The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-07-05
WIN. EWART GLADSTONE.
ENGlANO'S GREAT PREMIER.
The Best-Loved and Hardest Hated Man
of the Dny-His Political Career
Personal Peculiarities A
Scholar Statesman.

Mr.. Gladstone, at the age of 70, Prime
Minister of England, and the chief of
English statesmen, no less eminent for
weight of personal character and accom-
plished scholarship than for his extraor-
binary mastery of public affairs and his
parliamentary eloquence, lis a fine illus
tration of the English genius in its most
characteristic form. There is "A certain
sturdiness in Mr.. Gladstone's nature
showing itself in every way, except his
reputed sensitiveness to personal criti-
clsm, which is i'll singular contrast with
the Oriental character of Lord Beacons-
lleld, so long his chief opponent. 1t was
the want of this quality quite rs much as
as an alien genius, which made
the late minister so apparently un-Eng-
fish. No one, indeed, cultivated Eng
lish ways more assiduously or cele-
brated with more. gusto the distinctive
English life than Lord Beaconstield, and
he identified himself with the bucolic
party,-the squire, the country gentle
man, and he seemed in every manner
resolved, if resolution would accomplish
ii, to be an Englishman.
But the contrast between him and Mr..
Gladstone was as apparent in every re-
spect as it is in the remarkable carica-
lures OF Punch, in which, if Gladstone
has sometimes the air of prig, Disraeli
has always the air of Cagliostro. When
Disraeli was at the head of the ministry
the feeling was unavoidable that it was
an accomplished foreign talent that was
governing England. But with Glad
stone it is England governing herself.
Much more than in any chief
liNl,
is felt in Gladstone. In Lord
SidmOuth and Mr.. Percival, the two
most ordinary and commonplace of
prime ministers, there was the conven-
tional English responsibility and moral
ity. But in Gladstone it is the power of
rectitude which is remarkable. He be-
lieves in honest dealing and in sub
ordinating public policy to the moral
law. He may not like to be personally
criticised, but he is not ashamed to be
| called sentimental in his regard for the
moral honor as well as for the "intercst''
of England.
Nothing could be more distasteful To
Mr.. Gladstone than the Egyptian COM
| plicatiOn. Nothing could have been
more delightful to Lord Beaconsfield
The vagueness Of the object to be at
tanned by warlike operations, the diff.
| NuitN Vi lpSSlhlt Oh IUC
country, the desire to respect the rights
of a people so remote from English sym.
pathy and habits naturally Cypress Mr.
| Gladstone, thuslnecessarily engaged in
transactions in which his country should
| never have been involved. But they
would have been exciting chapters OF
romance to Lord BeacOnsteld, and he
would have endoavOred to turn the situa.
| ton 90 the most dazzling account.
Coping as once with the elusive situa
ton in Egypt with the franchise in
| England, and with the discomfort o
Ireland, and goaded by Tory party
not generally led, but Differed by /
brilliant cynic, a worthy squire, and
nondescript mad-cap, only chief of tn,
sturdiest moral and mental qualit,
could hold mt % Il position which mObodi
else could fill. 1t is, as we said, hi
character no less than his genius, whicl
VIII give him great place i'm EngliSl
history. With the conquering Chatham
and the accomplished Canning, will
William Pitt and Sir Robert Peol, Glad
stone must always be mentioned rs IN
English stat $ nan and minister VIII,
showed in his public and private life, IN
his mastery grasp of affairs, i'm his rs
ccndancY over a great, intelligent ant
| progressive party, in his high mora
tone and his immense accomplishment
the power which any Intelligent countr,
would wish to see conducting its affairs
r This is the year in which the othcl
great English-speaking nation calls on,
of its citizens to the chief eXecutiy,
magistracy. Happy that country il il
summon to that Office statesman $,
commanding, conscientious, aud coura
geOus, and man so spotless as tn,
/ oh
Gladstone and then across the sea nj oui
Presidential contest, the Englishmar
may be pardoned if he isnot quite ready
to abandon Il political system which
brings SO great man rs Gladstone into
the direction of the government, anC
event the American may wonder whether
his system of selecting the chief magis
trate is surer than the English methoC
TO bring the real chief of party To tho
executive chair.-IG George William Cur
It's in lIarpor's Magazine for June.