New-York tribune., 1888-03-25

encroachments In both cases would have peen
tolerated and have served as entering wedges 1or
further and even graver abuses
His victory over the House Of Commons was
memorable one, for not only did he vindlcate tne
right of the electors to choose their own repre-
sentatives, but he compelled the House which had
condemned and expelled him to expunge from its
records every trace Of the proceedings by which IL
had sought to humiliate, to brand, and to crush
him. Mr. Fitzgerald appears to hold that IN al
his efforts to secure municipal office he was moVed
wholly by selfish greed. No doubt he sought 10
advance his personal interests, but surely he was
not exceptional in that II is more to the purpose
to point out that he filed the offices OF Alderman
Mayor and City Chamberlain with credit to him.
self and benefit to the city But the most curious
circumstance about Wilkes is that while he had SO
many enemies, and while he was held up so fire.
ouently rs the wckcdcst man. of his time,
almost every one who came in contact with him
was fascinated by him. Even the King, who had
hated him for years with an intensely personal
animosity, was constrained to admit that he was
" the best-bred Lord Mayor he had SEEM The
charm of bis manners ana especially Of his con-
versation was universally recognized He was
acknowledged to be a perfect gentleman his
scholarship was conceded by such severe critics
as Dr. Johnson his wit was the talk of the period
Against the record or report of his protiigacy,
moreover, must be put the certainty of his deep
and chvalrous affection for his daughter Polly"
his letters to whom afford conclusive proof that
there was good side to his nature
It Is well known that Junius' became the ally
Of Wilkes and did him good service with his pen
on several occasions Mr. Fitzgerald endeavors
from this circumstance to reinforce the argument
for the identity of Junius" with Sir Philip
Francis but his contention does not strike US as
possessing much force, though taken with the
whole body of evidence on behalf Of Francis it
may perhaps be thought interesting or suggestive
The biographer gives very few illustrations OF
Wilkes's wit, and in Bowdlerizing the famous re-
tort to Lord Sandwich he leaves it without point
or meaning He might have inserted one OF the
most caustic of all his subjects mots, namely the
comment upon Thurlow's hypocritical exhibition
| In the House Of Lords Brougham's account OF
this Is marred by his viruent dislike to Wilkes,
who certainly does not deserve the epthets heaped
upon him by the alghty ex-Chancellor. Con-
sidering the amount Of material now available,
we cannot hold that Mr.. Fitzgerald has written
an ideally good or even fair life of Wilkes. AS a
rule he follows in the grooves marked by his
predecessors and seems to prefer to take his
opinions at secondhand instead Of forming inde-
pendent Judges The vices and weaknesses OF
Wilkes have always attracted more attention than
his better qualities, yet there is such ample evil
dence that he had striking powers and real virtues
as well as defects that he cannot with any ap-
proach to justice be dealt with in the familiar
slashing way. Rae, In Fortnightly Review
paper some years ago came far nearer dlscrlml-
mating estimate Of the man than the present author
has succeeded in doing in two volumes. These
f,da MI oh In
somewhat loose and slovenly style, but the
view taken is too restricted to afford ground for
safe conclusions, and old prejudices and partisan
clamor and charges are treated too seriously for
the authors own estimate to be accepted with
confidence.