New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-28
Iogy BRJeHE.

> Dminr the last fifty years John Bright mas
occupied unique place in the puDiio mo '.
England. Incomparably the gressess crater VI
h,s generation, he divided with Mr.. diadsoone
until 1886 the honor of originating ana pro-
NOTING whatever was progressive in Lioerai
craftsmanship. he was more than ora'or VI
statesman. He was the advocate OIL 'ne OVni-
mon people. In one Of his greatest speeches
he declared that the class which had htnef%
ruled had failed miserably. He descfiDea
those in power as reYelling in wealth while az
their feet lay the multitude which they hau
neglected. off class has failed" ne eS-
claimed, ''let us try the Nation Thai is our
faith. that is our purpose, that Is our cry
let us try the Nation"
The common people were the Enghsh trlo'
nnes clients. They will be his mourners now
that he lies cold in death; and not only IN
England, but in America as we'll. When the
Judgment even Of. Mr. Gladstone was az iaui'
and British sympathies went out to the ruhng
classes of the Democratic party who had esfao-
Iished the Southern Confederacy, John Bright
was willing to try the American Nation. ne
made the cause of the common people and the
despised slave his own. Free Trader though
he was the bride offered in the Confederate
Constitution of an unrestricted market for Eng
fish merchandise could not blind him to the
true issues of what he described as the only
righteous war of the century. Americans
should be his sincerest mourners, for ne was
their most loyal friend abroad in the crisis OF
their fortunes
The chief characteristic OF MIR. Brghts-
oratory was its naturalness. his speeches were
delivered in medium pitch, or conventions
tone, and with deliberatiOn Of manner that
never became tedious His voice was clear
full, distinct and exquisitely modulated, pene-
trating to great distances With REGULAR
musical vibration. He had no mannensms-
no articles. lie was q man in solemn earnest
imbued with moral enthusiasm, and looking
while he was speaking as If he felt in his IN
most soul the truth which was on his lips.
Lord Palmerston once sought to raise laugh
at his expense by addressing him as :" the hon
cradle and reverend gentleman" But Mr.
Bright was not to be twitted upon his earnest
ness. He considered that IL was as solemn a
duty for an orator to address an audience as
for a clergyman to preach. BE approached
every public question with profound gravity
and discussed IL with dignity and power. His
sentences were short and luminous HIS reason
ing was cogent and clear; and his English was
Of the simplest and purest. His finest Imagery
was drawn from the Bible and from Milton.
His strongest effects Of invectye. irony or
pathos were produced by the simplest means.
A tribune of the people, Mr.. Bright used the
peoples language whether he swayed their
imagination with poetic conceptions or touched
their hearts with quiet pathos. MIR. Gladstone
once described him as the man whose voice
the House loves TO hear" Outside the Com
mons it was the same. The people loved to
hear HIS voice. By his humble birth. his
Puritan lineage, and his plain, practical ed
ucation, he belonged to them. 1t was IN
great popular canvass for the abolition Of the
corn laws that he found his voice and learned
his power over men. His life was spent in
their service When Cobden's victory was
won HIS eloquent colleague had his own place
in Parliament with constituency broader than
the one that had elected him behind him. In
real sense the peoples commoner pleading
their cause with all the flaming energy Of bis
nature, he was always ready to hazard pop
ularity for convictions sake. This he did when
ne opposed the Crimean and Egyptian wars,
and abandoned Mr.. Gladstone on the Home
Rule question. As he was always truo TO him
self the English people never lost faith in him,
even when in his old age he Joined the Union
list classes against the Liberal masses. Now
that his voice win never again be heard the
resentments Of political factions win be for
gotten, and he will be mcurned by united
nation as one of the noblest of Englishmen--
a man Of rugged simplicity Of character and
grandeur of thought man OF genius With the
best and tRuest of hearts.
z "t4 ~ s.e-s-u.s--s~-s-s~s~~s-