New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-19


! one of the phases of his marvellous career. on
the previous Friday the Government Of Lord
Rosebery, to whom he had handed the sceptre
of the Liberal Premiership, had been unexpect-
eddy defeated by snap vote on question Oh
cordite. The country was face to face Win
Ministerial crisis that must inevitably LEAD 10
general election. Upon the results mighty
issues rested In analogous circumstances nap
pening through sixty years Mr. Gladstone woud
have been the foremost figure OF the day, an
| individuality upon whom all mems thougnts
| centred. on this June morning he was driv-
| ing through the crowded streets, few among
| the busy throng turning their heads to regard
| him. Three years earlier, had he CHANGED TO
make the same Journey his carriage would
| have been followed by excited crowd
| friendly or hostile. according to political con-
viction. Now, he passed along, only here
and there a passer-by recognized the familiar
| face and silently raised his hat In respectful
salutation. There was passing through the
streets of the city, not the strenuous statesman
round whom for more than fifty years the tur-
| mo of political warfare had ragged IL was
| merely his ghost, q wrath, that had nothing to
! do with political contests nor with majorites
In the House Of Commons and polling booths
| Mr.. Gladstone had just landed from the ran
| talon Castle, with other guests of Sir Donald
Currie on the memorable cruise to the opening
Of the Kiel Canal. The voyage had been
crowded with interest, eliminating In the news
flashed to Gothenburg on Saturday morning tndt
the Government had been defeated There were
several members of the House OF Commons on
board and the excitement was intense. What
course would the Ministers adopt? Would they
dissolve, resign or carry on, ignoring a snap di-
vision side Issue?
HIS STUDIED INDIFFERENCE.
Mr. Gladstone doubtless felt profoundly stirred
by the turn events had taken. When, ten days
earlier the Tantallon Castle left GraVesend
there was no portent in the political sky OF
what had happened. 1t was understood tnat
| Lord Roseberys Ministry would struggle
through the session, dissolving in the Following
,l,rf hnl had
the blue Mr. Gladstone. though formally self
| exiled from the political world. could not be IN
| different to the fortunes OF the Llherai party
| and the fate of Ministers who had long Deen
| his colleagues Whatever he may have thought.
| he said nothing. His studied indifference was
| stretched a further point when the big castle
| Liner anchored off Gravesend on that Monday
| morning bundle OF London papers was
| brought aboard and laid beside Sir Donald Cur
| RE at the breakfast table. There was des-
| perate dash for them by members or potn
| houses mingled with the guests Only Mr.. Glad
| stone sat unmoved. looking rather bored, when
| Sir Donald Currie pressed on him the hrst cholce
| of a paper Hesitatingly he took out or the
| heap a copy OF The Daily News. put II under
| his arm and walked off slowly to his stateroom
| on deck News about such an immaterlal thlng
| as a Ministerial crisis and possible general
| election you'd keep Before he had reached
| the deck his former private secretary. Sir AL
| eernon West. breaking away from the excited
| crowd in the saloon rushed after him with the
| news that the Government had resigned
1T ia very serious" said Mr. Gladstone. IN
deem tones
| strongly moved. But he said no more. and
pursued his way TO his cabin.
n would be peculiarly interesting 10 know
what he thought. At the time OF his RESIGNATION
| Of the Premiership there current In inner
circles of the House OF Commons a circumstan-
tial story pointing TO something rather hke
hustling him out OF his own cabinet. 1t ran 20
| the effect that. dropping one day as was ms
frequent habit at the time. into talk or my ttie
| OF life" and the imminence OF urpccRllhg ms
| armor and laying down his lance. his falthlul
| nd affa a; q colleagues,
| sumed that this formal ana deliberate act
| of resignation They accepted 1t forthwith pre-,
| venting further explanation by the clamor OK
| their regret. .
| Probably there is not word OF truth In the
| story Certainly there WAS at the time readi-
ness In some influential quarters on the LlperaI
| benches to believe that things woulc go more
smoothly for the party II It were relieved or MT
| Glaistones personal predominance. anu above
all from the necessity inevitably concurrent Win
| hIs Premiership Of the milestone OF Home kue
| remaining tied round the Liberal neck HOW
| ever that he. the experiment OF leading the Lap
eral party without the collaboration or MT riau-
| stone had naen tried After running for little
| more than twelve months It ended In sudden,
| almost ludicrous. collapse. Mr.. Gladstone must
have been more than human II his contempI pa
ton Of the catastrophe of the hour was not ugnt-
ened by some personal renecuons'
POWERS OF REGENERATION.
When Mr.. Gladstone came on board the Tan
talon Castle he was recovering from an attack
| ., bronchitis which at one time threatened aban-
| donnent Of the scheme OF the voyage. His
| marvellous powers OF recuperaton were speedily
| asserted one day whom we mad peen week
out 7 CHANGED to look astern from the bow or the
| ship and sa two figures walking briskly alohs
| the quarterback One was LORD Rendel' by MS
| side strobe a man in curious CAPE. whose cuI
suggested that 1t had been made oy Vll'ase
| tailor 1t was not easy to think this was the
| broken down old man who had YEARLY walked
| aboard at Grlvesend. Yet 1t was MI. Glads,ohe,
strding along at a pace that eVidehtiy tt.eu ms
| toll
Bound for Denmark the first thing that oc-
| CURED 10 him was the necessity OF learning the
language He accordingly brought on board
with him Danish dictionary and one or two
| other books in that language. He spent the
! whole of the morning in his state cabin studying
| Danisb and before we returned to the Thames
| he had made such way that he was able to fol-
! low the course Of his book.
| A. Copenhagen the King and Queen OF Den
| mark came on board to luncheon. After
| luncheon the royal party went on deck. IL was
| a brilliant sumner afternoon. and the pier 10
| which the Tantallon Castle was Hooreu was
| crovded by a throng Of Copenhagen citizens.
| only on, figure missing 10 their sight. and
| that the one they had come forth TO see While
| 10 cav throng-King and Queen princes. peers.
| members Of the House OF Commons Englishmen
| and Danes--paced up and down the deck gayly
| chatting Mr. Gladstone, with his back to the
| oucu doorway OF the state cabin. sat as COM
| niotclv absorbed in his new study as II he were
| ~ Uawar,!en Later. when the King and queen
| had departed the Copenhageners were ad-
! mftfpI q board. III was 1ouIlu NetesSaiy " ini'
| off the deck on to which Mr.. Gadstones state
| cabin opened But he was plainly visible. SUI
| goIng on reading as Nine. Defarge went on
| hnitting apparently wholly unconscious or the
nxistrnce OF the crowd straining at the barrier,
| hungrly staring at him. ,,.,,
| Whnn announcement authoritatively
| mad. that Mr. Gladstone had resigned the Pre-
| miership it was not realized that that step IN
| cI.d.d his absolute withdrawal from Parliament
90 ufe As a matter of fact. after he walked OUT
| oe me House on March /. 1894. having delivered
What Mr.. Balfour hailed as nothing less than
| 8, declaration of against the ancient con-
! ",,,ution az these realms" he was never more
| s.an in rho place where for sixty years he had
| loomcd so large Probably NOT more imam 4, a
hn,,n ~ those listening to the speech knew II
vas the last he would deliver in his capacity
as Prime Minister. Mr. Chamberlain pan. dd Ono, not
~, nrte 81 Devonshre who was not In the