New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-02


His diners were small. not over gocd. put
always gay and amusing: not that ne hi'ilseii
was at all brilliant in conversation: on 'he con
trary he generally SILENT unless tneIe We, wa
on onening for some epigTammatic or paradox
cal or startling observation. Though pl'.e'Iy
sarcastic n II suited his purpose, he was very
far from being cynical by nature. On the con-
trary he wa. remarkably placabe. and though
ne had few strong dslikes, he had many srohs
friendships.
This recalls Disrael.s anecdote OF certain
dinner in one OF his delightful letters 10 MS
s,ster The company did not interest him. nor
did the lady whom he took In, wno' however
nroved 70 be an incorrigible chatterbox. and
would not leave the great man In peace Ana
90 " writes Dlsraeli in humorous melancholy.
.J had not even the consolation OF silent stuff
or the hostility between Disraeli and Peel. there
"a tho usual account D.sraeli hated Peel be-
cause he had not given him Office at time
when office might have made all the difference
To him between success failure In public NE
Rut the two men were totally unsympatheuc
by nature "Disraeli eminently Bohemian'
imaginative, without a particle OF behei IN any
thing totally unprincipled-I do not use the
word in an offensive sense but as being devoid
OF all principles Of policy" The quahncauon
scarcely takes the sting out OF the adJectiVe'
Peel on the other hand. was prudent cautio"s'
somewhat pompous and extremely correct DIT
William tells the story Of Disraelis marriage
with Mrs Wyndham Lewis as due to Count
D'Orsay's advice. He was at his last gasp
financially and on the brink Of ruin. when he con-
suited D'Orsay. why don't you marry your
colleagues widow? She Is very rich?' querled
the friend Of Lady Blesslngton. 1t Is put piun'-
". but Sir William, in his most man-of-the-
world tone remarks: ut was happy tnough''
and accented with alacrty" What follows and
n aai,f chi
votion to the wife he had married for her money
is in better spirit. and true. " not quite new
Disraelis friend does not mince matters IN
painting the wife's portrait:
She was most repulsivc woman fiat. angular.
under with harsh. grating voice ana
though by means a fool, yet constantly say
ing stupid things. most frequently about him.
which tended to make him ridiculous. as for
instance when the conversation turned on some
mans fine complexion. All. said she. i wish
YOU could only see Dizzy In his bath, then you
would know what white skin IL.
There is another version Of the bath story. but
7 think on the whole will not repeat IT, Any
body who cares TO know il Is at liberty 10 ask
Sir william Harcourt. Disracli proved the SIN
ceri,y Of his good will TO Gregory by making
him though & political opponent. n Trustee Of
the National Gallery. n place which he ana oth-
ers coveted. But when Disraelis measure az n
statesman has TO be taken. his friend IL eN-
tremely candid. lie will not admit that the
Tory leader was statesman lie denies MN
"deep-seated opinions" He was ready II YOU
believe Sir William. "to be free-irader or pro-
tectionIst liberal or illiberal. on questions OF
land religion and the franchise Jus, as 1t suited
the exigencies Of the moment what II more
novel is Sir Williams assurance that. though
he doubted whether Dsraeli trusted the people.
he had heard him hundred times IN private
proclaim his preference FOR the workingman over
the sleek narrow-minded. dissenting rulers OF
the boroughs And well he might The Con
servative workngman was Disraelrs invention.
The sleek narrow minded dissenting rulers OF
the boroughr have been been stanch Glads,on-
ians for a generation and their separate In
dIviduali,ies have Of late years been collectively
and abs,ractly denoted as the Nonconformist
Conscience
Sir William asked Dlsraei why he never went
to Ireland. Il have no taste to 20 to a country.
he answered. where people are always quarrel
ling about thing they call Religion Jerking
out the last word with tone ~ supreme con-
tempt Then:
Later on when walking from the House ~
Lords with Lord oxford. after a division on some
question connected with religion he turned -
him and said. 1T II strange that you ana !
should be- waking out here together after an at
tempt to prop up an exploded theology
These esoteric views about theology and rclig
ION had not prevented Dlsraeli from writing 10
Lord Malmesbury I'm 1861 The fact is. In
Internal politics there Is only one question now
the maintenance of the Church. There can b. ~
retaining or false liberalism on the subject
And he fought stOutly for the perpctuation Of the
alliance between Church and state. what II
pcasanter TO hear Is that he never faltered In his
allegiance to his own race. and that he sup
D.
political allies were to man against allowing
the Jews civil rights Sir Williams conclusion
on the whole matter t. that In pubic Ne Dis
raeli lived and died a char!atan. II Is "A harsh
word. and 1t IL not descriptive We know In
America or ought 10 know. Of what large
craftsmanship the charlatan was capable. We
owe IT 10 him I'm great measure that Napolcons
proposal to England for the recognition 81 the
Southern Confederacy was rejected. IL was
consulted by Lord Pamerston. who held that on
such a matter the Leader OF the Opposition ought
To be taken into council He advised strenu-
ously against IT, and the scheme was dropped
Yet so inveterate IL the American prejudice
against a Tory. which Disrae was not. that We
have never found time 10 declare our gratitude
to him for the immense service he did M.
John Brown. Of Harper's Ferry. Is hardly the
man you would think likely 10 figure In Sir
william Gregory's pages. or to get much sym
patty at the hands OF Southern sympathzer.
But he does. This gaan, Irishman had sym
pathy with gaantry wherever he found It, lie
likes an honest man and "A brave one. whichever
side he happens 10 be lie was In America
al the time Of the iIarper's Ferry tragedy. This
foray was contrived." he says. by Commander
John Brown. a God-fearng man, deeply imbued
with religious conviction and perfectly con
yinced that he had received "A heaven-sent mis-
sion to act az a second Moses. and lead the
slaves out Of captivity" Sir William had the
luck to travel to Washington the day after
Brown had been taken-hc omlts to mention that
II was by United States marines and not by the