The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25
caoY * Earoyaa y6aWli> VIZ aHr
THE SUN, SUNDAY. OCTOBER Is. 1908.

old comrades. the Conservatives, aNnou8n
these had practically ceased to he pro-
tectionists, but on the other hand he had
declined to cast his lot irrevocably with
the Wings, In the spring Of 1855 LORD
Derby repeated the overtures TO him thar
had been made in 1851 and 1855. Mr.. Glad
stone consulted with his Peelite friends,
lord Aberdeen, Graham, Herbert and Card
well. Graham went straight to the point.
He observed that the question Of vital
consequence was, Who should lead the
House Of Commons? A Tory Government,
he thought. should delegate that function
to Gladstone and not to Disraeii. In
memorandum OF the conference made on
April II. 1856, Mr.. Gladstone recorded;
Il had said, and repeated, that thought
we could not bargain Disraeli out OF the
saddle; that il must rest with him lao lar
as we 1.-THE Pselites were concernedl 10
hold the lead il he pleased that. BESIDES
INV looking to il with doubt and dread
felt he had this right, and that took II
as one of the data in the case before US.
in which we might have to consider the
question of political junction. and which
might be seriously affected by 1t. VI
these approaches in the spring OF 1856 noth-
ing came.
In 1857 Mr. Gladstone sided with the Con
servatives on two important OCCASIONS
He attack ed tie budget presented by orne-
wall Lewis, Chancellor of the Exchequer
in ihe Palmerston Government. and ne sup
ported Cobdens motion to censure the raj
merston Government for forcing war on
the Chinese. The motion of censure was
carried but the outcome of the ensuing
appeal to the constituencies was triumph
for Palmerston Mr. Gladstones leaning
toward the Conservative party now seemed
to become more decided rather than less
He could see nothing but evil in Palmer
s,on's supremacy. He fought furiously
the divorce bill introduced by the Palmer
ston Government in the summer OF 1901
and managed to secure some notifications
Of the measure. In February, 1858, he CO.
operated with Bright and Miner GIBSON IN
their successful attack on the Conspiracy
to Murder bill prompted by Orsinis attempt
to assassinate Napoleon III J. that overthrow
Lord Pamerston. Lord Derby. who was
now called upon to form his second ao-
minstr ation, made one more attempt
to bring Mr. Gladst one back into the Con-
servative ranks. The decision taken by
him in response to this overture, and TO
a second application made three months
later. marks one OF the turning points
in Gladstone's career. MIR, Morley thinks
that Mr. Gladstone was influenced TO q
certain extent in his rejection OF the Con-
servative leaders proposal by letter from
John Bright who pointed out that III you
,oin Lord Derby, you link your fortunes
with constant minority and with party
in the country which is every day lessening
in numbers and in power II you remain
on our side of the House you are with
the majority, and no Government can be
formed without you At this time Mr.
Glacstones political friends were uneasy
about him. He was approaching n1ty,
and it locked as il he were destined to fall
between two stools. In the spring Of 1858,
even friendly journalists wrote OF him AZ
the mort signal example that the present
time affords of the man Of speculation mig
placed and lost in the labyrinth OF practical
politics" They called him the chief orator
and the weakest man in the House OF Com
mons In organs supposed to he inspired
by Disrael the fate of Mr., Gladstone was
predicted with equal precision. In phrases
that sound as If they had dropped from
Disraelis lips the public was told that
cerebral natures, men OF mere intellect
without moral passion, are quite unsuited
for governing mankind.
Another Tory writer called him A Simeon
Stylites among the Statesmen OF his time.
Nevertheless when in May, 1883. Lord Ellen
borough resigned the presidency OF the
Board of Control in the Tory Cabinet, Lord
Derby pressed Mr. Gladstone 10 take that
post. or should he prefer it, the Colonial
ONCE. After consulting Lord Aberdeen
and Sir James Graham Mr. Gladstone
declined the offer. in spite of letter from
Mr.. Disraeh (here reprintetD which reflects
much credit on its writer. and which assured
Mr.. Glad one hat whatever Office he might
consent TO fill in Tory Cabinet, hs shin
ing qualities would always render him
supreme" In October, 1858. Mr. Gladstone
accepted from Bulwer Lytton, Secretary for
the Colonies in Lord Derby's Cabinet, the
appointment of commissioner for the Ionian
Island This although the Peelite friends
whose advice he sought were, with one
exception more or less Internationally
adverse to his acceptance Of the commits
sionership The immediate outcome Of
the observations made by him at first hand
was that it would be nothing less than a
crime against the safety Of Europe II Eng
land we're to surrender the protectorate over
the Ionian Islands That was what he said
in 1850 In 1852. however he changed his
| mind and declared that without good
head for Greece, | should not like to see
the Ionian protectorate surrendered; NTH
it I should lie well pleased, for one, TO be
responsible for giving it up" 1t will he
remembered that in 1863 Lord Palmerst on +,
who in 1850 had said that it would be great
folly TO surrender Corfu. handed all tho
Ionan islanG err. yer to heir kinsfolk if kins-
| folk they truly were, upon the Greek main
land.
In the division of June II, 1859, which
resulted in the defeat Of the Derby Govern
ment Mr. Gladstone voted with the Con-
servatives evertheless, in the Cabinet
formed few days later by Lord Palmerston.
he accepted the Office of Chancellor of the
Exohequey. The appointment and the
| acceptan Of it occasioned a good deal
| Of remark The advanced Liberals were
disguised They said: This man has done
all he could on behalf Of Lord Derby Why
| is he here to keep out one of us?' Even
| so,,a IF Mr. CIaistOne' private friend q