Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-12-14
lIlEnIER SALISBURY.

"A meTlEhDS Bdf . Wv fffsff~ ~
inc a sort of casual wonder at the hold /
which the aristoeratic tradition still
retains over the MIND Of the English
neonleh Our newspapers are full Of
anecdotes, more or less autheptic, OF /
fho escapades Of this. that apd the |
other peer Oh the realm Of the Enar-
riage@of one with q ehorus girl; 81 tAe
b,annkruptcy 81 another; ofths net that |
ETH another has become an actor, 81 ~
driving a coster. cart, or grlndlng 2
hand organ for o living; and the I'M
PRESTON sought to be conveyed ip speak-
ing Of the English nobility is an I'm
preston Of degeneracy, effemlnaey,
luxury and decay. There is certainly
material enough fci scandal mopgers IN
the annals OF the British aristocraoy;
but as no system ought to be judged
by its superficial defects, but rather by
its nduripg merits and supreme
acbievements, is only the shallow.
minded person who will form hnal
opinion Of agreat historical institution
upon the basis of a chronique scan
daleuse.
at the present moment, in the public
| life Of England, using that werd IN its
most national and most COMPREHENSIVE
! sense, there stands out today one great
conSpicuous figure, The contemplating
Of which ought alone to explain Q great
| deal which to thoughtless persons ap-
pears ut times to be inexplicabl. This
figure is the present Prime Minister Of
| England % figure so stately, so signifi-
cant, so full Of historic menning, US to
| deserve from every man of Anglo Saxon
| lineage thoughtful and, one may
almost SOY, a reyerential consideration.
Lord Salisbury represents indeed, in
\ the first place, all that il best and
soundest and strongest in the history
| Of our race as q race that governs; and
in the second place he represents some.
thing which Is nowhere to be found
beyond the limits Of the British empire,
and that is mastery and absolute
afijcieney coupled with touch OF the
supreme distinction WHICH seldDm il
egar eap be feupd in GppntriGs Ebere
| the ariSteeratie Traditions have become
extinct.
| Lord Salisbury represents an evolu-
ton; for no man, whatever be his ma
tive gifts and the advantages Of bis on
yjronmept, can attain at once the full
ness and the maturity Of what esists
within him. When the Marquis 81
Salisbury was only Lord Robert Cecil,
q younger san With no especial pros
poets, Yet possessed of family traditions
WHICH hampered rather than helped
him, he Was BY no means a promising
Subject for political praphees HIS
| was q rather obstinate, wilfnl, sareas
| it's yagng man With an acute intellect
but With: little tset; and for various
! reasons he had become astranged from
bis family, SO that he was practically
eamIeled to earn a Lying by bis own
axertions. For years he made an in:
come from his pen, writing leaders foI
the london journals, and articles 10,
the magazines, acquiring perhaps IL
this way something OF the sense 81
style and something Of the literary
feliGjtY Of phasing for which ~ latel
years DO has besn remarkable. Later,
he antsyad the House Of Commons anc
was, while there, something Of fret
lapGa, displeasipg the leaders OF his
parfs and showing still with oil hii
brilIialay Q certain intractable OBJ
!. stipany, an unfnrtnnately powerful gift
. al sJreasp, and q willingness to wound
: which led Lord Beaeppstield 10 char
; aateFiza him IN q memorable phrase q
~ master Of hants and gibes anf
, sResys. n Fhsre was as yet no eYidenc
: Thai ba had within him any sepse o
SHgi9ps responsibility ar that pc yiewes
: ststaSylaaaship etherWise than IN thl
. eypiGaI spirit Of one who thinks tina
if politics there is only ia he faund 81
: sxcjliHg game jn whiah one's eaemie
a aIa % % pgnisbsa aod ona's friend
Tia asspmptinp Of etiice and the in
! hsFiipnea NJ the headshig Of his hnus
/ eRRcjed a psrlaptiRle change in tn
: Rttituda nj this distinguished man. Ii
vas still dayaia af tact; he was still
\ iHarGil US aud almast sa yage debater an,
b eYaieyi but in his official acts ther
AAgap TO appear q caution and . con
!. segVAtjan which have been NOR
J strongly marked in later years - a
: timas. iRdsad, 50 much SO as t
J lead the superficial 10 misyndey
| STAND him aud to thiak biz
y tipia. Even SO kaan judge Of nae
as Prince Blsmarek made this nuriou
2 mistaka, When Lnrd Salisbury az
!. eampanied his brilliant ehiaf 10 th
). Congress oil Rerlin ip 1878 and retuEE
z ed, having brought back, Us Lar
= RaDlpnsfiala expressed IT. Hpeane wit
hapor,n there was circulated in th
diplamatie warld q phrase Of His
aarek's oaining, which aftarxsrd bs
y came known to all tho wnrld and whie
: Described LaId Salisbury % "a lat
y PAINTED to assemble iran;' AID tai
gihe has never CEASED to be hraugt
fafth wheneper for tha mumant III
a gseat Prime Minister has baen stren
"a enough to Withstand the clamars OF h
u PARTY and the uErnar Of the music haili
4. apd to eyareisa thu wise, far-seein
\ - ssIf:eoptral which is the highest attr
= hgte af craftsmanship.
,r What Lerd Salisbury is Today I'll
II world 10 only Just beginning to di
II eaFer. Within the last tive years
n has cast aside the lasl few TeH,HaRts
~ his youthful indiseretien, ana has b,
n come not only taettHl, aet sHly scAsis
81 emf and digaitisa and sarene, but hi
"a attained also to 2 esFtaia leftIHass al
- breadth asd esmfrsheHsipenee
H thousht and pslioy which dsserys con
IL paEison with the tisest ,sualities thl
NJ EHglasd's greatest rulers have sxsp
~ plihed, y. There is, however, samsthir
q, mere than nsess ability, seaaash IL
M more than. iatelieetual sssendaae
q, something mers than insight az
an clarity OF .pisisR@abeut bis statesman
ns ship. There As .ths aRishiae teue
AZ which ean he inaaaptsd esly by the hs
ne tpAditiapR .sf an asistocrasy, such
4. that o. England. 10 great nehls iii
h, IAsd aalisburg, whose name and tit
10 DO haexs 70. EIixshsthan Gays, pst
y. disttnotioasof GLASS and #ank and deco
pnnn allan and ihsissia do .net. aYist. lie
y" abopa them all Rsyalty itself Tor hi
Ia but an aoaidsat Of history or n
tiehaE eaaxanlsaea, 4lis misd is a
OF distusbsa nav yet distraassd by popul
n, olssHsr on ths enc. haad, nsr.. Ay ii