The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-06

the French Legislative Assembly. Two
years aftervard. however. he was APP
pointed Minister Of the Interior. and twice
under Louis PHiLIrPB he was President OF
the Council. Like john QUINCY ADAMS this
man. who had been Prime Minister. re-
entered public life as a representative OF
the people. becoming in 1893. at the age OF
sixty-six. n member Of the Legislative
Chamber. and leading the Opposition dur
ing the last seven years Of the Second
Empire. by the National Assembly.
returned In the early part OF 1871.
he was chosen. at the age OF seventy
four. Chief OF the Executive Power,
and was subsequently elected President
OF the French republic. He resigned that
Office In 1873. but he continued until his
death. In his eighty-first year. to sit in the
Chamber OF Deputies. his last public act
being to vote as one Of the famous $685."
want Of confidence in the Ministry OF the
Due DE BRooLIE. Like THEIRS BISMARCK
appeared In public life at an age relatively
advanced. He was thirty.one years old
when he became n member Of the Diet Of
the province OF Saxony: thirty-two when
he was returned TO the General Diet. and
thirty-six when he was sent to represent
Prussia at the Diet OF Frankfort. After
filling succcssively the posts OF Ambassador
10 st. Petersburg and Ambassador to Paris.
he became. In 1869. at the age Of forty-seven.
the head OF the Prussian Cabinet. and thence
forth. for a period Of more than a quarter
OF century. remained the chief adviser OF
the HoHESzoLLERNs. either as Prime Min
lister OF Prussia or as Chancellor OF the Ger
man empire. or in both capacities COM
bined. As regards long aud unbroken ten
ure Of the highest Office, BISMARCK sur
passes all other statesmen OF modern
times. even RrCHEL1EU having been Prime
Minister but eighteen years. In respect.
however. OF the duration OF his public life.
he has been excelled by the two English
men, at whose careers we shall next glance.
and who come nearest to being counter
parts Of Mr.. GLADSTONE.
Lord JOHN RUssELL was not quite twen-
ty-one when. In 1918. he entered the House
OF Commons, and from that time until 1850
he was continuously in public life. He
reached the apex Of his fame In 1882 with
the passage OF the Reform act. but he did
not attain the summit Of his ambition until
fourteen years later. At one time or an
other he held almost every great political
Office In the gift OF the Crown. and he was
twice Prime Minister. namely. in 1862 and
In 1866. He lived some twelve years after
his retirement from public life dying In
1878 In his eighty-sixth year. We come now
to PALMERsToS, whose career bears much
outward resemblance to that OF Nr. GLAD
STONE. not only as regards extraordinary
length. but owing to the fact that
he. too. began as a Conservative and held
Office under Conservative Government
yet lived to be the head OF Whig and Lib
eral Ministries. PALMERsToN was not quite
when he entered Parliament
In 1907. and within twelvemonth he was
made Junior Lord Of the Admiralty in the
PORTLAND Administration. So successful
was his maiden speech that in 1907. al
from PERcEvAL the offer OF the Chancellor
ship OF the Exchequer. but accepted instead
the ONCE OF Secretary for War. which
he held for nearly twenty years. Hav-
ing been follower OF CANNING. he gradu-
ally drifted away from the stir and I'M
bending Tories, OF whom GLADSTONE
was to be the rising hope. and
became Secretary for Foreign Affairs |
in the Ministry OF Lord GREY. Thence |
forth he acted steadily with the Wing |
party. though he represented its least pro-
gressive section. and owed his popularity |
mainly to his foreign policy embodied in |
his well-known declaration. " Ciris Romanus |
SUM" Popular as PALMERsToS was. ii was |
not until 1855, in the seventy-frst year OF |
his age. that he became Prime Minister,
an ONCE which. with one short interval, he |
retained until his death. on Oct. Is. 1865. two |
days before the completion OF his eighty |
first year.
These are certainly astonishing examples |
OF prolonged activity and eminence in |
English public life. but they are tran
scended by the experience OF Mr.. GLAD |
STONE. Like Lord PALMERsroN he entered |
Parliament In his twenty-third year, be-
coming within two years a Junior Lord OF |
the Treasury. He was President OF the |
Board Of Trade at "a. and Secretary for the
Colonies at 81. From 1851. when he def
nitely separated himself from the Con-
servatives. he became. next to Lord JOHN
RUSSELL and Lord PALMERsToS. the
most respected and trusted parsonage
In the Whig-Liberal party and the
principal Trainer of Its programme |
with regard TO home affairs. Since then
he has been five times Chancellor OF
the Exchequer and four times Prime Minis
ter. nor can it be denied that his resigna-
ton OF the Premiership In his elghty-ilfth
year has been entirely voluntary. uniniiu-
enced by party INSTRUMENTATION or the i'm
putation OF failing powers. For Mr.. GLAD
STONE. therefore. there is no precedent or
parallel. Sixty-one years In public life. and
four times honored with the highest politl-
cal gift in the hands OF the British nation
these are the features which render Mr..
career unique In the history Of
modern statesmen.
Joe Bailey's Plan.