New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-09
MIDLOTHIAN.
AN INQUIRY INTO MR.. GLADSTONE'S NEW
EST PROCESSES OF oRATORY.

EST fkOJESSES VI OhAlOni'
London. October 90.
Mr. Gladstone's latest Midlothian speeches may
be discussed from more points Of view than one
They are worth considering. for instance as
examples Of oratory and rhetoric. In order 70
do that. let US try. If possible, TO forget the
subject matter. or better still, let us suppose
the Irish question to belong 10 period Of history
20 remote as no longer to raise passions On one
side or the other 1t is. admit, quite Impossible
70 believe that 10 does not rouse Mr. Gladsones
passions, but what mean is that in considering
his treatment Of it the matters OF controversy
which be handles SO freely need not &c entefea
upon BY those who wish only to see now ne
handles them. rhetorical method may be
criticised for good for i'll without reference 70
the merits Of the subject to which 1t Is applied
There is, In the first place. testimony from
every side which leaves no doubt on one point.
The great Home Ruler, whose eighty-hrst birthday
is so near, was In wonderful form. Being Obliged
to rely on the testimony of others, prefer that
Of his opponents when 1t is favorable. :" Mr..
Gladstone spoke" says the Edinburgh CORE
.spondent of the chief Unisnist journal Of the
United Kingdom with the energy Of young
man and with the self-oommand and cool judg-
ment and fertility Of resource Of man in the
prime Of life" II, then, there be any falling
of in his speaking, it need not be set down to
are. The same writer dwells on his clcarness of
thinking aptness of illustration, skill in marshall
ing facts and arguments easy command OF all
the arts of persuasive eloquence. he was 10
all appearance, in full possession of all his re-
sources So the question recurs, what use ne
chose TO make OF them?
Il must be taken that he did choose. Mr..
Gladstone has always had manners than
one lie has proved q thousand times that nc
IN In to the S0Oer
Judgment Of his hearers. to their better feelings
Sometimes he has preferred to address himself
TO their passions. In order to enable you 10
Judge for yourselves which line he took on this
occasion, have compiled from his first speech
IN imperfect catalogue of some of the more
remarkable words and phrases he empoyed
] will give 1t as ! set it down going over the
speech pencil in hand only remarking, by way
of explanation, that these terms are with very
few exceptions, il any. applied By Mr. Gladstone
to the government Of Ireland, or to the law
under which Ireland is ruled, or to the admins
tration and officers of the law; the magistrates,
the police and others. There are repetatons, but
they are Mr. Gladstone's, and for convenience sake
I have arranged this collection in tabular
form, and put a headline to it:
SAMPLES OF MR.. GLADsroNEs PRESENT IRISH
VOCABULARY.
disgrace.
calamity,
cajoled.
coerced,
hoodwinked,
dcluded,
gross illegality.
insolent violation.
insults,
odious.
intolerable.
intolcrable,
gross injustice and scandal
indecency.
hateful.
tricks and pranks,
wantonness Of power,
wantonness,
insoence,
insolencc,
provocative course Of conduct which makes
obedience to the law nearly impossible.
gross deplorabe thorough illegality,
deplorable,
Illegal.
gross and monstrous case Of illegality,
monstrous.
illegality,
gross Irregularities
totally illegal and intolerablss
harshness,
brutality,
all this brutality.
insult,
insult,
grossest insult,
injustice,
insult,
total contempt Of law.
totally incompetent,
extreme evaporation,
gross illegalitics,
gross insult to Irish Nation.
intolerabe nuisance,
deep disgrace.
Now Mr.. Gladstone Is an orator. who, until
of late years, avoided this violence OF speech.
think YOU might choose a period of twenty years
ANY twenty wears before 1Ss6-and from all his
many orations during all that stretch OF years
fud yourself unable 10 collect a list comparaoie
70 this lie has lived through many stormy
periods and been in the front of many desperate
battle lie has had that u.s. plenty of provoca-
ton to strong language. but has. Tor the most
part. ahstained from using it, These rhetoricai
paroyysns came after the defeat OF ms home
Rule bill in the House of Commons in June, 1885.
II YOU restore some Of these fiery words to
their context the effect Of them will not be
lessened; it will be enhanced. 1t would not be
too much to say. nor do l imagine that Mr..
Gladstone would deny. that the whole tendency,
and probably the aim, of this speech is to bring
the law and the administrators of the law in
Ireland into contempt and odium. No doubt MI
Gladstone thinks them contemplate and odlous,
and he must be aware of the grave responsibility
assumed by a man of his eminence who attacks
the law-not only one law, but the whole system
of law. in lreland-and those who execute It, But
Inc does not shrink. When he has definite object
before him, his courage is equal to anything lie
faces the question. The method TO which he re-
sorts will come out not less clearly than before
or more clearly, if we make little anthology OF
70 sentences as we'll words. After denouncing the
system of law, Mr.. Gladstone says:
The administration Of the law is a great deal
worse than the law itself. The administration OF
the law is such that it causes the law to be
hated by the Irish yes, and causes such a state