New-York tribune., 1900-07-29
THE LATE G. W. sTEETEyS.
,kwood's AIasaz.ne-

From BlaCkwood's Magazine
That he called himself a Radical at oxford. o.
for the first days after leaving oxford Is i4-e-E
enough The political opinions OF oo}5 az yN-
ford are not formed profound conviction I1-T
come from family ana other connections, from
an idea that Conservatism is the ge1r-r1s,--.-
profession. from revolt against that Idea. a-lI
from such like causes generally Stevens wore
n soft hat at oxford as Mr. Henley SAYS and
to do so at that period was sort OF symbol q
sort of badge, OF those who we're all Tor intellect
who desDised fashions and the best set. and
all that. Loosely 70 call himself a Radical c--
lunSed to the same order CL consequences an
about as Important DatUra. result ~
training and envlronment-a very tra@n5-t0r1 re-
suit. too When ne came INTO the Wur-i a-i
made friends of practical men, and looked about
for himself his FddiCaliSHI was put away
earlier than the soft hat. in fact I cannot be-
Heve that he was ever a Radical in the Man
chester School" sense, and am certain that he
ceased to be one in any received sense He was
not mere Conservative; vested interests were
not TO him the hOliest OF human facts. I think
he had faith in ToryiSm as . constructive policy.
and therefore was DIT OF a SoclallsL as Vel
For IL IS or Ougnt to be, a commonplace tAat
TOryism, distinct from mere COnseTvatiS-l,
and Socialism, distinct from ignorant sham
Communism, have much IN common Here IS q
quotation in point: In his In Search OF
Famine" page 255 OF his volume, ne wrote
Il do not wish to alarm ANYBODY by anarchist
opinions, but think landlord who draws -e--
from the land and makes il no return in the
shape Of residence and intelligent supervision o-
Fis tenants is little better than robter." That
sentence is consistent with Intelligent Socialism
and Intelligent TOTyiSm alike. There IS nothing
in the attitude it OiSclOSeS 10 favor Little Eng
Iandlsm aid peace at any price. Indeed. TIM
assertion that Stevens had either OF these
strange CreedS is ludiCrOuSly untrue Be-
lief in the Imperial destiny OF England was h,-l
a conviction and enthusiasm with him.
That he could have expressed such a De..as
without really holding IL is q suggestion utterly
opposed to the essentials of his character. For
honesty in the very make OF him. Even
the harmless light hypOcriSieS of social life were
irksOme to him, and to the end when The Wur-t
had greatly overcome his natural ShyuesS-
the Shyness begOtten of much study and a u-r-
row enVirOnment-and he was in COuSeuiaI CONF
pany the best Of cornpaniOnS-tO the end C.S-
liked presence would drive him into his shell.
Since his character has been mentioned it may
be added that the salient. obvious points OF .
were native TeaSOua bleneSS and kindness ana
a native dignity which neither took nor allowed
a liberty Below that was strength of purp $50
and viii which made his character even q. 70
remarkable (aS MIR. Henley SaySl than his lu-
tellgenCe. That strength enabled him easily t1
throw of any hamperinE ShaCklSS that may r--
main from dOnnish training. carried him
through physical trials. in the Souiau for eN-
ample, before which his sound but not over
strong physique must tthat strength apLro have
failed. and won him the personal respect as his
kindness ana StraiShtfOTWaVdDeSS won him t1e
liking, of types Of EnEIShmen whose tTAlL-a-s
had been poles apart from his