New-York tribune., 1894-04-27
"NOBLESSE OBLIGE.r
THE LATE LORD AILESBURY-THE LATIN
LORD DE CLIFFORD-THE VIEWS
OF THE PRESENT SIR
JAMES KITSON
London. April IL

used TO point A moral against the House NJ
Lords The point was perhaps a little bunted
by the fact that he never took his seat in that
I body He was a hereditary legislator who did
not legisate He died at thirty-one. Eight years
ago he succeeded to a great title and TO an es-
tate which might still be called great. The Ailes
bury rentroll was something like s400 900 a year
Long before that time young Bruce had taken
his line and made his mark; in certain way
His education had been neglected by those whose
business Il to look after the boy. He had
fallen into low company He married young
lady who was civilly described as an actress. He
went on the Turf. and was presently warned OF
Il by those austere guardians OF Turf morals
the Stewards OF the Jockey Club. Before this
happened he had climbed outside of one great
estate I'm Yorkshire and rot long after he con-
trived 10 cucumber the still more famous wilt.
shire property. Savernake. which Lord Iveagh
afterward wanted 10 buy for S300O.O10. lie was
in the hands of an eminent fnancier"; in other
words. of Mr. Sam Lewis. the Cork street money.
lender TO whom he owed million or So It has
always been said and ] suppose truly said that
Mr. Sam Lewis treated his client WELL and kept
him afoat when he must have sunk 10 the bot.
tom but for the charity Of mis- creditor
But unluckily. whether Lord Ailesbury were
treated well or i'll made little difference in his
fortunes or his fate. lie was a ruined man.
ruined In fortune in character. in position, In
domestic life in everything which makes life
worth living: unless the company OF prize-fght-
ers and touts and harlots, and Of half the riff
raft OF a great capital. may be thought 10 make
live worth living. The love OF low life was per.
haps In his blood; II not, it was easily and early
acquired
Every year. a great many young men in this
country and in ether countries. go TO the devil
exactly as Lord Ailesbury went. Not many Of
them are Of his rank. or have his wealth to start
with. Nobody moralizes about them when the
end comes. Almost everybody moralizes about
Lord Ailesbury. because he was Lord Aesbury
and because the scandals which attended him
were rather frequent and rather gross. Per-
haps Mr. Benzan. the Jubilee Plunger. and the
late Mr. Abingdon Baird. each in his own way
and ar his own time. diverted some attention
from their still more eminent colleague in folly.
In none OF all these cases can mOraZing be
thought to be Of much use.
Bu. IL Is Lord Ailesbury's fortune - die at a
moment when a good many Radical eyes are
turned in anger upon the House of which
he might have been a member but was not.
The Radical sermonizer scarcely thinks 1t worth
while to refer 10 this latter fact. IL might spoil
his sermon. It is sufficient for Radical purposes
that the dead man had hereditary right 10
enter the "gilded chamber ana that ne was
patron Of six livings. living is properly OK
which a man may divest himself so far as
pecuniary interest is concerned. as he may OF
other property whether he can legally renounce
the right Of presentation 10 bcnefoe, don't know
II does not much matter. since he can practically
renounce It. Champions OF an Estaofsned
Church may be left To say with what feelings
they would contemplate the appointment 10
cure OF souls by, shall We suppose. the eminent
Hebrew fnancer above mentioned. Mr. sam
Lewis Of Cork Street? That has, in truth notn'
ing to do with hereditary legislation but II
seems to be thought convenient and useful
mix the two together. AS thus;
And yet this man. whose career Is cut pre-
maturely short before vice and folly hau sVen
way 10 repentance and wisdom. was nered'diy
legislator and had the power or appointing re-
ligious preachers. The ways Of the British Con.
stituton are even more mysterious thah thoso
OF Providence.
Possibly the last remark may be thought oy
those of strict mind 10 SAVIOR OF blaspAemy' IL
Il did not one might be tempted II say that
tho wavs Of Radical-Socalstic Journalism are
even more mysterious than those Of Providence.
But | will refrain from easy comments OF that
klnd. LOTl AlltSDuIA - N'li's A-i' '''
his evil example live after him. and the Radical
he surely. II anybody-rnay be trusted TO write
his evil deeds in brass.
1t is not fair TO the late Lord De clifford to
mention him in the same breath with Lord Mes-
bury: nor in the same letter. without saying
that there was a gulf between the Two. ana tha'
Lord De Clifford was on the right side q H.
Blu; It happens that Lord De clifford died ohV
last week at Monte Carlo. and that There was
I'm his case also certain contrast between Di'
opportunities and the career he chose he 'd'''e
OF a far more ancient family than L'rd Al'es'
bury. who but the fourth Marquis. anu !"
whose family ran. | think. no patent o. hoO'"S
earlier than Charles First. Lord De Chtprl Vas
the twenty fourth Baron. II YOU will turn 10 one oi
those Peerages. Of which there may 10 oop'
or two in America. you VIII ma 'hd' "'
Barony was created by Writ OF Summons IN
1893 That s a very respectable antiquity Ie"
existing creations go back 50 far You VIII H"u
also that the first Lord De CLIFFORD WaS f'''
Marshal of England in 1907. and fell AZ the oalue
Of Bannockburn. There is. at any rate. u's
tingulshed and perhaps heroic beginning 10 "'''
long line.
What Is the ending or rather SIM the'e -
another Lord De Clifford who succeeds' "'''
was the life OF the late heir 10 all thcS- -
turtles OF nobility? 1t is not necessary 10 -"
more than that it had no public us'iu'nesS "''N
no distinction Lord De clifford WAS sports
man. a good shot. and. II you Ike. good ie''o"
He visited America l know not how many 'ifh's'
but often-in pursuit Of big game. That Fui
suit was one OF his chief occupations ana am
bitions; the Turf being ano.her And 70 Ut!
mind. the real criticism upon hereditary ran.
Is that Il leaves responsibilities 10 chance. ana
20 such developments OF character as tie wis's'
cannot foresee
In Lord DE Cliffords the Responsibilities
were less heavy than in Lord Mesburys' l"e,'
was no great estate. and he had no rema'Nao'
abilities for public life. He had neithec 20 pa'
Providence to a small world Of his own. noi w y.
discharge those high public duties when "ou'N