New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-31

still exhibits, an incapacity OF viewing SUBJECTS
all round. in their extraneous as well as III
their internal properties. and thereby OF know
ing when to be silent and when to speak Tine
story that he was a subscriber tc a Confederate
loan is OF course not simply false but VOID Oh
even a shadow OF support. For his error at
Newcastle. ii IS pleasant to add. he largely
atoned in advance by his conduct In connection
! with the Trent affair He was st that time
strong advocate OF delay and moderation ana
did his utmost to secure mobilization OF l1oFd
Russers violent dispatch to the British Minister
/ al Washington.
With all the important details OF Gladstones
political career space will not permit us here
TO deal The reader must be referred TO MI
Morley's impartial and luminous record of them.
The v-etched bunglng of South African mat
ters ius. before and after Majuba Hill, whlch
entailed upon both Beers and British an I'LL
+ measure BILE legacy OF woe, and the tragic 'e
4 Of Egypt the Soudan, and the sacrlhce Oh Ho'-
DON are discussed by Mr.. Morley win ehs"s
/ ing frankness. That he is partial TO Giaos'oie'
policy is only natural. But he does not at'eilp'
to Justify il by the arts OF the speclal pefuei-
Indeed he seems in a measure 10 cen'
Gladstone government for Its conducl "' '1
critical time. in not acceding 10 OfoiuOA
quest that zoebehr Pacha be sent 10 Mill no"
/ would have been a gamblers throw, no doubt
] Mr.. Morley Out NlSii' "ii"'
gamblers throw to send Gordon himself? HaV-
tho r,o7o tba one throw, the government !
should have supported IT with the other. 10 re-
kuo 60 do co was az Mr. Morley truly says
/ g.. ;oobare,cs that the Parliament and people
oF england have not often surpassed Dlau-
stone tried to Justify his refusal TO sehu H0e
bebr on the ground that 1t would nave pro-
,ozed a vote Of censure In Parliament WIZ. US
astrous results. He also said: we oue"' ~
have known that hero OF heroes Is Ho1 INC
nroper person to give effect at distant point
and in most difficult circumstances, to the views
of ordinary men" No. But neither are orol-
nary men, thousands OF miles from the scene |
Of action, the best judges OF what the nero OF |
heroes at the front ought to do; and When they |
have sent the hero of heroes-such Charles |
Gordon was, If there ever was one-to the front i
on such an Grand ordinary men ought to defer |
to his judgment and give him a free hand and |
the support he asks We have always re-
garded the desertion, not to say betrayal. of
Gordon as the most difficult incident in Glad |
stones career to explain in a satisfactory and
consistent manner and we are grateful to Mr. |
Morley for authortatively recording that All
through this critical month MIR. Gladstone was
suffering more or less from indisposition which |
he found it difficult to throw on Upon the |
ground Of a temporary failure OF his faculties
more readily than upon any other, we may |
acquit him of the guilt OF Gordons death, and |
hold that even in that time OF shame and gloom |
ne did not forfeit the confidence of the world |
in his moral integrity.
Some of the most interesting chapters end
the most eloquent, in Mr.. Morleys work, are
those which deal with the Irish Home Rule bust |
ness No other man now living approaches Mr. |
Morley in capacity TO write Of that great cpl |
NJ because he |
was Gladstone's most trusted and confidential |
colleague and adviser. We cannot say that he |
adds much that Is new to orr knowledge or |
those times but he does give us a singularly |
luminous and comprehensive view OF the sit |
uation in all its phases and ramifications. espe-
cially showing how essential II seemed to AL |
men that something radical should be done |
about Ireland and how certain II was that some |
sweeping proposals would be made by some one |
else. If not by Gladstone. Mr.. Chamberlain In /
1855 made decidedly radical suggestions In the |
direction Of Irish autonomy. But when the |
final ANALYSIS came, It was found that he and |
Gladstone. who had seemed to agree. were really !
far and funda mentally apart. When two men |
Of clear minds and firm will mean two essen |
TALLY different things under the same name" |
saws Mr.. Morley, with Just discretion, and |
each intends 10 stand by his own Interpretation, |
It is childish to suppose that arts of department
gence or make people who quite aware how |
vitality they differ pretend that they entirely |
agree" Mr.. Morley doubtless thinks that Mr. |
chamberlain was wrong in his Interpretation Of
terms and that, having taken the ground he |
did take IN 1885 he should have supported Glad |
stones bill Nevertheless the impression pro- |
duced upon the mind by his narrative is that |
Mr. Chamberlain was not guilty of any treach- |
cry or bad faith to Gladstone. but acted well |
rlohf pf {Od ndpY1t
mind.
We cannot. however, now tarry longer over |
these fascnationg volumes. Consideration OF |
other features OF their story must be reserved |
for another time and complete acquaintance |
with II must be referred and recommended to the |
individual reader-if. indeed recommendation |
be required in the case OF work which is es- |
scntial to the completeness Of every library and
" hich no man who wishes to understand the |
English history Of the last seventy-fve years |
can afford not to read The theme is one of
profound interest the record Of n man at once |
great and good must ever be. There was no |
man nf his time more loved and followed, and |
nore more feared and opposed than Gladstone !
II was said Of him after Palmerston's death |
that he was hated" But rational man can |
deny him greatness among the half dozen |
greatest rren Of an age not poor in greatness |
HIS mark upon the history of the United King |
dom Of the British Empire and OF the human !
race is broad, deep and perpetual Yet, to re-
turn II our first estimate, he not only great
and good but he was great largely and chiefly |
| because he was good and because the world had |
faith IN his goodness. IL was not so much what |
be did rs what he was that counted. For when |
we review ms political career he is seen not.