Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-07
OUR LONDON LETTER.
JOHN BRIGHTs ANNIVERSARY A Ma
TONS TRIBUTE.
Sketch Of His Eventful Public Career-A
True Man Belonging to All sng lish-
Speaking Peoples.

on all lips, and his character and deed
have formed the leading topic of discussion
in the newspapers of the country. The
occasion of this widespread interest is thu
celebration gotten up in his honor by hi
constituency at Birmingham. This, a.
least, is the immediate cause of it, though
there are others which are not far TO seek
Behind this local celebration, throwing il
into national prominence, investing it, IN
deed, with international interest, is the
record of a splendid life. That white.
haired, calm-faced man, who was the CEN
trail figure of Mondays procession, is a
hero whom the whole world is proud tc
honor. In the admiring crowds who
looked on, the generation of countless
millions was reflected and, as Shakespeare
has said with reference to different ocea.
sion,
You would have thought the very windows spoke
So many greedy looks of young and old
Through easements darted their desiring eyes
Upon his visage.
The pageant reminded one of the triumphs
accorded the ancient conquerors, and yet,
how widely different was it from these,
for the victories celebrated are those of
peace, not of war, while he who wears the
laurel wreath has always been man of
peace. It was his advocacy of this princi'
pie that led to his connection with Biz
mingham. His career in Parliament
COVERS 4 PERIOD OF FORTY YEARS.
He was first elected from Durham in lS43,
and four years afterwards consented to
stand for Manchester, being returned for
that town without opposition. In 1852 he
was reelected. Then began the agitation
which resulted in the Crimean war. That
war he opposed from first to last, forfeiting
In 80 doing, both the popularity he had
won in the country and his Manchester
constituency. So strenuous were his efforts
in favor of peace at this period that his
health gave way under them. In the cam
paign in which he was defeated he was not
able to make single speech, and this cir
cu,nstance, doubtless, has much to do with
the result. But this defeat was most honor
able TO Mr.. Bright, for, as the Manchester
Examiner said at the time, &c A few words
spoken or unspoken, a little trimming, a
degree of suppleness on great questions,
which is afterwards set down as prudence,
would have sufficed to have insured him
the undisturbed enjoyment of popularity,
but tue to the st nets OF a no Die nature,
he has chosen an opposite course. -Four
months after being cast off by Manchester
he was returned to Parliament by the town
which now celebrates It's silver wedding
with him. Once again, recently, has he
marked his detestatiou of war; not this
time in ringing words, but by an action
that spoke with louder voice. His lips
were closed by his position as a Cabinet
Minister, but he could show his feelings to
the country by resigning, and he did this,
his course in the present instance being fol-
lowed by
a MAGNIFICENT OVATION.
His own words are the best commentary
upon his rejection by the voters of Man.
chester, as well as the truest index of his
lofty character. In taking leave of his con-
stituency he wrote have esteemed it
a high honor to be one of your representa-.
tives, and have given more of mental and
physical labor to your service than was Just
TO myself. l feel it scarcely less an honor
TO suffer in the cause OF peace, and on be-
half of what | believe to be the true inter.
ests of my country, though l could have
wished that the blow had come from other
hands when l could have been present to
meet face to face those who dealt it. IT,"
lie added, the change In your opinion of
me has arisen from my course on the ques-
tion of the war with Russia, can only
say that on a calm review of all the cir
camstauces of the case, | would not unsay
or retract any one of the speeches have
Doken, or erase frsm the records of Parlia-
lAent any one of the votes | have given
Uuon it, if could thereby reverse the de-
cisIon to which you have come, or secure
any additional distinction which it is in the
power of my countrymen to confer" Mr..
8right's combined advocacy through life of
the principles which animated his early ca.
reer is fact which makes his position |
among British statesmen somewhat unique. |
Most of the others who have attained |
prominence have undergone great changes.
Sir Robert Peel, who brought about Cath |
tic emancipation, freed dissenters from |
their disabilities, relieved trade from its |
Custom-house shackles, and eventually |
the victory of free trade by abol-
ishing the Corn laws, began By opposing !
every one of these measures. Disraeli, the !,
great Tory, started out with radical no.
tions, whilst Mr.. Gladstone, the great Lib. !
eral, was Tory at the beginning. 1t waa
against the latter, who was at that time |
the Tory President of the Board of Trade, |
that
MR.. BRIGHT'S MAIDEN SPEECH
Was directed, and as the two men have
since been three times associated together
n liberal Governments, it is interesting to |
recall one of the passages of that address
s. can assure the right honorable the
President of the Board of Trade" said !
Mr.. Bright, that his fimsy excuses |
will not avail him at the bar of public |
opinion. He knows what is right and he |
refuses to do it. His plea, that this is |
not the time is as untrue as it is insult |
ing" Since then these whilom antago- |
sists have come to be, on almost all great |
questions, entirely in accord with each |
other, a result, however, which has been |
brought about solely by the changes which |
Mr.. Gladstone has undergone, for Mr..
Bright has remained the same. That the |
Prime Minister should have shown himself |
open to conviction is nothing to his dis-
credit it is an indication rather that he is
IN honest man following the light as it Is
revealed to him. Mr.. Gladstone has on
more than one occasion publicly boosted of
mis- change of opinions. But if it be cred
table to embrace the righs as one perceives
t, after having followed the wrong for
some time, how much more praiseworthy |
must it be to have found the
RIGHT AT THE BOOMING,
And to have steadfastly adhered to It, as
Slr. Bright has done, through evil report
md through good, to the end. Mr.. Glad
tones latest conversion, it may be men
toned incidentally, was to the principle of
ooal option, and the change appears to
lsve been gradual one. Two years ago
lie voted squarely against that principle,
While last year he refrained from voting,
i L i