Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-04-28
Disraeli.


Below is brief sketch of the life of
the distinguished English statesman,
Disraeli, who died last week:
The Right Honorable Benjamin Dis
raeii, Earl of Beaconsfeld, was the de-
scendant of Hebrew family of distinc-
ton. He was the eldest son of Isaac
Disraeli, who was noted English au
thor. The family has been one of prom
inence for generations back. The Dis
raelis fiourished upward of two centu-
ries ago in Spain and Italy. The grand
father Of the Earl, Benjamin Disraeli,
for whom his lordship was named, set
tied in England in 174S, amassed large
fortune in business and retired in mid
die life. Isaac Disraeli, father of the
EaIl, devoted his life to literary labors
He wrote and published books from
1871 to 1S41, and was awarded the honor
of d. C. L. by the University of Oxford.
Lord Beaconsfeld was born in 1905, and
he was educated by private tutors under
the immediate supervision of his father.
At the age when young Englishmen
destined for political life are usually
sent to university he was articled to
solicitor in order to fit him for Gov
ernmeLt position. When weary of the
drudgery of law he relieved himself by
writing articles for Tory journal.
When twenty-five years of age he pub
lished his first novel, "Vivian Grey" and
he continued to write and publish works
of fiction, sometimes intermingled with
politics, all his life. In 1882 and in 1888
he was defeated for seat in Parliament
for Wycombe. He changed his politics
from radical to conservative and went
to Taunton, where he ran against La
bouchere, and was again defeated. He
made some allusion to O'Connell, which
involved him in hostile correspondence
with a son of the latter. At the age of
thirty-two he took his seat in Parlia-
ment as Conservative representative
for Maidstone. 1t was then that he
made his ,te1r pas in attempting to ad-
dress the House too early, and in sitting
down in great confusion he uttered that
prophetic declaration, "the time will
come when you'll hear me-" He married
in 1899, became the leader of the young
England party" He became celebrated
for his brilliant, invective and polished
sarcasm, and in 1S46 the ability he dis
played as leader of the opposition, and
year by year he continued to rise in the
estimation of the world. In 1852 he &C
cepted the post of Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer in the Lord Derby Cabinet.
Disraeli emerged from this position with
senewed hopors. When the Derby Gov
'efnments was ovefthrown, Disfaeli re-
sumed the leadership of the opposition
in the House. In 1858 he resumed his
former part in Lord Derby's second cab
met, but in 1859 he introduced a govern
ment reform measure which was thrown
out, and the government resigned. When
Derby returned to power in 1868, Dis
raeli again took the post of Chancellor
of the Exchequer. In February, 1868,
he succeeded Derby as Premier, but re-
signed in the following December be-
cause of hostile majority in the House.
On this occasion Mrs. Disraeli was
raised to the peerage as Viscountess
Beaconsfeld. While out of Office in
1870 he published "Lothair." In 1873
the popularity of Gladstone rapidly sub
sided, and the new election of 1874 Civ
ing the conservatives large majority,
Disraeli returned to power as Prime
Minister. In 1877 he took his seat in
the Upper House as Lord Beaconsfield. |
He remained in power until 1880, when,
principally on account of his foreign |
policy, he was retired and Gladstone re-
turned to the Premiership. Last year
Beaconsfeld published "Endymion,"
novel that had wide circulation.