The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-04-27
DEATH OF LORD BEACONS-
FIELD.
Sketches Of His Remarkable Ca
TeeT.


$50 O'Clock, April 10, announces
the death Of Benjamin. Disraeli.
Earl Of Beaconsfeld The event
has not been altogether unexpected,
but for the past few days the re-
ports were of such a favorable char
acter as to lead to the belief that his
recovery was at least very probable
The event, however, but illustrates
the delUsive character ofthe symp-
toms upon which the belief was
founded. The earlier fears are real
lied, and the great statesman is
dead.
From the days Of the Norman
conquest, says an eloquent writer,
England has had two phases Of
character and thOught-the Saxon
and the NOrman-perpetuallystr strug-
Cling for supremacy. The two to
gether have made the English the
commercial, cOlonizing, cosmopoli-
tan race Of the modern world To
day the one is represented by the
IivingstOnes and GladstOnes and
ArgyiIs, the other by the Matthew
ATnolds, the Salisburys and Dis
raeis. Certainly Lord Beacons-
field aspired to become, whether he
succeeded or not, the front and lead
er Of the Young England party.
Certainly his policy, when at the
head Of affairs, has been one Of ag-
gression, OF diplomatic intrigue, of
open conquest, of the purple pomp
Of imperialism, as opposed to the re-
tormatOry and penny-cOunting pol
icy of his great rival. But the pc
cuiarity Of the career of these two
men is that Gladstone, while often
and radically changing his opinions
and positions, has never found any
one to challenge the sincerity Of his
convictions. 1t has been difficult to
make people believe that Disraeli
was sincere, although his politics,
except in the early days of his po-
liucal career, have never departed
from the mold in which he cast
them when he took his scat in the
House Of Commons.
Benjamin Disracli was born i'm his
fathers house, in London, in 1865,
IN 1925, when he first came before
the world with "Vivian Grey" he
was commonly spoken Of as obs
raei the Younger" " for it was then
thought that he could never attain
to the literary honors which his ia
ther had already secured. That
father, Isaac Disraeli, spent a quiet
life Of 81 years in literary labor, dy-
ing in 1913, after having produced
some Of the most delightful books
(to the schOIm) in the English Ian
guage Benjamin began life as
lawyers or scriveners clerk, but
soon escaped to literature - to q
literature, however, as different as
possible from that in which his IA
ther plodded. He was a handsome
large-eyed Jew, dressed 'IoudIy," ="
was witty and satirical, affected to
be dissipated, and seriously courted
society and the reputation Of a lion
This he secured by the rapid sue
cession Of really brilliant novels
which came after Vivian Grey"
and in which he seemed to try, from
his own superficial and often flip
pant standpoint, Of course, to run
the whole gamut Of human expert
ences and emotions. These works
are still read with interest and pleas
me, while the recent publication of
his "Endymion" proves that his
latest volumes are more run after
than those Of even George Eliot or
of Charles Dickens in his prime.
For twelve years Disraeli baskcd in
the atmosphere Of London salons
and clubs. But, while he was most
seen at Lady Blessington's, he did
not neglect the Carlton. Much of
his Hippancy was probably assumed;
it is certain that lie was closely and
inteIHgontly studying men and char
acter. In 1892 lie entered Parlia-
ment as member for Maidstone, an
ancient borough in Kent, hard by
where Charles Dickens
lived DisraeH took his seat on the
conservative side, but when the
junior member for Maidstone essay
ed to speak he utterly failed to Sc
cure the respect Of the House, and
was shouted down with derisive
laughter. As he returned to his
seat he faced the members once
more and said Il sit down now,
but the time will come when YOU
shall hear me" Nine years later he
was the leader of the "Young Eng
land" party in Parliament, and in
l847 he became the county member
from Buckinghamshire, which never
forgot its allegiance to
him, though it is impossible to con
ceive Of one who could be less Of a
squire and q farmer than Disraeli
The next year Lord George Ben
tinck died and Disraeli rose to the
ofthe tories in the House
Of Commons, a position due almost
entirely to bis masterly powers Of
debate and his oratorical force and
His flashing wit and !
-erribls, morciless sarcasm, chat !
whip whose lash was always ready, !
never missed its mark, never crack !
Cd without some victim writing,
made men fear, while they hated !
him and gave him the mastery not |
only over duller speakers, but Of !
hose fne-strung spirits who dread !
ridicule next to death f
In 1852, when the late Earl Der !
BY came into power as premier, |
Disraeli became chancellor Of the |
sxchequer, a post for which he was
east fitted, since no one was ever /
more careless about figures. But |
he was capable of defending poor |
budget with a mastery speech, and /
he took the same place in 1853 and |
IN 1866. The next year he cut un- I
ler Lord John Russell by bringing |
IN and carrying a reform bill more |
I II