commons. On the death Of
Lord George Bentinck in 1913 he became,
with the late Lord Derby, then Lord Stany,
the leader of the Conservative Party. He
now wrote biography of his friend Lord G..
Bentinck, which had very extensive circu-
lation. He first took Office as Chancellor of
the Exchequer in 1852 under Lord Derby and
succeeded brilliantly. The next year however
his budget was disapproved of, and the Derby
Ministry resigned. Becoming the leader Of
the Opposition at the time of the Crimean
war, he assured the Ministry that he and his
party would scrupulously avoid hindering or
hampering their actions with regard to tue
national foe, a manly and patriotic course
which was widely departed from by Mr.
Gladstone and his followers at the time of the
late Russo-Turkish war, when Disraeli was
in power and Gladstone in opposition. In
1858 he again became Chancellor of the
Exchequer, but for one year only. In 1867 he
resumed his former Office, and on the resigna-
tion of his old chief, Lord Derby, became
Prime Minister, but was obliged to resign in
the same year. During his retirement he
wrote his brilliant novel "Lothar," one of
the keenest satires and yet amusing pictures
of society ever given to the world; its crcu-
laton was enormous. Recalled to the Prem
iership in 1874 his great object was to check
the aggressions of Russia. His purchase on
behalf of the British Government of all the
Suez Canal shares held by the Khedive of
Egypt attracted the attention of the world,
and the sudden transportation of 1000 Indian
troops from Bombay to Malta had very con-
siderable effect in opening the eyes of the
great military powers of Europe to the almost
unlimited forces at tho disposal of Great
Britain. During six years, through evil repute
and good repute. in spite of the most factious
opposition, and vehement personal denunoia-
tions by the Liberal Party, he upheld the
dignity of the empire and restored its waning
prestige in the Councils of Europe. His
greatest diplomatic triumph was achieved at
Berlin when he overcame the acuteness of the
great German Chancellor and the stiffness of
the Russian, and substituted the Treaty of
Berlin for that of San Stephano, thus liter
ally Wrestling the coveted prize from the very
teeth OF the conquerors, and establishing q
series of independent States between Rus :
sia and the Bosphorus. He again resigned
offer on the election of an unfriendly majority
in the Commons in 1850. He had already
refused "A peerage for himself bnt acren,a al ,L,