The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-02-03
THE OLD IRON DUKE.
MemorieS Of Wellington. His Ways and Say
lnSs as Soldier and Statesman.

Memories Of Wellington. His Ways and Say
inss rs Soldier and Statesman.
Mr.. Granville Murray, in the Swiss Continent
Lord Grey, who spent the flower of his
manhood in caviling at Wellington, once
| took upa volume of the dukes dispatches.
After perusing many pages he said, in an
swer to question as to what he thought of
them: In my opinion he was the greatest
; man that ever lived" Perhaps the queen
is the one person now. living who would
agree with Lord Grey. Her Majesty shed
tears when she heard that "the good, gray
head which all men knew would no longer
be seen on this earth, and spoke of him in
terms which have rarely been applied to
even Caesar or Napoleon
poleon in 1915. "He will change the
dynasty" This sentence has sometimes
been quoted in illustration of Napoleon's
ignorance of England. But the truth is,
Napoleon knew perfectly well what he was
saying, and the probability is that Yelling
ton might have changed the dynasty. He
did not for three reasons; He was too good
man, too unimaginative. too satisfied with
the position ne had actually acquired. The
lack of imagination is indeed the most Sc
rious defect in the character of Wellington
Curiously enough he was never very poru-
lar with his men-they admired rather than
loved him. Nelson was simply worshiped
by the sailors he led to victory. A certain
GOODNESS Of demeanor which sometimes
amounted to positive haughtiness was the
reason which prevented the establishment
of sympathetic relations between Welling-
ton and his officers. After his elevation to
the peerage he was commonly spoken of in
~,
distinguish him from certain lords who
were not peers But what mortal seaman
would ever have dreamed of calling "Nel'
the Peer?
That part of Wellington's life which has
been the most visited with censure is his
cival career; unjustly, as I think. He no
doubt committed grave faults; but he was
honest and courageous to degree. A Gu
rious instance of the latter quality may be
seen in his conversation with George w.,
who conceived that his ''honor'' forbade
him to accept Canning as minister. II
can't Arthur. I can't, as a gentleman-can
To- your Majesty is not gentleman.
replied the duke to the startled king, and
proceeded to explain to him that severe
ign was not q gentleman, because some
thing more. The king gave way. On
subsequent occasion the duke showed
equal courage, but more tact. George w.,
as is we'll known. labored under the hallu-
cination that he had been present at Water
loo. One day at state banquet he made
this amazing statement, and appealed to
the duke for confirmation. "Your Majes-
ty has often told me SO" replied Yelling
ton.
lie was very hospitable, especially at
Walmer. but had his own notions on the
~e Tloo ha lo1
asked Grisi to come down Tin profession
al capacity to entertain some illustriou
| guests whom he was expecting On Crisis
| arrival the duke was very civil to the ladys
and asked her, among other questions. at
| what hour she would like to dine? Grisi re-
piled with her most gracious SMILEY that
his grace's hour, whatever it might be-
would perfectly suit her. The duke bowed
and the prima donna became his guest: but
he had not at all intended it. And vet he
once asked clock-maker, who had come
| to repair the clocks at Walmer, to dinner
| though this invitation, too is believed to
have originated in mistake. The
duke fancied that the head of a
famous firm had arrived in person to do the
work, and issued the invitation accordingly.
It was, however, mere artisan who had been
SENT but the Duke was too good natured and
too much of gentleman to withdraw il
when he learned the facts. ''He is man of
science" qnoth Wellington, and that was
enough for him. It was high honor-for
which any human being, I suppose, would
have almost given day of his life except
ing the ep1curean Lord Sefton. That noble
man had n very poor opinion of the Duke,
whom he once asked to dlnner-to one of
those exquisite little banquets which he
o14 h1y, 20 rvS1-a
much piqued at the Dukes evident want of
appreciation of his cooks triumphs. and at
length asked the old soldier point blank his
opinion of dish. The duke answered that
it seemed excellent, but that for his BART,
he never paid any attention to what he ate.
"Why," said Lord Seton with an OATH
to a friend to whom he told the story, "did
he come and dine with me, then?''
! The Duke, as stated above, admired "men
of science''-al 'lawyers," wko seemed
to him possessed of subtle craft beyond
his own powers. His political adversary,
Brougham, he almost loved "for the learn
| ing that was in him." On one occasion he
ventured to ''spar" with the Chancellor and
was worsted my lord" he said. ''you
will be remembered in history, not for your
exertions in abolishing slavery, or reform
ing the law, or changing our constitution
but simply from giving your name to
new style Of carriage ''And
your Grace will not be remembered
for Salamanca, OF Victoria, or Waterloo.
but for new style of boot" "D-n
the boots. I had forgotten them" naively
replied Wellington. A few days before he
died he boas ed that *he could do whatever
any other man could do, and was always
rather vain of his health and physical
strength His death was quite unexpect-
| ed, at least by himself. and it is said his
life might have been Prolonged had he been
in London instead of at Walmer, where
help was not handy: When he was dead
ence Of Lord Russell, who had always been
in opposition to him. Don't blaspheme, ~
| 1919 4l,o Wiz loadou o,,,4l..