The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-26

Carthy. 1.-THE History of Our Own
Times, After reading the first time
Judge O'Connor Morris's life of Ma
poleon, which l found so extremely
engaging and fair, l wondered for
years at it, Finally, / found he was
a Judge and an lrishman, and then l
saw whence the fairness came, and
the greatest modern genius was duly
exalted 1 have read Morris's book
again within two years.
Early last year an interesting illus
trated volume appeared entitled FER
sonal "reminiscences of the Duke OF
wellington, With Sketches of Some of
His Guests and Contemporaries" 1t
was by the late Rev. George X. Glelg,
Chaplain of Her Majesty's Forces, and
published in England. 1t seems that
Arthur Wellesley did not have a hap
py boyhood, as his mother cared but
little for him. He made no figure at
Elton, where he was educated, nor did
he make an impression at Anglers,
where he was taught and drilled for
n soldier. He was remarkably indol-
ent. Wellington was the enemy of
the people, and dreaded real demo-
cracy. Mr.. Gleig writes:
"The Duke was heart and soul an
arlstocrat, and never pretended to be
ANYTHING else. He earnestly desired
that the people should be full and
wisely governed, but he secuted the
idea that wise and just rulers We're to
be found among the uneducated class
es. According to his view of the case
and have not time and events con-
firmed 1.-THE lower you bring the
franchise i'm a constitutional monarchy
the nearer you come to democracy of
all the forms of government under
which to live the most deteStable."
And what has been the matter with
the old British aristocracy through
the centuries? Bad, offensive laws
for the people have been the curse
of that country. Wellington developed
talents for foreign affairs, it appears.
He hated Russia, and was a poor
statesman. His marriage was unfort-
innate and uncongenial. He had dis
covered that while he had been absent
the lady had been engaged to another
person, and had kept silent concern
ing it. The Duke, to whom the story
was told after his marriage, apparent
Nv never forgot it. Then, again, the
wife was extravagant and made many
debts When he became a father he
was a most undemonstratiVe one,
showing little affection for his Off
spring Family relations always were
strained.
He was old-fogyish, and had a dis
trust of railroads, and did not believe
they would ever become useful. Here
is a sample of his keenness of fore
sight for he said that mo great or
permanent good could come of the in
Vention, because stage coaches already
travelled at the rate of eight or ten
miles i'm the hour, and if any attempt
were made to exceed that pace the
respiration of the passengers would
become painful perhaps impossible
listen
strances. This was in 1880. He said
a twelve-mile pace would be excess
sive and very risky He loved music.
and played on the violin, spoke
French with remarkable facility, but
was wholly ignorant of physical
science, and knew scarcely anything
of agriculture. With a certain amount
of urbanity with at least his guests,
he did not brook contradiction. To
his interiors in position he could be
singularly rude.
The older he grew the more obstin-
ate he became. To differ from him in
any way aroused his anger. He must
have been often unbearable. He was
profane and self-willed.
The author says that if you were to
talk with a veteran officer who had
served under Wellington he would ex-
press confidence in him, "but of per-
sonal love toward him not a word
would be said There was not an
atom of enthusiasm in the Dukes COM
position He was singularly intoler-
ant. When a mistake was made rs
became furious and blamed every
body. In his old age he suffered from
epileptic fits, and suffered in his ears.
When his death came at last, the great
poet laureate, Tennyson, celebrated i,
in a poem of rare excellence and elo-
quence. 1t is an lode" of highest
eulogy, and has many lines of raptur-
Gus enthusiasm quite worthy of
richly endowed English poet. 1t has
many very impressive passages, high
and commanding, and nobly ryth-
mical. l meant to give few lines,
but limited selection is insufficient, if
not almost impossible. 1t has been
to me for over thirty-five years one of
the greatest of OdeS in all modern lit
erature. The more l read it the more
consummate and admirable it appears.
1t is not the greatest poem since Mill
ton, but who has written an "Ode' In
celebration of a Man that is of higher
conception or more perfect execution?
know that the clevereSt of Northern
critics since Lowell, e. c.. Stedman,
rather damns it with faint praise, but
he need not be, correct however ap-
preciatfVe he seems. He admits it
would be a STRONG performance for
another poet" but not for such
master-that none but a great artist
could have written it, yet it is scarcely
a great poem" To complete the de-
probation he compares 1T to the great
est poem of Wordsworth, "Intimations
of Immortality" and says sit is not
comparable with it," But Wordsworth
was not writing of some great Eng
lishman. 1 hoped to give the opinion
of another Northern critic, Rev. DR..
Henry Van Dyke, who is a remarkable
writer and an exquisite interpreter of
Tennyson, but / cannot find what he
says. The poet regarded the good
gray head which all men know" as
the ''last great Englishman," and
wrote
This is England's greatest SON
He that gained hundred fights.
Nor ever lost an English gum
OF Wellington he writes that he
"never sold the truth to serve the
hour
Nor palter'd with Eternal God for
power"
and to whom always