The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-23
COUPON.
MR.. GLADSTONE'S GREATNESS
DIR. M,L4NE ON LESSONS FROM THE
GREAT PREMIER,S LIFE.

His Changeableness the Changeableness
ofGrowth- Grand Tower ofStrength
for Humanity His Many Sided Gem
tus.
There was a very large congregation
at Plymouth church last night and the
pastor, Rev. Dr.. w. w. McLane, made
very able address on the topic LES
sons from the Life of Gladstone" His
text was from the 9th psalm, MARK
the perfect man, and behold the up
right
He spoke in part as follows:
The perfect man is to be marked and
the upright to be beheld not simply
because his end is peace, as the psalm
list says, but because the power In him
which, wrought uprightness and pro-
duced perfection may also be possessed
by other men. Man must be judged by
the best, and not by the worst speci-
mems. Mount Blanc rises to it's sub
lime height because it is one of many
Alps. A great man attains his splen-
did character because he is one of
many splendid men. A great man may
inspire his age but he is also inspired
by it, The observer on the seashore
will mark the fact that every third or
fifth wave of the incoming tide is high
er than the others, but 1t is because 1T
has received little more of the force
which is bearing all the waves to the
shore. The man who seems to lead his
age is often only lifted little above
his fellows by the common spirit of
his age. Mr.. Gladstone is probably the
most illustrious example of this fact in
modern times. Now that his silvery
tongue is stilled and his eloquent voice
is silent, we may well learn some Of
the lessons of his life. The facts of his
life are already known or can readily
be gathered from the daily papers. His
Scotch ancestry, his birth in an Eng
iish city, his residence on Hawarden es-
tate in Wales which belonged to his
wifes estate his eminent scholarship
when a student at Oxford, his literary
achievements, his service of more than
a half a century in the house of COM
mons, the high offices which he held
already known to you. The lessons
which these teach may not appear to
you all.
Mr.. Gladstone was largely the product
of the century in which he lived. He
caught it's spirit, cast himself into the
current of it's life, and was borne for
ward along the lines of its progression.
He has been charged with changeable-
ness and inconsistency; but his change
abieness was the changeableness Of
growth and his inconsistency was the
inconsistency which the future always
bears to the past. The century in
which he lived has been marked with
the growth Of humane spirit, regard
for human rights, just legislation and
generous dealing of men with men.
History, legislation and literature all
attest this fact. The biography of
George Muller, which we considered
last Sunday evening, revealed the fact
that at the beginning of the present
century there were more orphans under
eight years of age in the prisons of
England than in her asylums. A book
like "Das Capital" by Karl Marks,
reveals the ignorance and dis
regard of the conditions of health and
morality in the life and labor of men,
women and children of the laboring
classes of England at the beginning of
the present century. All the works of
Charles Dickens portray the cruel
treatment of hopeless debtors In the
changes wrought during this century
Mr.. Gladstone played an important
part. But he played this part because
change was first wrought in him.
Conservative by birth and by edu-
cation he began his public career as a
tory he ended it as the leader of the
radicals. Sixty years ago Mr.. McCau-
ley in review of 1.-THE Relations of the
State and Church. said: 1.-THE author
of this work is q young man of I'M
blemished character and of distinguish
ed parliamentary talents, the rising
nope of those stern and unbending
tories who follow reluctantly and mu-
tineusly leader whose experience and
eloQuence are indispensable to them,
but whose cautious temper and mod
crate opinions they abhor.
"It would not be at all surprising if
Mr.. Gladstone would become the most
unpopular man in England" But who