New-York tribune., 1900-05-23

With these volumes the autobiography of
Lord Selborne is brought to an end. In the first
instalment given the authors account OF
the formative influences of his life and of his
professional and political labors down to 1862
the nid-point of his term Of office as Attorney
General In the second the narrative is car
ried on through the record Of the successes ana
honors with which the strenuous living OF ihose
earlier wears was rewarded. to the description,
by his daughters hand, OF his serene and peace
ful death. The whole is the story of life as
noble and useful it was long-of efghty-three
years all of them well spent
A career so distinguished was certainly worthy
OF permanent record Though Lord Selberne
was not of the greatest of lawyers, he stcoo
in the front rank of his profession and was the
recipient of its highest honors. Though he was
not a great statesman, he exerted a considerable
influence upon public affairs and was for many
years trusted adviser and leader of his party.
And the like may be said of his character
Fortunately for Anglo-Saxon civilization, that
combination of virtues and social graces which
makes the high minded, high souled gentleman
is not so rare to he in itself particularly in
teresting from biographical point of view; but
in Lord Seborne IT appeared in such perfection
that a detailed characterization Of his person
ality is far from being superfiuous or common
place. One cannot but feel. however, after
form in which the record has been left is some
what inappropriate. He who writes his own life
and at such length-must, to escape the charge
of egotism convince his readers that his acts
and experiences Were important or remark
able. his thoughts and emotions interest
ing that he is justified in furnishing an accu-
rate account OF them himself. This conviction
Lord Selborne does not produce There is moth
ing meriting remembrance in what he was did
thought that a sympathetic bographer, using
the material at hand could not have recorded
adequately in one-half the space. Nor it be
said that the personal form of the narrative is
altogether justified by his comments upon the
important events in which he played part.
For while these comments numerous and
often interesting they are. for the most Part,
not concerned with men and events objectively
considered, but with his personal relations to
them-relations which are not always histori-
caly interesting or important.
1t is in these comments, however. that the
majority OF the readers will find the chief in
terest Of the book The first volume furnishes
several notable passages of this kind, the most
interesting Of which, from the American point
of view, are the chapters devoted to the Treaty
OF Washington and the Geneva arbitration. In
the latter Lord selborne (then Sir Roundell
Palmer acted counsel for the British Gov
ernment. experimenting the preparation of the
ments before the tribunal at Geneva. He was
also frequently consulted during the progress of
the negotiations that resulted in the treaty.
There was no one. accordingly, who in a
better position than he to know the ins and
outs OF the whole matter, and his account of the
events that led up to the establishment of the
tribunal and of its deliberations is one of the
most instructive that have been written. His
views were undoubtedly affected by the fact
that he held a brief for of the parties-his
native land-and his criticism of the findings Of
the court and Of some Of its members per-
haps not strictly Just. But when allowance is
made for this not unnatural lack Of impartiality
one is forced TO admit that his presentation of
the British point Of view is a forcible one.
SPACE is lacking here for any statement Of his
views with regard to the treaty, which the
whole he defends, though he quotes without
very vigorous disapproval some rather savage
remarks of Lord Russell against it, and the
''wiles and subtleties of American lawyers
Recent events, however. make it Of interest to
quote the concluding paragraph of the chapter
which he devotes to IT. Looking back" he says,
ct think that neither Lord RusselPs anticipa-
tons my own have been fully reaIized-his
perhaps more nearly than my I not
myself under any illusion to the probable re-
suit of such process that of international
arbitration without. and still under,
of such a treaty. upon a more cordial state Of
the public relations between the two countries
than we have since experienced on any occasion
which could put it to the test Had he been
writing to-day. may we'll believe that he
would have admitted that the treaty was, in
fact, a great step not only toward the ultimate
acceptance of arbitration a substitute for
war, but also and more Immediately. toward
the establishment Of genuine sympathy and CO.
operation between the two great English speak
ing nations. The world moves slowly. but pes
sin1ism with regard to these great matters is
never justifable.
In his remarks upon the proceedings a Geneva
the lack Of impartiality of which we have
spoken comes out with the greatest distinctness
The tone of the American case" he asserts
was acrimonious, totally wanting in interna-
tional courtesy" while that of the British was
''studiously respectful to the United States"
He denounces particularly the indirect claims
computed by Mr.. Gladstone to amount. pos
sbly, to figure exceeding the sum total of
our national debt''-which Great Britain declined
10 submit TO arbitration, and which We're. in
fact thrown out by the arbitrators at the sug-
gestion of Mr.. Adams in a Spontaneous dec
laration'' framed for them by Lord Selborne
With very questionable taste he impugns the
impartiality Of the arbitrators and their COM
potency judges. stating practically in so many
words that the others, except, of course Sir
Alexander Cockburn. took their cues from Mr.
Adams. Impartiality was not TO be expected
he argues. from arbitrators selected from Brazil,
a land with a grudge against England: from
Switzerland. country without a seaboard,
which could never be neutral in a maritime
war. and might lay down the most extreme
doctrines TO the obligations of maritime
ffyr with ro.