New-York tribune., 1884-10-04
AOTES FROM MIDLOTHIAN.
4 "REMINISCENCES - MIR. GLADSTONE AND
LORD NORTHBR0OK- THE TWO PRIME
MINISTER'S

Vseh i-iNciai. bui Liberalism II by no means the
prevailing creed Of the landed gentry hercabouts.
When Mr. Gladstone came here IN 1870 to begin Lis
contest for the county. the Tories laughed in their
uslceveS and In his face Lord Dakcitb. son and heir
20 the then Duke of Bncccuch. now himself Duke
of Buccleuch held the seat. aud meant to continue
Ito hold IL. The Dukes friends looked npon Mr..
uGladStonc as preSumptuous intruder, and foretold
Rls failure with absolute confidence The Dukc was
Ib magnate whose word there had been none TO dis
Vtute. When IL announced publicly that Mr..
HGladstone meant TO hold a meeting in Dalkeith
Rself. almost at the gates of Daikeith Palace. a
yshuddor through the community. Still. the
u meetings were held. In Edinburgh, while the
majority OF the citizens were Liberals there was.
and is. Tory leaven which pcrvadcs the highest
social circes--thc county people, in word were
Tories. and echoed the murmurs of the Duke and of
the Dukes family. If you go into the New Club in
i Edinburgh. which is the chief club of the place.
where the most select and aristocratic society of
Midlothian is to be met you will meet ten Tories to
II one Liberal 1t is not that Liberal is excluded
because he is Liberal, The club is not political.
But IN the world ont of which this lesser club world
is recruited the proportion is about what have
stated.
Well in this condition of things it was that Lord
4 Rosehery invited Mr.. Gladstone to Dalmeny.
4 Against the overwhelming opinion of all his own
social set; against the judgment believe, of the
managers, or some of the leading managers. of his
own party; against the enormous influence terri
toral personal. political. social and pecunIary of
the late Duke of Buccleuch this adventurous young
noblcnaa embarked upon this campaign. The day
& when he hoisted his flag on Dameny-I use the ex-
preston literally; it is the custom to denote the
presence of the owner of country mansion by the
nag-vas o memorable day in the history of Scot
land and Of Great Britain. lie assumed a vast re-
eponsbility. and the way TO il is TO think
OF what would have happened had Mr.. Gladstone
failed first to carry the country with him by his
B FIRST Midlothian speeches. and secondly to win Mid
lothian itself. | am not going over that story. II
has been told fully. but now is not the time
10 tell IL. All wish TO point out IL that Dalmeny
xl,s become historical house. There are many |
Americans for whom il would have an interest be-
cause they know Lord Rosebety. There are few 10
Nhom IT'S connection with the fortunes of the Prime
! Minister and of the Empire he governs can be |
i wholly matter of indifference
In iisclf. example of architecture, Dal- |
mcny is not very remarkable. IL was built ~ the |
early part OF this century; time when arohitcc-
tnrc wns II not OF the lost arts certainly art
ftery different In principle and feeling from what II
|/was hundred years before, or Is now Tho author |
{%pf this fabric one wilkins an architect of rcpute
I'm his day. not without some knowledge of what |
Dad been done before his time. The building he |
fonsttucted IA semi Tudor in dcsign, of palo gray |
tone. with pointed doors mullionol windows
bquaro at top. adorned with those brackct-shapcd |
)noulings which Mr.. Ruskin disrespcctiully |
lonod GO the brass handles old fashioned chests
q dfawcfai chimneys aud turrcts of great elevation
ith reference TO tho height of Tho building. mud |
MFi,h - certain hardness of outline, Altogether n
Aouso comfortable to look at pctutvrque aH you |
B~t your hfnt glimpse of u through an opcning In
|<3lo thckly shaded drive from tho cast lodge
Hbinndns oh broad terrace but m the fashion then
~ ~, on u lower so than would now bo chosen
among the many admirable ones which this park
Sner- From the front windows you look e. the
fea Il quarter OF mile away ana through the well
planted trees comes the CLEAN of white surf break
ingon longstrp of sand. The ground rises sharply
behind the house; shrubbery surrounds 1t on two
sides on the third lies stretch of turf aud the path
which lakes you along the base of steep hill and
leads you gently the platform where the restored
parnhougle Castle looks out from two sides ON the
lg waters of the Firth of Forth Here 1t is that
Won may see Mr. Gladstone of an afternoon pacing mp
and down.-there Is the authority of the Edinburgh
pape.- for it if You are not content with mine. |
don't think be has ever been here long enough TO
discover all the more distant charms OF ths adj
inirabic park. But believe ! said something the
Other day about lie park, and there is more than
enough t. say about other matters
Sine. Mr. Gladstone arrived on Wednesday he
has lived IN a glass house. livery one of his move
lnent, has been chronicled with minnie eXacttude
by the corp, of reporters representing the very en-
appear daily in III, Scotsman and other papers. The
fact that he walked in the park (which the Scotch
chon-t to call "policies") after tea on Wednesday
was duly set forth. The list of guests at dinner Is
given. The visit next day to the Forth Bridge has
n column to itself The visit to the Forestry EX-
libitlon on Friday is described at much greater
length In most points the good taste and good
manners of these narratives are as remarkable As
their iulness. There is this to be sa'd for the
Scotch. they do not seem to require that decency
should bc sacrificed to crafty their curiosity Ihey
read carerly whatever is published about Mr.. Glad
stone or Lord Rosebery, not neslecting details
which in ordinary times might he called trivial, but
not demanding 10 know the unknowable. l must
write a great deal more briefly than my friends on
tbc Scotch pai.srs do but shall be glad II. while
usn, perhaps more freedom ON some points, | keep
within their limits of decOrum.
For more than one reason these DAYS aud the swift
sncc,..ion of events that mark them historical.
Mr. Gladstone is the chief fgue, but Others cross the
Atare Lord NortubTook has been here yesterday
.rd o-day He came to take leave of the Prime
Niri.tcr and 10 receive his last cOunsels and in
s,rurt,ous II n Cabinet Minister can bc sad 10 re-
ceiv, instructions from anybouy Ii is really from
Iatuiery that the new High Commissioner starts
4 on his momcntous mission 10 Egypt wrote the
other day in such terms about Lord Northbrook
\xbat | shall not be supposed to express myself
&,holly under the inl renee OF the situation II say
,hat D. e,ms 10 me almost pathetic. Hero - man
who hascverything in the world-rank. wealth, high
onic, honor troops of friends. and who puts mnch
of 4 All a risk m accepting new post oi immense
doi.nty only because hc thinks II duty TO accept
,f y, risk. his health for IL Is no JOKE to 20 To
r,r, a., s,nfeuber / rs obvious he is quite sensl-