The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25

Government IN BOl1tlUu 70 ~ INV w
eide without one moments hesitation.
The Acceptance Of once under Lord
Palmerston il commonly regarded as
chief landmark in Gladstone's protracted
Journey from Toryism to Liberalism
Mr. Morley does not deny the enormous
significance of the party wrench. but he
holds that II was not a conversion faimers-
ton was 30 much Of a Derbyite Tory that
his Government owed its long spell OF
power to the countenance OF Derby ana
his men. To Join the Palmerston Admin
istration. therefore, marked for the new
Chancellor OF the Exchequer party sever
ance but no change Of principles, His present
biographer would say that at this time
Mr.. Gladstone was in his politics a Liberal
reformer of Turgot's type. a born lover
Of good government, Of Just practical laws
Of wise improvement Of public business
well handled, Of State that should emanci-
pate and serve the individual. On the
other hand. the necessity OF summoning
a new driving force and amending the
machinery of the Constitution had not
vet disclosed itself to him. Meanwhile.
he may we'll have thought that he saw
as good chance Of doing as important
work with Palmerston as with Disraeh;
indeed. a far better chance. for the election
Just concluded had shown that Derby
Government could exist only on suffer-
ance.
Mr.. Gladstone remained Chancellor OF
the Exchequer from 1859 until the Liberal
Government resigned in June. 1855. He
was not the leader Of the party in the House
Palmerston's death, in October, 1895. Up
to that time, OF course, Palmerston was
the leader, and his first lieutenant was
Sir George Grey. When Earl Russell sue
ceeded Palmerston a. head OF the Liberal
Administration he requested Mr.. Glad
stone to lead the Ministerial forces in the
lower house. and then it was that the
Chancellor of the Exchequer came to be
definitely recognized by British Liberals
as their rising star. He could not save
his party from defeat. however, In June,
1885, for certain features OF its Reform
bill gave offence to Q section OF the Liberals.
the 90 called Adullamites. who, headed by
Robert Lowe, seeded from their party
and helped the Tories to overthrow Earl
Russell's Government. It was MIR. Glad
stone who, as leader Of the Opposition,
confronted Mr.. Disraeli during the next
two eventful years, and it was he who in
June, 1893, after Mr. Disraeli, through Lord
Derby's resignation, had become Prime
Minister, forced him to dissolve Parlia-
ment by carrying a resolution to the effect
that the Anglican Church in Ireland should
cease to exist as an establishment. At
the ensuing general election. in November.
lses the Liberals gained a tremendous
victory and on Dec. Mr.. Gladstone was
invited to form a Cabinet With his &C.
cession 10 his first Premiership the first
thirty-five years OF his public life came
to an end. The greatest work Of his career
belongs to the next quarter Of a century,
during half OF which period he was to be
Prime Minister. The memorable events
which belong to that eliminating epoch
OF his life must be reserved for notice on
another occasion. 1t will be convenient
at this point to pause and mark Mr.. Glad
stones relation to the Italian Revolution
and to the American civil war,
v.
We find no record in this biography Of
any fervent expression Of sympathy on Mr.
1s4s in France, Germany. Hungary and
Italy. 1t is true that in July, 1851. he pub
lished some memorable letters denouncing
the ubiquitous treatment Of political Of
tenders by the Neapolitan Government.
Not then, however. nor for some years to
come, did Mr.. Gladstone grasp the idea Of
Italian unity. You need not be afraid,
I think" he told Lord Aberdeen on Dec. 1,
1851, of Mazzinism from me. still less of
Kossuthism, which means the other plus
imposture, Lord Palmerston and his nation
alities." In 1859, however, Mr.. Gladstone
stood forth as a convinced and enthusiastic
advocate OF the doctrine OF nationalities.
On no statesman OF his time did that doc
trine gain a more commanding hold.
Throughout the series OF transactions that
followed the peace OF Villafranca. transact
tions that transformed the Kingdom of
Sardinia into the Kingdom Of Italy, Mr.,
Gladstones sympathies never wavered,
As early as April IS. 1859, while Europe
was an1iously watching the prospects of
war between France and Austria, Mr.. Glad
stone declared in Parliament his firm con-
viction that no plan Of peace could be dura-
BILE which failed to effect some mitigation
of the sore evils affecting the Italian PENN
sula. He was eXasperated at the unex-
pected preliminaries Of Villafranca. L
little thought" he wrote in July, 1859, ito
have lived to see the day when the conclu
sion of peace should in my own mind cause
disgust rather than impart relief But
that day has come. l appreciate all the
difficulties Of the position. both Of the King
of Sardinia and Of Count Cavour II Is
hardly possible for me to pass judgment
upon his (Cavour 81 resignation as a political
step; but l think few will doubt that the
moral character of the act is high. The
duties OF England in respect 10 the Italian
question are limited by her powers, and
these are greatly confined. But her senti-
ments cannot change, because they are
founded upon a regard to the deepest among
those principles which regulate the inter
course Of men and their formation into
political societies." He heartily concurred
in the views set forth in the famous de-
spatch penned on Oct. 81. 1880, by Lord
John Russell
1t will he remembered that Sicily and
the Neapolitan mainland had Just been
liberated by Garibald, Lord John Russell
said in his despatch; The Governments
of the Pope and the King Of the two Sici-
lies had provided so i'll for the welfare Of
their people that their subjects looked
tn their overthrow as n necessity Drelmi-