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


in the Cabinet to be consulted on the success
sion 20 a Cabinet office is absurd II is tue
which Cabinet ministers do not possess. l have
never known more than a friendly announce
ment before publicity and very partial consui'a-
ton with one or two II IS interesting and per
tinent to recall those words Of the "Old Par
iiamentary Hand" Just now, in view OF the re-
cent pother over Mr.. Balfour's keeping his own
counsel concerning certain designations from MS
Cabinet IL Gladstone scorned the idea that
ministers must be consulted before the appoint
ment OF new colleagues. surely II is strainihg
point demand that they shall he consulteu
upon the acceptance OF designations The Glad-
stone moreover. who thus scorned the idea that
his colleagues must be- taken into his confidence
was the same Gladstone who eloquently and. we
believe, justly described the House of Commons
as "A school OF discipline. great moral school,
a school OF honor. and school of justice.
Honor and justice as well as discipline. then ap-
prove a Prime Minis. er in keeping his own coun-
sci concerning accessions to and designations
from the Cabine..
But the early traits OF Gladstone's mind to
which We have referred in his own language
and the possession OF which his biographef
asoribes TO him. had immediate and depIoI-
able effect They made him critical. eensorlous'
even cantankerous. ana imperilled his whole
whom Tenniel in later years and other circum-
stances compared him. he made himself unpleas-
ant TO his associates and made the House I'M
comfortable TO all other occupants Of IL In
saying this we taking him at his own esti-
mate. He called himself 4 simeon Stylites
and the only Ishmael in the House OF Com
MONS He actually contemplated. as late as
1859. retiring from the House and from public
life permanently in order not 20 be "a cause OF
disturbance any government to which
might generally wish we'll Surely, self-con-
seriousness Of his difficult qualities could
scarcely go further than that 1t will be remem-
bered that he disagreed with Peel on many
points. and there is every reason to suppose that
he would in time have QuarIelled outright with
him and have become his Parliamentary foe had
It not been for the untimely death Of the eIoer
statesman He censured Peel for his eulosy
upon Golden saying that Golden did not de-
serve it. because he had been harsh ana UNJUST
In his denunciation Of opponents; yet Gladstone
himself was unsparing Of those with Whom ne
disagreed. He censured Peel. too, for deciding
10 remain in Parliament and TO act for hlnlseH'
without party, yet that is precisely what
Gladstone himself did for years after Peers
death.
It was in the years following Peel's death that
Gladstone's peculiarities of disposition were
most strongly manifested. II was then that ne
was an "IshmaeL" II was his transition stage
from Toryisn 10 Liberalism. and such a stage,
trying to any mind, agonizing to one Of his
dubious vaclating and complex" mentality.
Lord Derby who had begun as a Wing but had
become a Conservative. repeatedly tried to get
Gladstone into his party and into his Ministry
and there were many who expected to see Glad
stone Weld TO his entreaties and re-enter the
Conservative fold. Nor was ground for such
expectations lacking. Gladstone was at that
time 2 frequent contributor to the ultra Tory
Quarterly Review and was unsparing in his
criticisms Of both factions Of the Wing party
Mr. Morley does not speak Of these Review
utterances though they are. We believe. we'll
authenticated But Mr.. Morley does reveal 10
US for the first time most interesting feature
Of that critical juncture in Gladstone's career.
That is found In the correspondence which
passed between Disraen and Gladstone in 1858.
Disraeli in a tone and manner which we must
regard as generous wrote confidential letter
TO Gladstone urging him to take Office. Il
think it he wrote. of such paramount impor-
lance 70 the public interests that you should
assume at this time a commanding position in
the administration OF affairs that feel it a
solemn duty TO lay before YOU some facts.
Don't you think the time has come when you
might deign TO be magnanimous? 1 may
be removed from the scene. or I may wish
20 be removed from the scene. Every man per
forms his office AMI there IS a power. greater
than ourselves that disposes Of all this.
If YOU join Lord Derby's Cabinet you win meet
there some warm personal friends; all its mem
hers are your admirers. You may place me in
neither category, but IN that, assure you, you
have ever been sadly mistaken. The vacant
post is. at this season. the most commanding in
the common wealth: n it were not. whatever Of
fee you filled. your shining qualities would al
ways render you supreme. and if party necessi-
ties retain me formally in the chief post, the
sincere and delicate respect which should al
ways offer you and the unbounded confidence
which. if you choose. you could command would
prevent your feeling my position as anything
but form Think Of all this in a kindly spirit.
These are hurried lines, but they are heartfelt"
To this Gladstone replied in a letter which Mr..
Morley comedies to have been marked with
comparative stiffness" and accents OF guard
ed reprobation," and which was certainly cir
cuitous and equivocal in terms. The most in
teresting passag in t. apart from his discour-
agernent of the idea that he could serve in the
Derby Ministry. that in which he spoke Of
his personal relations with Disraeli. Il pray
YOU" he said. ito let me say that have never
known you penurious in admiration toward any
one who had the slightest claim upon it, and
that. at no period Of my life. not even the lin
tied one in which we were in sharp political
conflict have I either felt any enmity towards
YOU or believed that you felt any towards me"
Despite this. and despite Gladstone's declara-
ton I'm the same letter that he had never in his
life taken decision which turned upon his re-
lations with DisraeH cannot dismiss the
conviction that Gladstone was. perhaps uncOn-
sciously. moved 10 a large extent by sort Of
moral antipathy toward his great rival The
fact is the two men unlike in tempera-
rnent and mentality that cordial and prolonged