The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-10-28
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN.

the late LORD Granville AND aIthou,,.
the department of which he was the
chief was the so-called board of trade,
which had no connection with Great
Britain's foreign policy, yet he was so
much taken up by the. latter that he
threatened to resign his seat In the Glad
stone cabinet If England took any part
in the international attempt to coerce
the Greek fleet and the Greek nation into
yielding to the demands of the Sublime
Porte. 1t is only necessary to glance
over his political utterances since that
time, and to examine the course of Eng
lands foreign and colonial history since
he parted company from Mr.. Gladstone
on the home rule question in 1886, in or
der to appreciate how little he deserves
to be charged with having ever been
anything else than an imperialist of the
type of Palmerston and Pitt.
If any doubt existed as to the important
part which he has played in these two
phases Of Great Britain's policy, it would
be dispelled by the mere circumstance
that he has become the most commanding
figure In the public life of the great
British empire, a statesman whose pres
tige both at home and abroad has en-
tirely eclirsed that of all his colleagues
tn> the cabinet, even of that past master
in diplomacy, the Marquis Of Salisbury,
and while out of Englnad he Is regarded
the British government Of the present
day, by his own countrymen, both in
the United Kingdom and in the colonies,
ne Is looked upon as the boldest and
most aggressive champion of British
rights and British interests in all parts
of the world.
For some weeks the question of peace
and war in South Africa has practically
rested In his hands land while there are
many who, just because he has never
been known to shirk fight or to evade
an issue, believe him to be bent upon
plunging his country into all the horrors
OF sangufnary conflict, those who know
him better are aware that, on the con-
trary ne has been straining every nerve
to avert war. True, he has all along
been determined. upon securing the ac-
ceptance Of England's demands by the
Transvaal, which, BRIEFLY speaking, IRE
to the effect that Englishmen should
have the same civic rights in the Trans
vaal as the Beers have in Great Britain
and her colonies, and that the Boer gov
eminent should observe the agreement
of 1884, which invested Queen Victoria
with the control of it's foreign relations.
the object, of course, being to prevent
the Transvaa1 from becoming a center
OF %.,. French OF German intrigue against
British interests in South Africa.
But Mr.. Chamberlain is sufficiently
clever to realize that If he is able to OBJ
tain the acceptance of his demands with
out war, by means of diplomatic pressure,
and even by threats, it will be a far
greater feather In his cap as a states
man than if he is eventually compelled
to resort to arms. He has much more to
gain by the maintenance of peace than by
declaration of war, and the pictures
which are constantly drawn in the press
of Fighting joe spelling for a spat
and being held by Lord Salisbury and
other more practically minded members
of the cabinet, are wholly the work of
imagination. S
But so mitch is known Of Joseph Cham
berlain's public career that few words
regarding his private life and character
may prove of more interest. I find that
have made use above of the expression
to the effect that he was ''straining every
nerve" Now, although Mr.. Chamberlain
has plenty Of nerve more so than any
of his colleagues, there is no one in the
cabinet, with the possible exception of the
Duke Of Devonshire, who is more en-
tirely devoid Of what are known as
nerves. He is the most self-possessed
man that 1t has ever been my lot to meet,
and gives at no time stronger evidence
thereof than when making a public
speech: -1.a-. ~. s.U-.s-1. Ill.,. ~.
True, he does not, like his friend and
ally, the duke, pause in the middle Of his
discourse to yawn, and then explain, by
way Of apology, that the speech is so
dreadfully .dreary; but his utter absence
Of nervousness is displayed in, the most
amusing manner by the management Of
his cigar. When making an after din
ner speech most men become quite OBJ
ivious of the fact that at the moment
of rising they are smoking, and they per-
NIT their cigars to go out. Not so Mr..
Chamberlain, whose weed is still alight
at the close of even his very longest
speech. He manages this In a willy and
even effective way by employing the in
tervals occasioned by applause in attend
ing to his cigar. It is an edifying thing
to see him reviving his half-extinguished
weed while the applause is ringing, and
malicious persons have been heard to say
that Joe makes his best point when he
sees that his cigar needs attention.
1t may be added that Mr.. Chamberlain
has exceptional advantages, inasmuch as
his speeches are always plentifully
broken in this way. But all the same,
the feat is indicative of the clear-headed-
ness, GOODNESS and absence of all nervous
ness on the part Of the man.
Perhaps the best criterion Of a mans
character is to be found In his domestic
Of the present administration in this re-l
spect, doubt whether there Is any one
OF the ministers who is happier in his
home life than the statesman whom every
man. woman and child in England refers
to Familiarity as "Joe." His lovely coun-
try seat at Highbury is literally crowded
with valuable works Of art, composing the
masterpieces Of Leighton, of Marcus
Stone and OF Turner.
But in his own library the places Of
honor on the walls are occupied by a
large collection Of childish sketches and
blotchy paintings, bearing very necessary.
labels, to the effect that this is a1erob-
binn, this is a tree" etc. These are
Christmas cards drawn by the children
their earliest attempts-whe chubby
hands found 1t hard to hold a pencil and
paint brush. They were a labor of love
these Christmas cards, because Father
always likes SO much what the little ones
had drawn their very own selves, So
there they have remained, after many
years, in the place Of honor, bearing sii-
ent witness to that side Of Mr. Chamber
lafn's character which always excites the
admiration Of those who have the prtvi-
lege of knowing him Eat home
Singularly happy, too, is Mr. Chamber
lain in his present wife,, daughter of
President C1eveland's first secretary Of
war, W. G.. Endicott OF Salem, Mass. Mrs.
Chamberlain is a particular favorite of
the queen. and 1t may safely be asserted
that no American woman has ever stood
SO high in the good graces Of Her Maj
esty as "JOe's" wife. The favor Of the
aged sovereign was shown when, at the
time Of her Jubilee she conferred upon
Mrs. Chamberlain not the silver but the
golden jubilee medal. Mrs. Chamberlain
is one Of the very few non-royal ladies to
have been thus distinguished, the gold
medal having been reserved for the menu
beers OF the reigning house and of foreign
sovereign families, while the silver medal
was given to the court dignitaries, the
ministers, the ambassadors and functions
aries Of one kind and another.
Th.. nm, e-rencv MT