New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-02


he had reached stage where he could separate
principles from crochcts and in this sense he bad
ceased 10 be a Radical In order to secure tho
establishment of a general system Of education
he was ready TO discriminate between what WAS
fundamental and what was non-csScntial and u
sacrifice if necessary his prcludiccs and his pref
erences for the sake OF underlying principles. II
was this disposition that arraycd the birmingham
League ard the Nonoonformists against nm ana
divided his own constituency. where ne had oech
known anC honorcd from carly manhood l|dl-
Gals who had expected him 20 strike a great dow
on behalf Of religious equality could not forgive
him for allowing ''he opportunity offered W 'Ae
framing Of the Education Act 20 pass unimproNed.
They secuted his claim to be considered kadicaI'
and pursued him with such malevolent crlticism
as 20 compel him. after Mr. Gladstone resignation
Of the Liberal leadership TO withdraw from the
contest over the succession Yet nothing perhaps
is clearer in his career than the precise motive
when induced him to compromise the religious
question and to accept Conservative support Tor
his mrasurr What he aimed 20 do WIS 10 get the
children OF England into school. In order To re-
conpllsh this main purpose he modified ms measure
in non-csscntal points so as TO secure the acqu-
essence Of tho Cabinet and the requisite number
Of votes for its massage lie allowed discstabllsh-
mcnt 20 bidc It's time He WAS alike Indifferent
to faction warfare to the prospects OF his party
and to his own political ambition so long rs he
could establish a practical system for the cduca-
ton Of the English people 50 confident was he
that the results would vindicate his reputation
that he could calmly say 20 his Bradford opponents
who had condemned his work am qul'e sure
that those children who by the help OF TINS piil
will get an education which they Otherwise Wouid
not Just now have obtained will. II TINS rcso-
luton be remembered afterward. tell their parents
who have voted for it that they ought not to nave
done So The results have Justified these "oids'
as the following summary proves
The Liberals of Bradford as well as Engilshmen
generally, are now in ii position 10 d,ciur Nhe'ncr
the party which moved tins vote OF cchsu'c upon
Mr. Forster or tho iaan who carried the EuucdtOh
Act was IN the right 81 the NpI'il"l" '1H"N
Of tho Act OF 1870 the whole nation Is now 50
fully conscious that figures are hardly nee HSiry
70 convey il TO the mind Of the reader w IA
gust 81 1886. the number OF schools on tir !s1
for inspection under the Act in Eh-ithu anu " ar
had reached the total Of l9l3J. Inc hUm"tf oil
scholars on tie register UaS, IN round numbers,
four and half millions. the AVERAGE altr""ai!cc
being three Gnd q h"li millions. ID ''' p.i'i 'i'
Act came into operation. the humper .. >cpy ,o55
Inspected @as sell ia, account. i''l9h lr'' H'.i
J. S7s5s4 the average attendance l,lJH 80. az!
the total number Of teachers 5000. in l''.
he numbers were schools, - 63: acconmo cation,
Nl.sgif
teachers As 600 In lsr 5 they stood al SCHOOLS,
1878: accommodation, 5,i4J, az 1Nciage A.
tendance 3,43s,42J; and teachers s',OOV. Inc (
percentage Of the scholars exam ned 10 the cS'-
nntod uorulation of the country had risen from
, - in 1870 20 81 in $50, and Tine number
" school boards established IN the lat ~ Vas
/! 29j All tnlS was achieved ii ROSTERS ne
inc.
Mr. Forster entered Parliament at the opening OF
Inc Civil War in America and was one Of the most
tanch and powerful supporters Of the Union
cause. N1r BRIGHT had greater reputation as en- /
orator and consequently was the more conshcr- I
,ns advocate Of the North but he was neither !
rose Jealous nor moro constant than his iorl.- /
shire colleague in his affection and goodwin iot /
the onion In t. settlement Oh She Alabama /
claims and the bitter controversy caused by Mt 4
summers speeches and the cast for indirect dam .
yes from the proongation of the war VIZ. Forster P
xerted greater influence than Mr.. Bright ard .
vas altogether the est and most uns ihan iiienh
America had in English pubic hie. lis cor /
dependence with lir. Summer is Il valuable con /
rihuton TO the history Of the negotiations Tor /
FILTRATION His diaries disclose an almost fever
sh interest in the success OF movement "mch
appealed to all the Quaker instincts that were
n hi, blood very interesting record Of his
American journey in 1874 is also compiled from
lis journals, with few glazing errors when seem
Inevitable whenever any Enelishman, however
,indlv disposed and wei informed, has 10 deal
With this country For example Mr. Stephens,
he Vice-Prcs.dcnt of the Confcdcracy, is credited
With n vivid and striking description of the olo-
,ucucr OF Clay Calhoun. Webster and ChoVts, The
ist mysterious parsonage not hcins ac-
,untcd statesman. but only an ora
Dr. Rufus Choatc deserved more con
deration at thc biographcs's hands. Gen
nj rI 4S
hat at the opening Of the war he was,a slave
wner-an inaccuracy which is ineXcuNahle
The closing chapters Of these volumes are oc-
lD;ed with narrative Of Mr. Forstar's career in
reland as Chief Secretary. This post was ac-
eptcd in the hope that he could do something
oward the settlement of questions which were
,orc complex than those connected with National
ducation and even nearer TO hi, heart lie had
Owed one problem which had belled tie inee-
uitv Of many statesmen. lie tried TO WORK cat
he reconciliation Of England and Ireland, having
\ the first instance remedial legislation alone III
lew He failed. owing rs he thought ia the
riminal folly Of the House of Lords IN rejecting
is first measure and thereby setting IL motion
ne machinery Of AGITATION. Coercion became
occssary in his judgment; but from the outset
Q seems TO have been oppressed with iceHns
nat he had undertaken hopeless and impossible
ission lie adopted Coercion bE, his heart was
OF in the work. lie lCathcd the business in which
C was engaged. Sui ne struggled on and aid
: best to restore the supremacy of Crown law. in
rider to enforce remedial legislation, and III the
ID was deserted by the Cabinet, owing to Mr..
intrigues and was forced 10 resign
hen the Liberal policy was suddenly reversed.
hesc chapters are written most ludIouNy and
re so free from political bias and passion that !
on Mr. Forstcr's enemies can read them without
feeling OF recruitment. No revelations that are
10 Mr.. Gladstone are made and Tie
,rrcs pondcncc between them is honorable 70 {
9TH
The biography as whole is admirable alike in
'rnl, method and spirit. The author attempts
no time studied defence Of Mr. Forster. bat con-
MIS- himself with revealing his character III It's
m plest traits and noblest lines, and thereby vim
eating his fame t. one OF the, most Gcnuino ,
va rt,tio of mo