New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THURSFIELD'S PEEL.

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"Lives' of Sir Robert Peel have issued from the press
hickly during the last year that the public ought by
this time TO be peculiarly we'll informed concerning his
character and career The circumstance that none OF
these Lves' In any thing like close agreement with
one another leaves however room for differences OF
opinion ard obviates the apparent danger OF samenes
and repetition. In particular indeed, all the new
biographies are in accord They all concur In esu'
mating their subject very highly statesman. tbs
is the interesting when one reflects upon the
abuse hesped upon Peel during his life. IL was hoV
ONLY the stern and unbendng Tories" who interpreted
him as traitor and turncoat the occasion OF tle
repeal of the Corn Laws. Plenty OF SOBER men "ho
had learned call themselves conservatives ana hoV
few Liberals also, looked upon him as shry' uh'
scrupulous tme-serving politician, willing to sell MS
party for a Of pottage. All through MS career
There were periods during which he assaed with
perfect rage of hatred. When he was Irish Secretary
his sympathes thought to be so antlrish that nc
received the nickname Of Orange Peel" some OF MS
most useful measures brought upon him the most
obloquy; and his political friends were seldom very
eager or enthusiastic In his defence. Perhaps his per
sonal stiffness and fngidty had than little to
answer for in the estimate formed by many OF MS
contemporaries
Mr. Thursheld and other biographers suggest that
his GOODNESS was really the effect of extreme shyness
and difdence and declare that at home he could I'M
bend. 1t TO more probable that Peel was by
nature reticent and self contained Such accounts OF
his schooays aud university career as are accessible
seem TO bear this view and certainly 1t finds strong
confirmation In those very points OF his poluca lie
which exposed him to the sharpest reproaches when
he sprung the repeal Of the Corn Laws upon his unpre
pared party he merely exhibited characteristic trait
IL was mode OF action which came most naturally TO
him. but it a mode Of action which showed that he
was much more statesman than politician The estl
mate OF him the ideal Member of the House Of Com
mons may have been measurably Just at one time but
certainly would not be to-day. At present that
Member is more an Opporunist than anything else.
But Peel nothing of the kind lie never was
good partisan. for the reason that his nina was 100
open. He held convictions immuiable He grew
steadily in knowledge and when he had outgrown any
belief he discarded IT, usually TO the horror and con-
sternafion and deep offence Of the bound people
who thought II point OF honor 10 maintain consstence
no matter at what sacrifice OF truth ana nght ana pup
lie Interests Not always. however, can so much be
said for Peel. There times when he was gov
erned not by conviction but by the sheer force OF
circumstances Thus in the matter OF Corn Laws his
hand was literally forced by the Irish famine. in the
currency question he had really grown Into clearer
views through educational influences. on the Corn
Laws he had been drifting toward repeal but not De
cause he held that be the one right course Al Tile
last he chose repeal as the alternative WIFI so"eUS
much more Objectionable.
He was not in any respect akin to the modern Lib
eaal statesmen moreover, whatever MS bogfaphers
may say; and good tombstone here Is MS posiuoh
on Catholic Emancipation. To the last ne was person
ally opposed to that No matter now lie le'
Obliged 10 act the was avowedly dstasell 10
him He was clearly allied to the rankest Tory senti
ment on this head OF course II is not to be forgotten
that he came naturally by his Toryism, and, In COM
pensaton for so much Of it chung to him. II must Do
horne In mind that his measures were such as 10
ALLEVIATE his old Tory friends. Where ms best nature
expressed itself most strongly Though political oiog
raphers have never given sufficient emphasis 10 the
in he of the criminal laws IN con-
function with Sir Samuel Romilly When Peel entered
Parliament there more than 200 capiai ohehce0
on the statute books of the United Kingdom There
was also prevalent opinion that TO mitigate the
severity of the would open the door to revolution
or anarchy. Civilization was then at the stage IN
which really good and kind hearted men saw nothing
cruel or unjust in hanging starving man lot oahns
"a turnp out OF farmers field for plucRing stake
from hedge For considerable time the efforts OF
the reformers futile. Parliament would not near
of changes the and several sessions passed be-
fore it was found possible to reduce the hanging OF
fences so per cent, leaving over a hunoieo capiai
charges on the statuteboOks.
Here Peel was far in advance OF his generation Here
he broke away from TOryism altogether on the cur
rency too, his was truly enlightened. why MS
mind remained torpid the Catholic question IL wouu
probably be impossible TO ascertain Perhaps no mans
mind grows evenly in all directions, and 1t Is enough
To know that Peels development even checkered as
II was reached the full limit of endurance possible 10
his conservative followers Mr. Thursheld truly says
that: His whole political life is, TO the superficial
observer and to the partisan politician a sue
cession Of paradoxes, inconsistencies and contra
dIctlops He was himself the soul of honor, very
pattern Of political integrity, patriot devoted before
all public or private aims to the peace, welfare ana
good government Of his country. Yet by his con-
temporares he perpetually assailed as traitor
10 his party and his principles slave to expediency
AID opportuDsn consummae but INSCRIPTIONS master
~ 4ha lass OF paramcn manage
ment" 1t should he added that the surface view OF
his contemporaries had apparent grounds must
ever be presented by the conduct Of statesman who
prefers right to consistency Tory government which
enacts Wing measures, moreover, must always be
open to attack though of late years England has
witnessed many examples OF tho kind that the sense
of incongruity has almost disappeared
Peel was the last to take up Liberal measure
merely for tile sake of dishing the Wings" but he
could not escape the imputation Of such purpose.
His work was all what may be called home work. He
does not appear to have had any foreign policy; at
all events he never developed any during his Premier
ship The time demanded all the best craftsmanship
could effect in the Kingdom itself. and Peel perhaps
recognized this. What he did do certainly prac-
tical important and fertile in good results That he
shoud have failed upon the Irish question really
nothing for everybody failed then and has since
continued to fall. lie, however, broke the line of
Torysm and introduced the modified Toryism which
calls itself Conservatism. The experience has become
trte since his time the Tory camp having produced
the most striking examples Of Liberalism during the
half century. Mr. Thursfed has written an excellent
sketch of Peel enriching with whole gallery of we'll
drawn and animated portraits of PEEPS contemporaries,
colleagues rivals. 1t is moreover marked through
out by that easy familiarity with political life which
personal experience alone bring and the style Is
smooth and pleasant not wanting in dignity yet never
pretentious or stf.