New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-30

SOME PERSONAL NOTES-HIS RELATIONS
WITH BOULANGER- SELF-RELI-
ANcE-HIs REAL SERIOUSNESS OF
CHARACTER - LORD RANDOLPH
AND MIR. CHARACTERISTICS
SOCIAL GIFTS-THE LAST
JOURNEY-THE LAST
AND LOST oPPoR-
TUNITY.
10 write Of Lord Randolph on the personal side
or TO conide ones impressions Of his character TO
the public Is no easy matter. To write quite free
~ is out Of the question. 1t is a case of the
truth but not the whole truth He would. in nv
Judgment. gain II the whole truth about him were
known; still. 1t Is impossible. How can | tell
whether the mere written narrative Of certain
facts or traits would impress the public as he
himself impressed those who knew him? There
must be selection Everything cannot be told
II is never easy to give a true summary of
character. In Lord Randolphs case II is less
Easy than in most. He so many sided. so
complex. oftenA at least on the surface. contra
tictory or Inconsistent. sometimes so unjust to
himself and during the greater part of his life so
beset by circumstances that nothing less than
full biography could be adequate | hope
biography will be written. 1t must be done by
some one who knew him or 1t will be OF little
avail; must be sympathetic yet critical. and dis
Greet while 1t is free. No easy task do not at
tempt It, AS memories crowd upon me--they
commonly do with a pen in hand-one feels the
perplexity the more. and It becomes simpler TO
touch on few points which may disclose to the
reader who cares for him some Of the salient
cof. !,
does not already care may pass by on the other
SIDE
begin with topic which is perhaps the most
delicate Of ALL or OF all but one-Lord Randolph's
relations with his mother. the Duchess Dowagef
OF Marlborough She idolized him. She talked
OF him often 10 those whom she knew TO be his
friends. and she thought of him continuously. She
made sacrifices for him-to her they were
because they were for him. In him her life
tired, wide were her other interests domestic
and general. Can 1t have been other than a low
able nature which inspired such love this:
affection which was both spontaneous and con-
sdered reasoned, critical even? 1t is perhaps the
best kind Of affection which takes account Of all
defects and remains in spite of them a deep and
engrossing affection.
So OF the regard which springs up between
men. Lord Randolph he'd troops OF friends
and retained them TO the last. friends among
the best. Birth and position gave him
start. gave him tne opportunity Of knowing and
being known; the rest depended on himself. He
attached to him men of the most various kinds
sometimes thought ne had too wide tolerance.
Bouanger was an instance both of his cosmo-
politanism of sympathy and Of his extreme
lenity of judgment. Whether because Of his
carelessness about foreign politics. or for other
ha ~ halt hat Ilo, Oi,11
be the ruler of France. His royast friends in
Paris misled him. He ought not to have been
misled but he was The Comte de Paris. NJ. De
Breteuil any many rnore were among his associ-
ates and intimates. They were deceived about
this cheap Pretender and they deceived others.
Lord Randolph. believing what he did, thought
It desirable that Boulanger should be known in
London b. the right people He did his best to
make his reception cordial and TO get him into
relations with those who might influence opinion
in his favor. At this time he had long outlived
the social disfavor into which. on account OF a
quarrel with the Prince Of Wales. he had fallen.
He was in a position TO do as much an almost
anybody. He tried his best. The Prince Of
Wales, to the CONSERVATION Of his political
friends met Boulanger at dinner at Lord Ran
doph's house. The Prince and some of his set
excepted hardly anybody would meet him.
Military men and a few men about town. and a
few women who visited Paris often and were
friends with the Faubourg St. German, were
present at these dinners The serious and judi
cious stayed away. I asked Lord Randolph
while Boulanger was still in London whether he
thought 1t worth while to persevere in view Of
the evident GOODNESS OF London toward him and.
ss thought, the certainty OF his failure In
Paris. Failure" cried Lord Randolph. II shall
he his guest at the Elysee next November" 1t
was near June. Long before November Bou-
LANCER fugitive ard he ended all
know. But Lord Randolph was never prone TO
take too much account OF the opinion Of others.
There you have one OF the keys TO his char
acter and To such measure CT success and also
Of failure as his In life He a born
leader Of men; not a follower. OF his own
powers he fully cons ,ious; in them and in
himself he had an undoubting confidence; not
overweening. but complete. once. when he was
on the point OF taking step which promised to
he disastrous. l said TO him that the judgment
OF everybody whose opinion was worth having
was against him. He turned sharply: do you
think" he asfed. that should be where l am
II had gone according 10 the judgment OF other
peopleT' He was then 1T the height Of his
fame and authority. Il have had against me-"
he went ON, Eat every step the judgment OF
those whose opinion. you say. is worth hav-
ms. l have uniformly disregarded 1t. have
led my own life: taken my views: acted on
them. and here am
1t was perfectly true-true in public life; true
also In private. where the results more
doubtful. He never seemed to shrink from any
conflict, or to hesitate about any cause because
others thought II unwlse. or course he often
did hesitate. Impulsive as he was, he reflected
long. He used the opinions of other men
materials for forming Judgment Of his own. 1t
might coincide with the judgment OF Others or.
far more often. conflict with It. but in both cases
IT was his Judgment and not theirs by which he
guided his course.
He has often been discussed az II he were flip
pant In thought or the slave OF his caprices. He