The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-06-25
TnE GRA>D0 1p MAN.
Gladstone In DsDuro aud In RspSso - II
Triumph and Defeat.


the thinking tit is closed and an action re'
solved upon he proceeds TO its etectua'
ton with alertness. He is quick in all hit
movements. A letter Ia handed him. He
tears the cover open Tudely, adjusts his
glasses, squares the manuscript, sits up
right with his legs crossed, and ways one
loot in steady rhythm while he reads
quickly down the page, turns to the next,
and, after following the lines to
the end, reflects moment, lays
the sheet across his lap, re-
fleets again, tWirls his fingers, reads the
whole letter to the end once more, aud
then carefully folding it, puts II on the
table before him. With the eagerness OF
q boy he takes folding portfolio oil the
table, adjusts 1t upon his knees, dips q
long gooae'quill into the ink at the edge
OF the table, and writes with rspidity eigut
or ten lines, then pauses, rejecting over
some aTtiul phrase to entice, to reprOsCh,
to conceal thought, to- tease, or to en-.
trap. The feather end Of the quill il
meanwhile sometimes between his teeth.
When the sharplng OF some specific
thought is thus !aboreU upon to compile
ton, the pen TuIB over the paper again
steadily, and the finish IL made with lit
tie gesture Of dissatisfaction, as ii, alter
all, the task were u tribe wearisome, bu.
the effort not without reward,
In despite OF the little temple In which he
speaks, and OF u personal manner devoid
70 austerity oil the graCes OF Oratory, in
Guiding voice, and its apt management,
gesture, and its aVailing tricks, Mr.. Glad.
stone il felt to have the grand manner in
speaking, and to be grand orator-one
who, by the employment ol the resources
OF address, wins men to his way OF thought,
aud moves great matters to right con.
clusiOns.
Ihave watched him carefully through
many speeches, some obviously prepared
in part, some born wholly OF the moment
OF their delivery. He stands at ease,
resting one aide against the edge OF the
table, which is high CROUCH 10 afford
some sense OF repose. The nervousness
IN his fingers causes him to clutch some
thing and toy with it-papers, books,
pens. He never strikes attitudes, never
mouths or makes grinaCes or smirks, or
by pAltry devices u throat or eyes or
hands abstracts his hearers from his
poverty Of manner by his levity. He is
simple, natural, and CIGar.voCed, but the
voice Is not as iull and iarcarylng as It
used to b.. He rarely gestlculates ex.
cept with brief waves Of lie hands. One
might almost describe his physical char.
aCteristics when speaking VI the table as
monotonous, There Is a tempered and
regulated variety in it nevertheless.
There are imprisoned passages in all his
momsntous speeches which must have
carried him away from himself; and
during this debate, albeit wariuess aud
tact have been controlling ideas on his
side Of the combat, rather than valOr and
defiance, he has sometimes permitted
himself to become vehement.
OF course, there will be difference OF
criticism upon this. To many OF her
friends, Kathleen 0'Meara tells US, Vine
Mohl was "Lhat charming old lady;" to
some she was "that ugly old woman,m
The admirers Of Mr.. Gladstone would de.
scribe his energy in speaking as vehem.
ence; his opponents beittle 1t into peev.
ishness. But it Is, upon the whole, q
manly, rugged, simple, composed style,
dignitied, elevated, sufficiently diversiied
to be always absorbing and varied enough
In, degrees VI power to be always issCinat.
ing. He reminds one Of Ruskin's Jura
rock, which, "balanCed between chalk aud
marble, weatheTs indeed into curious
riffs and burrows, hut rarely breaks looss,
and has long ago clothed itself either with
forest flowers or with sweet, short grass
and oil blossoms that love sunshine"
The form in which MI Gladstone vests
his thoughts is precisely Of this sort. He
seeks genial tone In his voice, Is fond Of
upward infection, Is finely polite and
guarded In personality, never ID unCouth
or irritating even whenhe holds the sword
above his enemy's head :and all along the
path Of bis speaking one. finds kindness,
urbanity, and suaye phrasCs--"sweet short
grass.
In his younger days he resorted, as the
text OF his speeches shove, with alacrity
and daring to ieats Of discussion, aud
freely employed inveCtive and yitupera.
tiion. Now he deprtCates. Where for.
merly he seized the foil, now he seeks to
disarm. In youth he eagerly hurried into
violent games and sports Of parliamentary
competition; in age he is still COnbAtive,
but he lets his adversary rush upon him
while he rests and defends.
His speeches lose somewhat in esteem II
read or heard apart from the Contingbn.
Cies which they were made to fit OF to
overcome. They are not even aud pellu.
cid, like silent brooks, or violently superb
like glorious torrents. They are uneven.
Admirable sentiments, woTthily framed,
abound In them. But they are in spots
rough, in spots obscure, In spots involved.
they are free from ius ian and turgidity.
they are indeed Of the nature Of oraloTlCal
gymnastics, In which dexterity, skill and
the avoidance Of danger, while always In
danger, are the most obvious elements.
There is not q line Of brutality in them +;
and considering the length Of his public
life, the brutiBhneSs oil luis enemies, his
own flexible temper, aud the stupidity
and maliCiOusness Of TOrylstn, this must
be considered very remarkable and a sin
Rulaf evidence Of what we may call intel.
leCtufal fine-breeding.
What range his industry and ofatofy
have covered Aside from the sublime
political ideas upon which he has left an
impress 10 last until liberty itself perishes,
The list Of minor ptsCllCal things which he
mended for the country Is Cutlous and
long. II was he who sCrntinissd the Iela.
live values Of 200 duiy.paying articles
and abolished OF lowered the duty on 100
Of them before be passed from the theory
Of protection to that Of free trade. lie de.
yised ingenious weapons with which to
omen the doors Of Parliament 10 the Jews
and destroy the ancient injustlCe which
Ignorance cherished Ggaihit them. he
ovefthteW a Derby Ministry on budget
With the aifiness Of 40 acrobat He hal
manipulated budgets like an expert In
legefdemaln and emhelllshed with otasofy
the taxation Of spirits, the interests o. cab
drivers ana hackney COaChmsn, the destt
nles Of butter, cheese, changes, CIiSrants
i hona tifnhaF and tall6W II WA he who