New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-02
SIR ROBERT PEEL.

FATHER-wHAT HE MADE OF HIS AID
vANTAGES-HIS ORATORY-HIs PIC
TURES-HIS PLACE IN SOCIETY
SOME PERSONAL CHARACTER
ISTICS - HIS APPEARANCE
AND BEARING AT y
DING-AS
HOME-RULER-HIS
COURAGE
London. May I3.
To have been the son Of the great Sir Robert
Peel who was Englands Free Trade Prime
Minister and the brother of the Mr.. Arthur Peel
now Vtscount Peel who was the greatest Speaker
OF the House of Commons was enough to have
insured to the late Sir Robert Peel degree of
celebrity. His brothers fame. indeed, came late
in his life and after for good for i'll, his fate
had been settled for him. But 1t is here no light
thing to have been Peel. The name is a great
one. The Peetes are. as a sect, extinct but MT
Gladstone alone would have been enough to keep
their memory alive and aiame He has never
ceased TO speak of the leader of the Tories OF
those days In tone which suggests St Paul lie
had real reverence for him. so far as he ever
had for anybody Of an academic kind, perhaps
but in It's kind genuine. His attachment TO the
family remained. much that of a clansman
to the chief OF his clan remains, long after the
chief is dead. the clan scattered their very
huts on the hillside in ashes. He showed II
when he nominated Mr.. Arthur Peel for Speaker;
he has shown II hundred times In debate. lie
never missed an opportunity Of paying homage
10 him who as he said. freed the food Of the peo-
ple of England; OF him who-and this was his
hest title to the religious respect Of that rising
and risen hope of the unbonding Tories which
Mr. Gladstone once and long was-of him, /
saw who was the bulwark Of old institutions,
the unfnching champion Of abuses, OF class OF
anti-democratc opinion Of Parliamentary ine-
qualities and OF many other things which 1t Is no
longer the fashion to extjl openly. or 10 uphold
otherwise than by indrection. The world has
moved on and Mr. Gladstone has moved with it.
though often. perhaps always with hesitating
step But the of the great leader has neither
moved on nor led anybody nor left any impress
on his time nor. alas. left name which adds
any lustre TO that which was bequeathed him.
The fate Of such q man the late Sir Robert
Peel cannot but be regretted. He was seventy
three at his death He had admirable abilities.
He had a start IT. life worth t. him. as II is
commonly reckoned here, quarter of century.
He inherited a great name and great fortune.
He married wife who all through his check
cred career has been true wife. woman
whom London. not prone 10 rate people too high
ever thought loyal to him and sympatheuc 10
all his friends and acquaintance. With all TINS
his life was a failure and. it must be sald'
failure in every point. His abilities brought
him no settled fame position in pubic me-
Reneatb Them was the unstable foundation of
INCONSISTENCY Of levity of uncertain principles.
and Of convictions which took their hue from the
chameleon. His fathers stainless name ana hgh
character served after while only to set OF
He dissipated his fortune. He lived on no very
cordial terms with his wife; the fault entirely
his II is a melancholy record
There was time when Sir Robert Peel came
near being the best orator IN the House or COM
mons; within certain limits His noble voice
and large manner fascinated those who hs'ehei
to him. He spoke. It seemed with ease anu
spontaneously. His speeches were racy anu
individual They sparkled as he went on Tic
had wit anecdote. rhetoric. and suiiicieht au-
thority Of manner to make people forget LOT inc
moment how little sincerity there was under
Meath The House filled when he rose anu
laughed and cheered him all through. Inc
Times" reported him in the first person. Nhei
that paper ceased 10 report him IN the "'s'
nsrson and cut down the verbatim report TO
n summary in the third person 1t was sure
sign Of his political decadence one OF MS
friends came to me to ask me TO use any In
euence had TO induce the editor TO restore sir
Robert TO his old honors. had none ana 10
influence would have awaited. These matters 90
not depend on personal considerations but on
the place and reputation which man MAKES
FOR himself; on PUBLIC considerations mat u.s. not
nr,vate He felt the fall bitterly for, reckless as
he was In most matters. he valued the repu'a-
ton which he did his best to sacrifice lie couid
III bear to relinquish his popularity or to live
without applause.
4, times. he showed himself capable Of taking
high views and disnterested views. When his
pictures were Sold probably the finest collection
Of Dutch pictures ever made outside OF Holland
no offered them TO the nation There is seldom
much money TO spare out Of the overlooking Brit
ish treasury for art, and they were at first re-
fused: then a price was offered far below their
value Meantime a very wealthy collector, who
knows most things in pretty good season, heard
that the pictures were for sale he onered
quarter Of a million sterling for them, IL all re-
ports be true. The price named by the Treasury
was | think 10000 Sir Robert, then In dire
straits for money. said he thought the collection
ought to 60 to the public; refused the t2ooooo ana
accepted the 10000. lie was not bound IN fact
but he held himself bound in honor.
II is many years since Sir Robert Peel went
much into general society in London No doubt
he shrank a little from associations which re-
minded him and others Of his better days But If
Won met him you soon discovered that there was
no better company. He talked as he spoke. quite
wonderfully His voice was good for converse
ton as for oratory. II he chose to pour out
"reminiscences he had stock that was mex
haustible and not always too strictly convention
al One of the best judges in London put him
almost II not quite at the head. "If were asked
whom would meet should always say Sir Rob
ert Peel" This he qualified by adding, lat
mans dinner" Between dinner of men and
mixed dinner Of men and women. line isl was
going TO say always drawn. but will say almost
always There are women who will sit out mems
talk without finching and even take part in It,
The advanced woman is understood to be equal to
anything. but these were before the days of that