The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-20
THE DUKE OF ARGYLL.
Last Survivor of the Feudal
Princes of Europe.
THE CHIEF OF CLAN CAMPBELL.
Lord God Almighty Of the West HE
landslide Most Powerful Person
age In All OF Scotland


ence. From quite remote ages the head
OF the Clan Campbell has been foremost
man in Scotia and, and the history of the
family may De said TO be Identical with
the history of the kingdom There have
been so many dukes. marquises or ears of
Argyll who figured prominently in Scot
tisn annals and romance that il IS inpo
slhle 10 remember which vas which If
they had not had the nine lives OF a cat, the
breed must have been wiped out by the Ak
or the rope OF the executioner centuries
ago; put somehow, when one went under,
there was always another 10 take his
place, and, through ali the ups and downs
OF fortune, they managed 10 hold their
estates and titles and dignitIes. and with
them their unique influence over their
countrymen. The father OF the present
duke is said TO have claimed the preroga-
tive OF life and death among his clansmen,
and there is some evidence that the grand
father actually exercised IT, Even al the
present day. the duke of Argyll comes
nearer 10 a feudal prince than any other
man in what may be called civilized
Europe. An Englishman visiting Invera-
ray asked his way to the castle,
from brawny clansman be
TO go to Inveraray castle" he said, the
Duke of Argyll's place. You know the
Duke Of Argyll, don't you?" do / ken
him. was the astonished answer. DO
ken him? Ma-an, He's the lor-rd God
almighty o. the West Hielands!" When
the Marquis OF Lorne was married to the
Princess Louise. a gentleman in Argyll
shire told the news TO q countrywoman.
oc,2 -rs< H. z;
claimed: 'NcCallummore' son married
10 the queens tochIerl En-, mon, the
queen will be a proud woman the day.
The idea Of an alliance with the ROYAL
family being q subject OF pride 70 the
Campoells never entered the worthy souls
mind. To her the Duke of Argyll was the
greatest man on earth, and il was an act Of
sheer condescension on his part TO allow
his blood 20 ming!e with that of the En-
glish queen. In politics there is practic-
ally only one side in the West Highlands.
1t is the side 10 which the Duke OF Argyll
belongs, whichever that may De.
1t must be said for the present duke.
however, that he has gained great hold
upon his countrymen on both sides Of the
Tweed by his individual talents and
capacity, quite apart from any hereditary
took a line which is the surest way TO
attract the favorable attention OF the
Scottish public. He wrote q very clever
pamphlet on the position of the Church
Of Scotland, and he has never since
ceased 10 gain ground as an authority on
that subject, the dearest of all subjects
to the hearts OF Scotchmen. He has
been all his life, in fact, q Scotchman TO
nd il
tainly no other man who can approach
him as the representative OF Scottish opin-
ion and sentiment. If there were to be
an election for king of Scotland tomorrow,
the Duke of Argyll would assuredly be
placed on the throne by an overwhelming
majority. He has held all sorts OF high
public offices. 1t is now nearly forty years
since he entered Lord Aberdeen's cabinet
as lord privy seal. and he held the same
Office under Lord Palmerston and Mr..
Gladstone. He has been postmaster gen.
eral two or three times. and for six years
he was secretary of state for India. In
deed, il seemed impossible for a Liberal
ministry 10 do without him. and when
the split in the Liberal party on the home
rule question occurred, the greatest blow
that Mr.. Gladstone suffered. next to the
| secession OF John Bright, was that of the
Duke OF Argyll. Mr.. Gladstone has yet to
settle accounts with him, for the duke has
all the tenscity as well as the teryor Of the
Scot; and more uncompromlSlug oppo-
nent of home rule does not exist. And not
only home rule. He is dead against the
whole radical programme which Mr.. Glad
stone has rushed into whilst in opposition;
and it was only the other day that he de-
nounced Mr.. Gladstone as "a fanatic with
whom there is no arguing" There is a
Uh oh
gives wonderful snap TO ell his
speeches and writings. and no public man
is surer of being listened to or read. He has
q singularly clear and logical mind, and is
a thorough hater of cant, humbug and
false sentiment of every kind. There is
| nothing sophIsticai. involved or ambigu-
Gus about him. What he knows. he
knows thoroughly; his views on every
subject in which he takes enough interest
10 have views, are perfectly clear 10 him
self, and he has no difficulty in
making them equally clear TO every
stand the Duke of Argyll. and Just
| because he IS SO clear and simple the
keeuest controversialists lind il next to
impossible 70 catch hun out or trip him
up. The good that he has done by his
cool, fearless and lucid analysis Of public
questions from time 10 time cannot be
ca culated. lie not only reasons effec-
lively himself but he shows others how
10 reason effectively. In that way he
spreads the influence OF his powerful in
| teligence far beyond his own immediate
sphere. and teaches thousands who are
quite unconscious OF taking their ideas
from him.
The duke is. however, a many-sided
man. and public affairs by no means
occupy all his thoughts. He is genu-
inely and unaffectedly learned, and as
chancellor of the University Of Glasgow.
he brings scholarship rs well as rank 10
adorn the position. He is never happier
than when engaged upon some popular
treatise on geology or anthTopology. and
such Of his numerous works as The
Reign of Law" and The Unity OF
| Nature" have brought him home 10 null
ttGdes of quiet households, where the din
/ OF controversy never penetrates. He IS
one Of those happy-minded iHqUirers after
tClth who see nothing IN science 10 con-
aict with religion, and in all his writings
| there is q strong current Of robust Chris
/ tianity. lie cannot. perhaps, be summed
up better IN few words than by saving
he IS . man Of overpowering common
sense.
The greatest man in Scotland is
a.sO one Of the smallest. II is almost
lsughable To see him among his stalwart
/ High.anders Yet, with ali his shortness
OF stature and spareness of frame. he is
not lacking in personal dignity. He has