The Irish standard., 1897-12-25

worked with him but also on some Of
those who came after him. Naturally
he took a leading part in the proceed
ings of the Union Debating Society, Of
which he became first secretary and
afterward president. Bishop Charles
Wadsworth, as he afterward became,
who heard Gladstones maiden speech
In the Oxford Union, afterward said that
1T made me, and doubt not others also
feel no less sure Of my own existence
that Gladstone, our then Christ church
undergraduate, would one day rise to be
prime minister Of England"
Gladstone defended Catholic emancl-
patton in the debates of the Union, but
he opposed the removal of Jewish dis;l-
bilities, and he argued against the i:no
| mediate abolition OF slavery, although
he urged that every preparation ought
to be made for its gradual extinction
by the teaching and training of tho
slaves SO as to fit them for self-mastery
and citizenship. These views, it will be
remembered, he afterwurd expressed in
parliament when he came to be a men,
Der of the house of commons.
Meanwhile he was studying hard for
classical honors and for divinity, he
ing an especially earnest student of
the Bible and patristic literature He
studied Hebrew us we'll. He worked
for four hours in the early day, and
then went out for exercise, chiefly
walking and boating. with also a GER
tain amount Of what we now call ath-
letic training. Then he attended class
| rooms and lectures and resumed his
solitary reading for many later hours.
He always read for Two or three hours
before bedtime. Nothing was allowed
to interfere with the course of his read
ing and with his studies.
In December, 1881 Gladstone took his
double first class. His natural inclina-
tion was for the church. He pressed
his father hard to allow his to be-
come a clergyman. Sir John Glad
stone with wisdom which the event
| has justified, refused. Strict obedi-
considered an essential part Of Il sons
duty. The younger Gladstone yielded,
| but, as everyone knows, he has taken
during all his life Il deep interest in
church history and in the subjects of
| theological controversy. After a few
months of travel in Italy he was called
back, as Milton has been, by sudden
appeal to enter on a political and par
liamentary career.
His time had c,>me," says Mr.. Nc
Carthy, ''and it found him out Those
who have watched with ever increas-
I ing interest the later years of his pub
| lie life must know. Of course, through
| what changes of opinion he struggled
| on to be great political reformer. But
there may be many to whom 1t would
| be surprise to hear that the invita-
| tion which Mr.. Gladstone first received
| was given because it was understood
| that he was one of the rising influen-
| ences that made against reform; that he
was determined to keep back, If he
| could, the onward movement of the
popular cause, and that he was, as
| Macaulay afterWard described him, the
| hope of the stern and unbcndng Tories
of that day."
| The invitation to enter parliament
| came from the then Duke of Ncwcas-
| tie, Tory of the Tories, who had been
| greatly alarmed by the reform move
mnts Of the period. 1t was Glad
| stones anti-reform speech at college
| which led to his selection as a Tory
| candidate to represent the borough Of
| Newark. After a stubborn contest he
| was elected The Reformed Parliament
| met on January 90, 1893, and Mr.. Glad
| stone took his seat in the chamber over
| which he was destined to maintain for
| so long a time an almost absolute as
tendency.
His early speeches seem to have
| made no great impression. Concerning
these Mr.. Mccarthy says: prom all
| that l have read or could hear | am
! not inclined to believe that the speeches
| made anything more than passing
and personal impression at the house
! Of commons. Certainly I have no rea-
son to suppose that they gave to the
| house any idea of the great powers
which the young orator was destined
before very long to display. l remem-
Der talking years ago to some very
old members of the house OF commons,
who told me that for some time Glad
stones speeches were listened TO with
only the respect which the house al
ways pays to youth, modesty and
knowledge of the subject under discus
sion. In Gladstonc's early days, as in
subsequent days, the house detcstcl
ss'-sclf-sufficicncy, check
and ostentation, ard the unwarrantcd
assumption OF any manner of supc
riority. Many experienced members Of
parliament consider it rather an inau-
spicious omen if q young man should be-
gin with successful maiden speech"
Gladstone early in his parliamentary
career recommended himself to the ia
yOr Of Sir Robert Peel, who rcscmbled
| him in certain mental characteristics.