New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-11
SIR CHARLES dixie.
POINTS IN HIS CAREER. NEW AND OLD.

Political groups are not yet tired or discussing
tbA history and meaning of Sir Charles bikes adj
mission into the Cabinet and of certain passages
IN the speeches which followed that event. AS to
The former it may be said once for all that it would
have been very difficult for any Minister to resist
the pressure of the very militant wing OF the
Liberal party which recognizes Sir Charles as one
of its two chiefs. Few men have stronger force
behind them, none know how to use 1t with greater
effect Few men are on better terms WIN
Journalism and l can think of no more striking eA
ample of the power of the pen when directed as III
Sir Charles Dilke's case to the promotion OF one
mans political fortunes at critical stage ~ n.'
career. If ever man was written into the Ca'i,
not the nresident of the Local Government Boaro
is that man. The writing, of course, couia nave
been Of no avail had not Sir Charles Dukes SGT
vices popularitv abilities and very remarKaple po-
Eticol knowledge been there TO serve as SUBJECT
for the writing But then, on the other manu- h'u
nil this light been hidden under bushei " never
,or1d have illuminated his path to the door OF the
Cabinet.
And now people say he has renounced his early
radicalism. Well, when Southey was asked whether
he was not ashamed of having been RepublIcan'
he answered: mo; no more than am ashamed of
having been q boy" Undoubtedly Sir Charles Dixie
has meant it TO he understood that he repented of
his Repubhcanism don't think he had much to
repent Of He never made declaration OF
Repnblican faith, still less took part In any
movement for disturbing the monarchy But ne
made himself more odiOus to royal persOnages than
If he had preached purely revolutionary doctrine
He attacked their revenues. That was the offence
that remained 20 long unforgiven. After the New
castle speech. and the motion in the House OF Com
mons for an inquiry INTO the civil list Of the Crowd
the word went forth that Sir Charles Dixie was to
n.x.f n1 En fnr
many years.He was dropped and to be dropped is
the most awful penalty that can be visited on any
offender. His exclusion from the fashionable world
was complete Nobody would have dreamed OF
asking hun to q dinner party at which the Prince
of Wales OF any of the Princes sat- or any or the roy
alties were present. The most violent things were
said about him. and people predicted, with that con-
fdence they we're wont to display about the future.
that he would never he heard of again IN socie y.
man of less courage and less confidence In his
own star would have given himself up for los.
Not so Sir Charles Dixie. He never reiinquished
his ambition, any of his ambitions, nor the hari
work on which he knew his future depensed. lie
never accepted the sentence pronounced on him.
Within five years he made the political world IN
derstand that he had still be reckoned with Re-
fore ten had passed he had regained his foothod In
society and was one of he most popular men in Lon
don drawing-rooms. The Prince of Wales met him
and soon liked him. If few doors remained OBJ
stinately closed to him, they only served as the
proverbial exception to prove how general was the
rule With his careful manners and clever converse
ton Charles Dixie needed only to have the chance
given him to become favOrite. He early learned
the diplomatic secret of poll ical success lie had
on his side and among his most steadfast followers
some of the most brilliant and beautiful women IN
London. IL IS impossible to overestimate the ser
cfal
political forces as ever, and don't know that even
the Chamberlain alliance was moro helpful to Sir
Charles Dixie than the friendship of certain ladies'
IN very various positions and belonging 10 higher
and lower social circles, whose enthusiastic and
persistent championship he had enlisted in his be-
half.
1t is this twofold or threefod character Of Sir
Charles Dilkes which is so remarkable, and
which of itself stamps HIM as man apart
from the common. Committed as he
was to Radicaism, he might naturally
have thought that his future must be identified
with it-that he had made his bed and must lie IN
it. He might for example, have done as Mr. Brad
laugh Ia man far inferior to him in ability has
done. He resolved, on the contrary, to be some
thing very different from a mere demagogue. He
laid firm foundation for his political fortunes in
the borough of Chelsea. TO have lost that seat
might have destroyed him-would certainly have
mt back the clock for him some years. Anybody
with less gift for Organiza ion and management,
and with less force of exciting attachment, would
certainly have lost it in 1874 He cultivated the
radical electors of Chelsea not less assiduously and
not less successfully than the mstresses of salons
and of great houses His power of work wac pro-
dgouS: MS capacity for details amounted to genius;
and he never for one moment swerved from the aims
he proposed to himself. He saw that there was for
IL. How
conouerel his constituency, he set himself to
eiliate the House of Commons. where. in 1870, he
was almost as keenly dsliked in society. He
succeeded. not at once; but succeeded. He has
been for some years of the most popular men in
n body which at first took no pains to conceal its
aversion to him. He has studied the House as lie
has studied everything else, till lie knows its temper
its moods its tastes Its weak and ITS strong points
He caught the ear of that difficult audience long be-
fore he recovered it's good will. The art of making
GOOD House of Commons speech remains to most OF
its members a mystery TO the end OF their Para-
mentary days Sir Charles Dixie has it, and has
it in much higher degree than the art of making
good platform speech which is very different
matter
Again fortune favored him in his appointment TO
the Under Secretaryshp for Foreign Affairs and
again he knew how avail himself to the utmost of
her favor Probably there has never been subor
dinate in the Foreign Office whose influence and
authority were nearly on level with those of
his chef His period of Office fell at a time when
affairs were critical He has had to speak on grave
TOPICS and has spoken well. He has had 10 answer
day by day fire of questions which were almost
always hostile. and he showed himself a master of
the very difficult accomplishment of Withholding
information without irritating an eager and curious
tOuse.
With the country, meantime, he has kept his
footing as an advanced Liberal. should be dis
posed to say of Sir Charles Dukes Radicalism
init [ said of his kennblicanism. IL was never OF