Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-02
GLADSTONE.
Pen Picture of the Premier Of Great
Britain, from Personal Observa.
tion-His Religion.
A ScOtehman to the COre-His Relations
with the Royal Family-GladstOne
as an Orator.


! the liberals of North Wales made an effort
| TO get Gladstone among us for grand rally.
| HIS castle at Hawarden was near us. There
| be felled his tree; from il he was then send
ing his famous postcards, some of which are
| IN my own possession. We wrote him and
he did not say no. 1t was a time when he
wsnted to speak out. Disraeli was in power;
had come home from Berlin saying: 81
bring you peace with honor" The queen
smiled on Bepiamin's mess. and did not
smile on Gladstone's order. The star of the
Jew was in the ascendant-that of the Gen.
tile under a cloud.
To our town Gladstone came We had
hung out flags and banners. Some proposed
to have band of music; others of us said
mo; let meet him men meeting
man" Our voice prevailed; so we met him
at the depot. He came, bringing with him
his wife and two sons. Age has dealt gently
with the old man eloquent. His hair is sill
ver-gray-what there is of it; his brow is
furrowed with thought and care. 1t was
good to see him standing there at the depot
the peoples William, as we called him
his wife and two big sons near him. The
demonstrations of the crowd were cordial.
In;o a carriage waiting for him he and his
family stepped, and l next met him at the
house where he was to dine. In ore of the
rooms, previous to dinner, had the honor
of meeting him privately, and 30 had near
manners are simple, yet eminently refined.
Seeing that the burden of his coming
speech was heavy on him / did not speak
much, but turaed to his son, who is vicar of
Hawarden, and had long conversation with
him. 1t is quite evident that none of Glad
stones sons will ever equal the father. 1
especially delighted with the womanly
care shown by Mrs. Gladstone about the per-
sonal welfare of her husband. Like many
others, he owes much of his success to a good
wife.
But dinner is announced and we enter.
Like very many English dinners, it was
rather heavy affair. During dinner Mr..
Gladstone ehatted gayly with Lady Grosve-
nor. After dinner he gave the usual legal
toast. Here Mr.. Gladstone was in his ele-
ment. 1t was amusing to see how he man.
aged to say Just enough. Those who were
behind the scenes, and knew how much he
had endured from royalty, could but admire
his generous utterances. But it was when
proposing success TO the liberal cause that
he came out grandly, and carried with him
the enthusiasm OF every heart.
In the evening we had great mass
meeting. All the world knows how Glad
stone can speak. All the world has not been
near enough to see his n,odus operandt. When
he rose he placed his hat in front of him,
and across the mouth OF the hat he spread
his notes, which were pretty voluminous.
He had some OF his most important sentences
written out with the greatest care.
Gladstone Is a Scotchman to the core. He
was awfully Scotch when that evening he
scotched Lord Beaconstield for making the
queen an empress. His remark, "An en-
press, forsooth!" was one OF the most canny
Scot remarks l ever heard. The scorn on
his lips had to be seen to be fully appre-
ciated. So also when be challenged Lord
Beaconsfeld to prove that he had ever
spoken of him as being like Satan. After
the by-play he launched into the speech, and
denounced the conduct of the government
saying then what the country says to-day,
and what history will say in the future.
As an orator, Gladstone is not equal to
John Bright for sweeping an audience with
him. He enters so much into detail and
principle that at times it requires an effort
to follow him. He was never pathetic, but
was always calm, strong, majestic. His pero-
ration was sublime.
That evening made an era in many a life
He left US and returned to his own home. If
we follow him there what do we find? The
home of true christian gentleman. 1t would
be good for all politicians tie visit his home.
God is found there. He calls his household
to worship, and conducts tue worship with
the same earnestness aud thoroughness which
he shows all his acts. On the Sabbath he
is found in the village church. He and his
them. Mr.. Gladstone reads well. If he was
not n great statesman, he would have made
great divine.
He dwells among his own people, and is
greatly honored. Any one who chooses can
see him in his shirt-sleeves, working with
Scotch earnestness on his estate. Had
George Washington been alive, be would
have been the best friend of William Glad
stone.
Students will be glad to know that his IL
brary is not only extensive, but also remark
ably we'll chosen. / had the honor of send
ing him one of my books, and he has writ
ten me to say that he Will examine it with
the deepest interest in the subiect-the SUBJ
Jet being Spiritual Progress"
People sometimes ak me, "What is Mr..
Gladstone on religion?" l answer: He is an
Episcopalian, loving his own church, but
having the deepest sympathy with all other
Protestants. Is he Roman Catholic in dis
guise? Nonsense, / answer.
Is he popular now? In reply, have only
to say: London, which a few years ago
booted him, is now ready to worship him.
No wonder. Look at him last fall in the
house of commons See him there hour on
watching all the debate. He seems but to
listen; but see! the speaker has caught his
eye. Gladstone is upp passes into the
lobby; and the house fills rapidly. Not
speech has missed him. Every argument
for and against the Land bill has been
noticed. With consummate tact he pushes On
the business. And only when all danger is
over does he leave the battle field. If some
prosy old gentleman is on the floor Glad
stone will amuse himself by writing Latin
poem-as, for instance, when he turns the
hymn Crock of Ages" into Latin. His
powers of endurance are vast, but he has
received some warnings of late that he would
do well to accept
At present he is king in Britain, and a
good king he makes.
But he is not so popular with the royal
family as Lord Beaconsfeld was, say some
answer: He and the prince of Wales 'get
on irst-rate. The queen herself honors the
truth and ability of Mr.. Gladstone; but
Lord Beaconsfeld gave in TO her more
fiattered her-made her an empress-spoke
of glory-wrote novels and sent her the first
copy-in fact paid court to her. Beacons-
field made the queen first, and the nation
second. Gladstone reverses the order. In
fact Gladstone is at heart sound republi-
can. More than that, he is a d0ur man.
When he puts down his foot, neither queen
nor empress Will make him lift it against
his own conviction. So long as the good of
the nation wants him, he will be public;
but, whenever he can be spared from the
front he will go back, as did Washington, to
his home and to his people.
DUNCAN MACGREGoR