The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-04-18
felt on this score have not been real I


OF the attention of his fathers guests
is demonstrated by the fact that the
Life Of Shakespeare" that he has
contributed since he has been in public
life to an edition Of the illustrious
bard's poems has excited the admira-
ton Of men who have devoted more
years of study to the works Of Shaks-
peare than George Wyndham has
spent in the world altogether.
He started life as soldier, and as
an officer of the Coldstream guards
took part in the Suakim campaign
against the dervishes, receiving both
the English medal and the khedivial
star for his services. He left the army
to become private secretary to his
close friend, Arthur Balfour, when the
latter was in charge Of the Irish de-
partment, and attracted public atten-
ton by the controversial letters which
he published in the London daily pa
pers in defense Of his chief and Of the
latter's policy. The mastery Of fact
which they showed was so great and
the hitting so hard and so neatly
placed that the public at first imagin-
ed that they came from the pen Of Mr..
Balfour himself. Nor was it until the
tory leaders nominated him as the
conservative candidate for Dover, and
he entered the house of commons as
q member for that constituency, that
the public realized that he was fully
capable of having written the letters
in question himself.
He soon made mark for himself
at Westminster, and ere long was ap-
pointed to the financial secretaryship
Of the war department. The period
which the conservatives were out of
oftice-namely: from 1892 to 1895-he
devoted to travel in south Africa, and
after thoroughly mastering the prob
lens connected with that portion Of
,ne world attached himself to the
fortunes Of Cecil Rhodes, acting as the
semi official representative of the latter
in the house Of commons, and likewise
championing his cause on the south
African parliamentary committee ap-
pointed to investigate the jameson
raid and the affairs of his chartered
company. 1t was while thus repre-
senting Cecil Rhodes that he founded
the Outlook, one Of the brightest Of
the London weekly papers, which,
during the lifetime of Cecil Rhodes,
was popularity supposed to be MAIN
tanned at his expense, while its policy
at any rate at first was directed and
controlled by George Wyndham.
On Lord Curzon being promoted to
the viceroyalty Of India, and st. John
Brodricll being selected to take his
place as assistant to Lord Salisbury
ut the foreign office, Wyndham was
appointed to the under secretaryship
Of state for war, and during the earlier
stages Of the Boer war performed in
a wonderfully clever manner the diff
tcult and ungrateful task of explain
ing to a terribly disappointed people
how it had happened that an army on
which they had for years been spend
ing almost as much money as Is de-
voted annually by Germany to mil
itary expenses should have met with
the most humiliating reverses OH the
first occasion that it was called upon
to encounter white men instead of
Asiatics and Africans. Not only did
he succeed in doing this to such an
extent that popular confidence was
restored in the defeated troops and
outmaneuvered generals, but he like
wise by his eloquence called forth Il
burst Of patriotism sufficiently strong
to silence to a great extent party dit
ferences and to lead men Of rival
political factions to resolve to support
the government in it's efforts to carry
the war to successful issue. On
the next ministerial reorganization
Lord Salisbury assigned the post of
Irish secretary to George Wyndhanl,
and SO we'll did he fulfill the popular
expectations in connection with his
management Of this most difficult and
arduous post Of the entire administra-
ton that when Arthur Balfour be.
came premier George Wyndham was
admitted to the cabinet, in which he
is Ireland's chief representative.
Although Wyndham's official title is
that Of chief secretary to the lord
lieutenant and viceroy of Ireland, yet
he is virtually the latter's superior
officer. For the present viceroy, Lord
Dudley, does not have Il seat in the
cabinet and is merely the ttular ex.
ecutive Of measures decided upon by
the cabinet OH the Recommendation
and suggestion Of George Wyndham
who is to far greater extent than the
viceroy the real administrator and
ruler Of the Emerald isle.
George Wyndham, although OH the
sunny side Of 40, can boast Of being
grandfather-that is to say, he has
step-grandchildren. For his wife hi;
a son and two daughters by her former
marriage to the late Earl Grosvenor
who have all three married and have
children. The son is the duke Of