St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-30


concurrence with them upon the prom
inent and dominant question of the
hour. While he has in that way opened
the minds and hearts of those with
whom be differed to appreciation of
his merits, he has lost nothing by
that concord with them On the
particular subject we so much repre-
sent. Though Mr.. Bright came to be
separated from the great bulk of the
Liberals on the Irish question, OH no
single occasion has there been any word
of disparagement. / acknowledge that
| have not through my whole political
life fully embraced the character of Mr..
Bright and the value of that character
to the country. l say this because it
was at the particular epoch of the
Crimean war that | came more to un-
derstand than before the position held
hold they had laid upon the confidence
of the people. 1 was one of those
WHO DID NOT AGREE
with the particular views he took of the
Crinean contest. but felt profoundly
and never ceased to think what must
have been the moral elevation of men
who, nurtured all their lives in the
temple of popular approval, could at a
moments notice consent to part with
the whole of that favor they enjoyed,
which opponents might think the very
breath of their nostrils. They accepted
undoubted nnpopularity, for that war
commanded the enormous approval of
the people. 1t was at that time, al
though we had known much of Mr..
Bright. we learned more. We had
known of his great mental gifts, his
courage. his consistency and his splen-
did elOquence. We had not known how
high was the moral tone of those popu-
lar leaders, and what splendid exam
pies they could set their contempora-
ries. Amongst other gifts. Mr.. Bright
ives delighted to be one of the chief
guardians of the purity of the English
tongue. He knew how the character of
nation is associated with its language.
He was enabled, as an EngliShman pro-
'foundly attached to his cOun-
try. the tongue of the people
being to him almost an object of wor-
ship, to preserve the purity of the Ian
guage of Shakespeare and Milton.
lCheerS.] Another circumstance of his
career is better known to me than to
any other person present. Everybody
is aware that office had no attractions
for him. But few can be aware what
extra efforts were required to induce
HIM to become servant of the crown.
In the crisis of 1868, when the fate of
the Irish church hung in the balance,
1t was my duty to propose to Mr.. Bright
that he become minister. l never
undertook SO difficult task. From II
O'Clock at night until o'clock in the
morning we
STEADILY DEBATED THE SUBJECT.
1t was only at the last moment that
he found it possible to set aside the re-
pugnance he felt at doing anything that
might in the eyes of any one, even of
the more ignorant class of his country
men, appear to detract in the slightest
degree from that lofty independence of
character which / have mentioned, and
held in doubt. 1t was happy lot to
unite SO many attractive qualities. If
had to dwell upon them alone, l
should present dazzling picture
to the world. 1t was hap
pier lot to teach moral les
SONS by simplicity, consistency,
unfaillng courage and cOnstancy Of life,
thus presenting combination of qnal-
tiles that carried us to higher atmos-
phere. His sympathies were not strong
only, but active: not sympathieS await
ing calls to be made upon them, but
SympathieS of man seeking objects
upon which to bestow the inestimable
advantages of elOquence and courage.
cause was rare; in India, when support
of the native cause was rarer still; in
America, at the time when Mr.. Bright,
FOREsEEING THE ULTIMATE ISSUE
of the great struggle of 1861, stood as
the representative of an exceedingly
small portion of the educated COM
munity of the country, although un-
doubtediy representing large part of
the national sentimental all these
cases Mr.. Bright went far outside the
necessities of his calling. Whatever
touched him as man of the great An
glo-SaXon race, whatever touched him
as subject, obtained, unasked, his sim
cere earnest and enthusiastic aid. All
causes having his powerful advocacy
made a distinct advance in the estima-
ton of the world and distinct progress
toward triumphant success. Thus it
has come about that he is entitled to a
higher eulogy than is due to success. OF
mere success, indeed, he was conspic-
uouS example. In intellect he might
claim most distinguished place. But
his character lies deeper than intellect,
deeper than elOQuence, deeper than any
thing that can be described or that can
be seen upon the surface.
THE SUPREME EULOGY
that is his due is that he elevated politi-
cal life to the highest point-to a loftier
standard than it had ever reached. He
has bequeathed to his country a charac-
ter that can not only be made a subject
for admiration and gratitude, but-and
l do not eXaggerate when l say it-that
can become an object of reverential
contemplation. In the encomiums that
come from every quarter there is not a
note of disSonance. l do not know of
any statesman of my time who has had
the happiness of receiving, on removal
from this passing world, the honor
of approval at once so enthu-
siastic, so universal and so unbroken.
Yet none could better dispense with the
tributes of the moment. because the
triumphs of his life were triumphs re-
corded i'll the advance of his country
and of its people. His name is indeli-
bly, written in the annals of time and
on the hearts of the the great over
spreading race to which he belonged,
whose wide extension he rejoiced to
see, and whose power and prominence
he believed to be full of promise and
glory for the best interests of mankind.
Mr.. Gladstone resumed his seat amid
much subdued cheering.
Calls 1t a Canard.