The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-26

vaelis skill is shown in the mastery way In
watch no confirmed this impression forever
and embodied it in a telling phrase Refer
ring To lorsman, he spoke Of the importance
attaching 10 anything falling from the lips
Of that right honorable gentleman, FOR"
he added, we all know, Mr., Speaker,
that be is IA superior person. Tho
felicity of the description colvulsed the
house and llorsman never got over the ridi-
! culo with which it covered him. a question
Of privilege, which takes precedence Of all
regular business, often leads to scene, unless
the leader OF the house, who is the recognized
guardian of its order and dignity, shows tact
and judgment in dealing with it, Con-
sentative member, a follower of course of
Disraeis, who is now one of the queens
Judges in the high court of justice was guilty
of breach of privilege by speaking of the
Home Rule members as disreputabie Irish
band OF course such language would not
be tolerated in the house itself, but it had
been used at public meeting, and one or two
of the Irish members determined To bring II
under the notice of the house. The offending
member having been duly notified, was in his
place, and the late Mr.. A. NJ Sullivan quoted
his obnoxious words and moved that they
were "A breach Of the privileges of the house.
To the surprise of every one neither he nor
his chief rose when Sullivan concluded his
speech They had resolved on policy OF
silence, but this was not to be borne Tor
moment, and another Irish member spranS
TO his feet and Indignantly demanded of the
prime minister what he would say II some
ono on the opposition side of the house,
initiating the manners of his supporters, had
stigmatizcd himself and his colleagues on the
treasury bench as u disreputable Tory band
Disrae!i rose without moments hesitation
and in few words eStricated his friend by
suggesting the withdrawal Of the words com-
planned of, and gave most effective answer
TO the query addressed to him by saying that
if such language were used against himself
and his colleagues he would take no notice
Of it,
Disraeli always seemed TO me to be want
ing in serious purpose, even on occasions
{ which were considered momentous, while
7 Gladstone, on the other hand, seemed to be
full of some great aim which inspired
and actUatod him in all affairs, whether
trivial or important If DiSraeli had at
tempted TO carry out any of those schemes of
popular legislation with which | believe his
mind was Us full rs that of the most ad
vanced radical reiollner, he could not be
inc lVi-hTE Ol LIS purity HOi piAhO
minister Of England. Only the judg-
mcnt is harsh, and may DO unjust, |
would say that he sacrificed his convictions
to his fame. In 1874 lie delivered a speech on
Ireland, which contains one passage in which
the whole Irish question is condensed more
completely than in any equal number Of
words that have ever been written or spoken
about it. But throughout his whole career
.l,t,,ltr f, M nf
that speech in Il single act of legislation. lie
described Ireland as a country governed 10y
foreign parliament, with an absent arstoc-
racy and an alien church, and il, said he, we
were speaking of country thousands of
miles away, in no way connected with us,
and situated exactly Us Ireland IS we should
say at once the remedy was revolution. Well,
sir. my conviction is that parliament should
accomplish 10y legislation what IA revolution
would accomplish by force.
The man who said this afterwards ac-
counted for tho discomfort and disaiIectlon
of Ireland by its 'contguity to melancholy
ocean, The most astonishing thing about
Disraeli was his ascendency over his follow
ers When he entered the Conservative
ranks he was looked upon as an insufferable
INTRUDER. IIt WIS Htttt VI dCColllI VI Ills
race, and though he was baptized into the
church of England in his boyhood and was
known to belong to the Christian fold, his
fine head and face bore only too unmistaka-
bly, tho outlines of his origin; but, to his ever
lasting credit be it said, he never apologized
for being a jew On the contrary, he stood
up maniully for his race. He was shrewd
enough to sec that the party of leisure and
,yity m hn NIL
ures and reiinements of life to furnish many
formidable competitors for the prizes OF
politics. He boldly entered the race
for honor and fame and rank among
those by whom he was either scorned
or despised, and held on to his ambition with
unNagging courage and determination, alike
in prosperity and adversely, until he became
the most powerful man in England, not only
tho wearcr of a coronet himself, but the dis
penser of coronets to others who were only
too willing to be the genteel slaves of Benja-
min Dsracl earl of Beaconsiield. In ora
tory Gladstone was always more than a
match for his rival, and now that John
Brishts feeble health has somewhat disabled
him from cratorical effort, Gladstone has no
equal in either house of parliament. His
voice is rich and musical, his articulation
clear and distinct, his attitude erect, but al
ways easy and elegant, and changing grace
fully under the sway of emotion, as he pur-
sues the different points of an elaborate argu-
ment. His gesticulation varies with his
mood, which, in its endless variety is touched
by every note of feeling, from tho sweetest
tone of gentle pursuasion to tho stormiest
outburst of wrathful invective. | will
not attempt to describe his teemlng flow of
words, or the evident zest with which, like a
strong swimmer in the sea, no rises and falls
on the waves of his own eloquence, but may
say in brief that TO see him in one of his great
speeches is to witness one of the finest exhi-
billions of mental and physical power COM
bined of which mortal man is capable. Such
divine energy in a single human being is pro.
duced only at rare intervals i'll the history OF
the world, and to find it in man verging upon
four-score years is, us far rs know, unex-
ampled in the history OF the human race.
Seven years ago met Mr.. Gladstone at din
ner at the house of Sir Baldwin Leighton, a
Conservative friend Of his, who was then
member for Shropshire and l recollect that
Sir William Gull, one of the most eminent
of London physicians, was of the party
II was a small party Of ten, and, when